WorldSBK Race 2 Results | Redding wins, Rea shows fighting spirit

Scott Redding returned to the top of the WorldSBK podium in the final race of the 2021 season’s penultimate round at San Juan Villicum, as Jonathan Rea proved he won’t cede his title crown without a fight by succeeding in an entertaining tussle with main rival Toprak Razgatlioglu.

Ending a mixed weekend on a positive note, the Aruba.it Ducati rider bounced back from a disappointing Saturday to reel off a podium in the Superpole Race before prevailing in an enjoyable three-way tussle for victory in Race 2.

Demonstrating a refusal not to give up after his Race 1 fall led to a determined fightback to ninth place, Redding was in fine form in the 21 lap encounter, duking it out with Rea and Razgatlioglu early on before getting his head down and pulling clear to take the flag by just over two seconds.

Sprinting clear of fierce duel between two title-fighting titans, Rea and Razgatlioglu gave fans plenty of value with their to-and-fro of momentum, with the championship leading Yamaha rider getting caught out by sporadic errors that enabled a resurgent Rea to keep him within his sights.

With the title battle guaranteed to be decided in Argentina in just over a month’s time, Razgatlioglu perhaps for the first time played it a little safer when it mattered, with Rea dutifully holding onto second place to claw back four points in the standings.

With three races and 62 points up for grabs, Razgatlioglu and Rea head into the finale - held at the new Mandalika Circuit in Indonesia - split by 30 points in the Turkish rider’s favour.

Behind the podium-winning trio, Axel Bassani consolidated a superb weekend of results in fourth position, the Italian rookie getting the better of factory counterpart Michael Ruben Rinaldi in fifth position, while Michael van der Mark completed his brace of strong points-scoring outings aboard the BMW M 1000 RR, seeing off Andrea Locatelli and Garrett Gerloff in seventh and eighth.

Chaz Davies’ comeback event concluded with ninth position, the Welshman now turning attention to what will be his swansong event as a motorcycle racer before he hangs up his helmet. 

Following its strong podium-challenging exploits in Barcelona, Jerez and Portimao, Honda endured a tougher weekend in Argentina, with Alvaro Bautista its leading representative in Race 2 back in tenth, ahead of team-mate Leon Haslam and Puccetti Kawasaki’s Tito Rabat.

Isaac Vinales, Kohta Nozane and local hero Leandro Mercado completed the points’ paying positions in 13th, 14th and 15th.

2021 WorldSBK Argentina | San Juan Villicum | Race 2 RESULTS