WorldSBK Magny-Cours Race 2 Results: Rea wins title after Bautista DNF

Jonathan Rea wraps up the 2019 WorldSBK Championship title with his 12th victory of the season for Kawasaki at Magny-Cours after intense Yamaha battle

Jonathan Rea - Kawasaki Racing
Jonathan Rea - Kawasaki Racing

Jonathan Rea is a World Superbike Champion for a fifth consecutive time after victory in the final WorldSBK race at Magny-Cours, coupled to a crash for Alvaro Bautista, was everything he needed to put the title out of his rival’s reach.

The Ulsterman needed a win and hope Bautista didn’t score to give him the minimum 125-point buffer heading to Argentina to ensure there was no possible comeback for the Spaniard. 

However, with Bautista starting fifth and Race 1 and Superpole Race winner Toprak Razgatlioglu on pole, it appeared Rea would have had his work cut out to achieve his feat on European soil.

Nevertheless, the pathway cleared in dramatic circumstances when Razgatlioglu, having slipped to fourth on lap one when a huge wobble under braking for the Adelaide hairpin unsettled him, was fighting back past Bautista for third on lap two, only to lose the rear of his Kawasaki and come off the throttle. 

Bautista, attempting to cut back up the inside, was caught out and clipped the back of his rival, sending them both down heavily and forcing both to retire. Click here to read main story - Jonathan Rea crowned World Superbike Champion for a historic fifth time

With one part of the objective fulfilled, Rea just needed to clinch the victory but he was made to work very hard by Michael van der Mark, the pair trading passes repeatedly up until lap 12 when Rea made a definitive move stick and begin gapping the Dutchman.

Holding his nerve in the final lap, Rea’s 12th win means he becomes the first rider in history to win five WorldSBK title, putting him clear of fellow four-time champion Carl Fogarty.

Toprak Razgatlioglu - Puccetti Kawasaki
Toprak Razgatlioglu - Puccetti Kawasaki

Bruising end to breakthrough weekend for Razgatlioglu

van der Mark held on for second place, resisting the attentions of Alex Lowes, who did a mighty job of closing down a two-second margin to the leaders, but fall just short of being able to attempt a pass.

Nonetheless, it gives some breathing room for the pair in the fight for third overall after Razgatlioglu, whose two wins had put him on the cusp of passing the pair, crashed out. Ironically, the Turk is widely expected to be replacing Lowes at Yamaha for the 2020 WorldSBK season.

Though overshadowed by Rea’s win, a triple success for Kawasaki helps it move clear of Ducati in the manufacturers’ reckoning, not least after Chaz Davies could only collect points for fourth. The Japanese marque is now 34 points ahead with two rounds remaining.

A strong end ot the weekend for Yamaha, Loris Baz and Marco Melandri made it four R1s inside the top six, the latter recording his best finish since Jerez, while Leon Haslam and Tom Sykes faded back to seventh and eighth.

Leon Camier produced his second top ten finish of his comeback weekend – his first event since May – ahead of Jordi Torres, Leandro Mercado and Eugene Laverty. Sylvain Barrier scored his and Brixx Ducati’s first points of the season in 13th, with Ryuichi Kiyonari and Markus Reiterberger picking up the final digits.

Alex Lowes, Michael van der Mark
Alex Lowes, Michael van der Mark

French WorldSBK Race 2 Results

French WorldSBK, Magny-Cours - Race Results (2)
PosDriverNatTeamModelTime
1Jonathan ReaGBRKawasaki Racing TeamKawasaki ZX-10RR21 Laps
2Michael van der MarkNEDPata YamahaYamaha YZF R1+0.862
3Alex LowesGBRPata YamahaYamaha YZF R1+1.702
4Chaz DaviesGBRAruba.it Racing DucatiDucati Panigale V4 R+4.014
5Loris BazFRATen Kate SBK YamahaYamaha YZF R1+4.989
6Marco MelandriITAGRT YamahaYamaha YZF R1+19.939
7Leon HaslamGBRKawasaki Racing TeamKawasaki ZX-10RR+20.130
8Tom SykesGBRBMW WorldSBK TeamBMW S1000RR+20.305
9Leon CamierGBRMoriwaki Althea HondaHonda CBR1000RR+26.564
10Jordi TorresESPTeam Pedercini Racing KawasakiKawasaki ZX-10RR+27.855
11Leandro MercadoARGOrelac Racing VerdNatura KawasakiKawasaki ZX-10RR+30.190
12Eugene LavertyIRLTeam Goeleven DucatiDucati Panigale V4 R+32.283
13Sylvain BarrierFRABrixx DucatiDucati Panigale V4 R+48,000
14Ryuichi KiyonariJPNMoriwaki Althea HondaHonda CBR1000RR+48.298
15Markus ReiterbergerGERBMW WorldSBK TeamBMW S1000RR+48.703
16Alessandro DelbiancoITAAlthea Mie Racing Team HondaHonda CBR1000RR+54.384
17Michael Ruben RinaldiITABarni Racing Team DucatiDucati Panigale V4 R+3 Laps
DNFSandro CorteseGERGRT YamahaYamaha YZF R18 Laps
DNFAlvaro BautistaESPAruba.it Racing DucatiDucati Panigale V4 R1 Lap
DNFToprak RazgatliogluTURKawasaki Puccetti RacingKawasaki ZX-10RR1 Lap

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