Jonathan Rea clinches World Superbike podium double at Magny-Cours in France as Toprak Razgatlioglu seals brace
and live on Freeview channel 276
Rea, who will leave Kawasaki after nine years to replace Razgatlioglu in the Pata Yamaha team for 2024,
Michael Ruben Rinaldi, second in the first race, took the lead from Razgatlioglu on lap three and remained in front until the fifth lap, when drama unfolded at the Adelaide hairpin.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdRazgatlioglu made a move on the brakes on the Aruba.it Ducati rider to hit the front, but Alvaro Bautista also attempted to follow Razgatlioglu through and made contact with his Ducati team-mate, who crashed out.
Rinaldi was taken to the medical centre but has been declared fit for race two (14:15 BST), while no further action was taken against reigning champion Bautista after the incident was investigated by the FIM Stewards.
Bautista then dropped to fourth after he was passed by Kawasaki riders Rea and Alex Lowes, but the championship leader fought back and reclaimed second position from Rea, while Lowes retired in the pits. Lowes has been ruled out of the final race with a left knee injury.
Bautista was on a charge and shattered the lap record with a series of fast laps to close the deficit, but Razgatlioglu held on to win the 10-lap sprint by nine tenths of a second, with six-time champion Rea 1.5s further back in third.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdAndrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha), Danilo Petrucci (Barni Ducati) and Dominique Aegerter (GRT Yamaha) finalised the top six.
Loris Baz, who has been linked with a move to the British Superbike Championship next year with TAS Racing on the SYNETIQ BMW, was seventh (Bonovo Action BMW).
Series rookie Bradley Ray finished in 15th on the Motoxracing Yamaha.
Scott Redding was 20th on the factory ROKiT BMW after receiving a Long Lap penalty following contact with pole man Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW). The pair went tumbling into the gravel and Gerloff returned to the pits but retired from the race.