Jonathan Rea seals record 250th World Superbike podium at Donington Park

Dominant championship leader Alvaro Bautista chalked up his 15th victory in 16 races this year to increase his lead at the top to 91 points at round six of the series over Toprak Razgatlioglu, who secured the runner-up spot.

Kawasaki rider Rea – who won the title in six consecutive years from 2015 to 2020 – had sealed pole position and led for a number of laps until Razgatlioglu hit the front on his Pata Yamaha.

The Turkish rider, a hat-trick winner at the Leicestershire circuit in 2022, exchanged passes with Rea, who made a spectacular overtake at Starkey’s to reclaim the lead.

Razgatlioglu had the edge on the brakes at the Melbourne Loop to lead again and although Rea made a similar pass at Starkey’s on lap nine, the Yamaha rider anticipated the move and was able to cut back underneath.

Bautista, though, was right on their tails after dropping back slightly behind the two leaders on the opening laps.

The reigning champion passed Rea into the Fogarty Esses on lap nine and took the lead from Razgatlioglu out of Coppice on the next lap.

Bautista then gradually eased away on the Panigale V4R and went out to wrap up Ducati’s maiden win at Donington Park for 12 years, with Carlos Checa the last winner of a World Superbike race for the Italian manufacturer at the famous English circuit in 2011.

Razgatlioglu was 3.7s behind at the finish after 23 laps, with Rea digging deep to fend off a late charge from Danilo Petrucci on the Barni Spark Ducati to clinch the final podium spot, 6.1s down on race winner Bautista.

Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha) got the better of Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team) for fifth, with Axel Bassani taking seventh on the Motocorsa Ducati.

Factory BMW rider Scott Redding squeezed under team-mate Tom Sykes at the Melbourne Loop to snatch eighth on the last lap, while Australia’s Remy Gardner rounded out the top 10 on the GRT Yamaha.

British Superbike champion Bradley Ray crashed out of the race at Redgate on the first lap on his Motoxracing Yamaha after tangling with American Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW).

Ulsterman Rea remains fourth in the championship, 16 points behind Locatelli in third but 178 behind runaway title favourite Bautista.

The 36-year-old has won a record 118 races but has not stood on the top step of the rostrum since the last round of the 2022 championship at Phillip Island in Australia in November.

On Sunday, the Sprint race is scheduled for 11:00 BST with race two at 16:00 BST.