In winning the first Magny Cours race – and with it his fourth successive WorldSBK Championship – Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team)
became the first rider to achieve four-titles-in-a-row and only the second rider after Carl Fogarty to win four over his career.
With (Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) unable to challenge him, and pole man Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) kept firmly in second place, Rea wrapped up the series with five races remaining.
Xavi Fores (Barni Racing Team Ducati) completed the race one podium in third, with Lorenzo Savadori (Milwaukee Aprilia) and Davies right behind.
A strong early start from Sykes and Rea saw the KRT duo head up the chasing pack, but soon after it was Rea from Sykes, with Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK) a faller, restarting down in 18th and last place.
Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing Ducati Junior Team) was also a faller early in the race, after what looked a major technical problem.
Davies, knowing he had to stick with Rea as closely as possible to keep the championship alive into Sunday, made a big move on Razgatlioglu for fifth. Davies was 3.731 seconds behind Rea after six laps and was unable to match his crushing pace.
Rea, setting astoundingly consistent pace in the 1’37s, ended up with a final advantage of 3.091 seconds over Sykes. Rea broke the lap record more than once, with his best being a 1’37.152, on lap eight.
Behind the top five, Marco Melandri (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
was an advancing sixth, Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK) seventh and Razgatlioglu eighth.
Eugene Laverty (Milwaukee Aprilia) caught and passed Loris Baz (GULF ALTHEA BMW Racing Team) for ninth. Leon Camier (Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team) was 11th and Jake Gagne (Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team) 13th.
One more WorldSBK race to go on Sunday at Magny Cours, at 15.15 local time.
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- Jonathan Rea and Sykes, WSBK race1, French WSBK 2018
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- Sykes and Fores, WSBK race1, French WSBK 2018
SATURDAY WORLDSSP Magny
The WorldSSP class continued the trend of having Yamahas on top of most of their rivals after Superpole 2 on Saturday, with GRT team-mates Federico Caricasulo and Lucas Mahias first and second respectively.
Joining his French rival Mahias on the front row, Jules Cluzel (NRT Yamaha) placed third after Superpole, edging out championship leader Sandro Cortese (Kallio Racing Yamaha) to the first slot on row two.
Randy Krummenacher (BARDAHL Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha) is fifth on the grid for Sunday’s 19-lap race. Corentin Perolari (Yamaha GMT94) made it to row two for his home event, riding for a French team.
Hikari Okubo (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was top Ninja rider in seventh place. Top MV runner was, despite a gigantically damaging crash for his machine, Raffaele De Rosa (MV Agusta Reparto Corse by Vamag). With debris on the track, De Rosa’s fall caused a temporary red flag to be thrown.
Ayrton Badovini (MV Agusta Reparto Corse by Vamag) went ninth and the top Honda rider was Estonian rider Hannes Soomer(Racedays Honda), tenth. Kyle Smith (CIA Landlord Insurance Honda) placed 12th and Luke Stapleford (Profile Racing Yamaha) 16th.
The last European race of the season takes place on Sunday at 13.45 French time.
By Gordon Ritchie