Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team) used his pole advantage off the line and demolished the field to win not just the race but an unprecedented third successive world championship.
Rea took a lead of over two seconds on lap one and rode flawlessly to finish over 16 seconds ahead of the battling Marco Melandri (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team).
With Rea just counting down the laps to an achievement that even the likes Carl Fogarty and Troy Bayliss could not do – three in a row – Melandri and Sykes had a fight for second so intense that they touched in the treacherous conditions, before Melandri made a final pass to record second place.
Melandri, Jonathan Rea and Sykes, WSBK Race1, French WSBK 2017
Leon Camier (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) place fourth after an initial chase of Melandri, with the top Yamaha rider being Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team).
Eugene Laverty (Milwaukee Aprilia) overcame the conditions to go sixth, with front row starter Leandro Mercado (IodaRacing Team Aprilia) seventh.
Jonathan Rea celebrates winning the World Championship for the third time, WSBK Race1, French WSBK 2017
The top ten was rounded out by Davide Giugliano (Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team), Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team) and Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), who dropped from a potential podium position with clear grip issues.
In the championship points, Rea has an unassailable 456, Sykes is second on 327 and Davies third on 302.
By Gordon Ritchie
Jonathan Rea, WSBK Race1, French WSBK 2017