Bike India – August 2019

Change of

Power in Rea’s

Favour

WSBK GREAT BRITAIN

D

ONINGTONPARKWASGOINGTOBECRUCIALFORTHE

championship. After a few lacklustre performances, Alvaro Bautista’s

(ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati) dominating lead was significantly shortened

and the defending champion, Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK), was

catching up quickly.

Nine-time WSBK winner at Donington Park, Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad

WorldSBK Team), looked all set to make it 10 wins and a first for BMW by claiming

pole position. Right behind him were Rea and Leon Haslam (Kawasaki Racing Team

WorldSBK) completing the front row.

Race One

Donington Park played host to yet another thrilling encounter. The first race was

flagged off under wet conditions and was quite dramatic. Rea was the fastest off the

line and led the pack into the first turn with Sykes and Haslam in tow.

Soon, Rea settled into a rhythm and began putting in lap-times that were a couple of

seconds quicker than the rest of the racers. By the time Sykes began matching Rea’s

lap-times, it was too late because the Kawasaki man had already opened up a seven-

second lead. Meanwhile, Haslam regained third place after temporarily losing it to

Loris Baz (Ten Kate Racing – Yamaha).

Further down the order, Turn Six reeled in Bautista and a few others. The

championship leader left the race in a spectacular fashion; marking back-to-back

crashes for the Ducati man. Rea made the most of the situation and rode to his 76th

career victory, claiming championship lead on the go. Sykes and Haslam rounded off

the podium, finishing in second and third places respectively.

Superpole Race

The Tissot Superpole Race was red-flagged after a multi-rider incident at Turn Six.

Race leader, Rea, was declared the winner ahead of Toprak Razgatlioglu (Turkish

Puccetti Racing) and Haslam in second and third places respectively.

Race Two

For the second race, Rea blasted off in the lead with Razgatlioglu and Bautista in tow.

Bautista was soon passed by Haslam at the Old Hairpin. By the third lap, Razgatlioglu

slid into the lead by executing a strong out-braking manoeuvre. A couple of laps later,

Rea reclaimed the lead but the young Turk did not let go easily. The duo fought

around Donington Park, eventually ascending into a class of their own; leaving

Haslam behind.

The fight for first place was between Rea and Razgatlioglu. Meanwhile, Bautista,

Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team), Haslam, and Baz fought it out for the

final step on the podium. Rea won that bout and finished first ahead of Razgatlioglu

while Bautista fought his way to third place. But the damage was done. At the end of

the Britain WSBK weekend, the championship has a new leader: Jonathan Rea.

The reign of ex-MotoGP star, Bautista, in the

championship has come to an end. After the British

WSBK weekend, Rea leads the championship

Report: Joshua Varghese

http://www.bikeindia.in August 2019 BikeIndia (^127)