Jonathan Rea makes Magny-Cours another double

After facing one of his toughest challenges yet, Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) has secured another stunning feat, taking his fourth consecutive MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship title by a sensational 130 points at France’s Magny-Cours ovennight.

WorldSBK Race 1: Rea claims the title with two rounds to go

Northern Ireland’s Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team) took the 2018 WorldSBK crown in style at France’s Magny Cours, slicing past teammate Tom Sykes in the early stages of Saturday’s race one and imperious from there to snap victory number 13 of the year. Sykes took second from his record-breaking pole, with Xavi Fores (Barni Racing Team) completing the podium after a three-way fight for third.

Jonathan Rea – Magny-Cours 2018 WSBK

It was Sykes who got the holeshot from pole, getting a lightning start and leaving teammate Rea to trail him in second – albeit in very close company. Lorenzo Savadori (Milwaukee Aprilia) kept his P3 from the front row as they shot off the line, with Xavi Fores (Barni Racing Team) slotting into fourth as the field made their way around lap one. But Rea remained threatening in second and feinted a number of moves, before the reigning champion pounced for the lead not long after.

Just off the fight at the front, Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team) took an early tumble, followed not long after by a DNF for Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Junior Team) in the same mid top ten group. Rea pulled away from Sykes as Fores hustled past Savadori and took over in third, but the Italian stayed close and Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) began to hone in on that battle.

Tom Sykes – Magny-Cours 2018 WSBK

Rea crossed the line for win number 13 of the season and his fourth crown in style, with Sykes just behind his teammate in another impressive 1-2 for Kawasaki. Fores was able to fight off Savadori, and both just stayed ahead of Davies by the flag. Davies needed to finish second to stop Rea taking the crown, but after a mid top ten qualifying and still recovering from a broken collarbone, it was a tall order. The Welshman nevertheless put together an impressive ride in difficult circumstances – much like his races in Portugal. His teammate Marco Melandri, after a tough qualifying, moved through from p12 on the grid to take sixth.

Michael van der Mark – Magny-Cours 2018 WSBK

Seventh went to Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team) as he moved up from tenth on the grid, getting past Toprak Razgatliouglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) at mid-distance and steadily pulling away from the Turk, who came home in P8. Loris Baz (GULF Althea BMW) had been fighting him in the latter stages but couldn’t make it stick, and just at the end was pipped to ninth by Eugene Laverty (Milwaukee Aprilia).

Leon Camier (Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team) took P11, ahead of Jordi Torres in P12 for MV Agusta Reparto Corse.

Four titles in a row, 13 race wins this season and two rounds still to go make for another amazing season for world champion and part-time Aussie, Jonathan Rea

Superbikes Race 1 Results – Magny-Cours 2018

WorldSBK Race 2: Jonathan Rea scores his fourth consecutive double

Despite being crowned 2018 Superbike World Champion Saturday – his fourth title victory and another history making mark – Kawasaki’s Jonathan Rea was far from taking an early vacation. Rea was back in action Sunday at France’s Magny Cours taking another win and sealing his fourth double on the trot. The Northern Irishman has now made it eight consecutive victories in a row, matching the best WorldSBK winning streak since Troy Bayliss in 2006.

Jonathan Rea – Magny-Cours 2018 WSBK

Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) started from second on the grid and immediately grabbed the holeshot, powering away from Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team) and Marco Melandri (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), while race two polesitter Lorenzo Savadori (Milwaukee Aprilia) quickly fell down the order. But inside just half a lap Rea had already managed to climb into third position and set his sights on the race lead, eventually managing to outpace van der Mark at the Imola chicane in lap 3.

Chaz Davies – Magny-Cours 2018 WSBK

Davies leading, Rea in hot pursuit – the same scenario we’ve witnessed countless times across the years, and as recently as race two in Portimao. Even with an unassailable margin of points separating them in the standings, the pair fought as fiercely as ever. Rea singled out the Adelaide hairpin as the point to make his pass, but lap after lap the moment didn’t come, the Welshman forcing his Ducati in front on the exit every time, with the Kawasaki rider twice running in too hot. But then Davies opened the door in lap 12 through turn 9, and Rea emphatically put his foot in, flying into the race lead. With an open track ahead, the KRT rider was just too strong to match, with Davies crossing the line in second and van der Mark putting his R1 onto the podium again in third.

Tom Sykes – Magny-Cours 2018 WSBK

Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) couldn’t return to the rostrum after his P2 yesterday, but the move he put over Marco Melandri (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) with one lap on the clock did net him P4 in race two, with the Italian following behind and completing the top five.

Savadori managed to steady his pace after a few dubitative opening laps and claimed sixth place, closing off his best weekend of the season. Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team) crossed the line in seventh and saves some points from a mostly disappointing weekend, with Xavi Fores (Barni Racing Team) in eighth and as the top independent rider.

Superbikes Race 2 Podium – Magny-Cours 2018 WSBK

Leon Camier (Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team) returns to the top ten for the first time since his injury in July, leaving Magny-Cours with a P9, with hometown boy Loris Baz (GULF Althea BMW Racing Team) closing out the top ten. Eugene Laverty (Milwaukee Aprilia) crossed the line in 11th, with Toprak Razgatlioglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) in 12th.

Superbikes Race 2 Results – Magny-Cours 2018

World Superbike Standings

Jonathan Rea 470 Kawasaki
Chaz Davies 335 Ducati
Michael Van Der Mark 309 Yamaha
Tom Sykes 273 Kawasaki
Marco Melandri 250 Ducati
Alex Lowes 213 Yamaha
Xavi Fores 194 Ducati
Eugene Laverty 134 Aprilia
Lorenzo Savadori 125 Aprilia
Toprak Razgatlioglu 120 Kawasaki

World Supersport: Cluzel out-battles Cortese on home soil

Jules Cluzel (NRT) secured his fourth win of the season at France’s Magny-Cours as the Frenchman took a controlling victory to beat championship rival and second place Sandro Cortese (Kallio Racing), with fellow countryman Lucas Mahias (GRT Yamaha Official WorldSSP Team) third on the rostrum as teammate and pole man Federico Caricasulo crashed out on the final lap.

Jules Cluzel – Magny-Cours 2018 WSBK

It was Mahias who grabbed the holeshot as the lights went out from second on the grid as he and Cluzel made it an immediate French 1-2 at the front, before the latter took the lead heading into Turn 5 on the opening lap. Further back, Championship leader Cortese didn’t get off to the best start but the German rider soon found his rhythm to reel in the leaders a couple of laps later, making his way up to P2 after consecutive passes on Mahias and Caricasulo at the Adelaide hairpin.

The four leaders had broken clear from home rider Corentin Perolari (GMT94 Yamaha) at the mid-stage of the race, with Cluzel still holding P1 from Cortese before the 2012 Moto3™ World Champion made a move down into Turn 5. The Kallio Racing rider couldn’t make it stick though, but that didn’t stop the German trying it again a lap later, but the same happened – Cluzel getting the better exit to hold station. It was rinse and repeat for the duo a lap later as the two leaders in the Championship brilliantly fought for French honours.

Heading into the final lap, Cluzel had managed to get his head down to edge out a 0.7 advantage at the front, with Cortese suffering from front tyre wear which left him firmly in the clutches of the two GRT bikes behind. Then, late drama surfaced. Fourth place Mahias went for a pass into Turn 14 on teammate Caricasulo, the latter running a slightly wider line and losing the front trying to defend his position – hugely detrimental for the Italian’s title aspirations, who remounted to claim P13.

This left Cluzel to claim his fourth win of the season as the gap in the Championship between him and first place Cortese now stands at 11 points with two races remaining – Mahias claimed a home podium, his first since Thailand. Thomas Gradinger (NRT) was fourth as he continues to impress in his rookie WorldSSP season, with Randy Krummenacher (BARDAHL Evan Bros. WorldSSP Team) completing the top five after a difficult race. Sixth was home rider Perolari, a great race for the Frenchman after battling with the leaders in the opening exchanges, with Raffaele De Rosa (MV Agusta Reparto Corse by Vamag) crossing the line seventh – the Italian losing ground in the Championship.

Supersport Race Podium – Magny-Cours 2018 WSBK

After his podium in Portugal, Kyle Smith (CIA Landlord Insurance Honda) could only manage eighth in France, with Hikari Okubo (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) getting the better of teammate Hector Barbera – P9 and P10 respectively for the Kawasaki paring.

The title race remains tight as the paddock heads off to Argentina for a brand-new challenge – who will emerge victorious as Cortese and Cluzel go head-to-head once again.