Source: Supplied.

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

Rea took the 2018 WorldSBK crown in style, slicing past teammate Tom Sykes in the early stages of Race One and imperious from there on in to take victory number 13 of the year. Unlucky for some, but far from it for the now four-time Champion.

Sykes took second from his record-breaking pole, with Xavi Fores (Barni Racing Team) completing the podium after a three-way fight for third. 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 1. 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 that 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 that same mid top 10 group. Rea was then pulling away from Sykes and Sykes from those on the chase as Fores hustled past Savadori and took over in third, but the Italian stayed close and Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was beginning to hone in on that battle.

Rea crossed the line for win number 13 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. 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).

Federico Caricasulo (GRT Yamaha Official WorldSSP Team) took WorldSSP Superpole 2 by storm at Magny Cours, leaving it late to blast to the top of the timesheets but then deposing home hero and teammate Lucas Mahias in style.

Mahias starts second in a last chance saloon weekend for the reigning Champion if he hopes to retain his crown, with the front row locked out by compatriot and key contender Jules Cluzel (NRT). Points leader Sandro Cortese (Kallio Racing Team) was bumped down to the second row after a crash followed by Randy Krummenacher (BARDAHL Evan Bros. WorldSSP Team).

The season finale for WorldSSP300 is set up to be a stunner after Superpole, with Scott Deroue (Motoport Kawasaki) starting on pole after a late lunge to the top, just ahead of compatriot and teammate Robert Schotman and Australian Tom Edwards (Nutec – Benjan – Kawasaki).

Detailed results