Image: Supplied.

The opening race of the Pirelli Thai round in the FIM Motul Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK) saw Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) and Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.It Racing – Ducati) clash on track early on, creating the rivalry everyone wanted to see unfold between the two heavyweight stars.

Bautista was able to get the better of the reigning champion eventually, to take his fourth WorldSBK win. At the line, the Spaniard took the win by 8.2s ahead of the four-time defending champion.

Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK) held on ahead of teammate Michael van der Mark by 0.4s to take his third Buriram podium, while it was Leon Haslam (Kawasaki Racing Team) in fifth position.

Jules Cluzel (GMT94 Yamaha) took his first WorldSSP pole position of the season, his first since Donington Park in 2018. Joining him on the front row, the Bardahl Evan Bros WorldSSP Team pairing of Randy Krummenacher and Federico Caricasulo – a reversed front row from the opening round of the year.

Heading row two, Japanese star Hikari Okubo, who achieved his best superpole grid position of fourth. His previous best was a fifth, also at Donington Park in 2018. Raffaele De Rosa (MV AGUSTA Reparto Corse) finished in fifth position.

Detailed results