Rea answers the critics after Magny-Cours controversy

Magny-Cours proved a tricky hunting round for Kawasaki’s Jonathan Rea as a Saturday crash and Sunday conflict overshadowed the WorldSBK weekend.

To try and win on Sunday, Jonathan Rea and his crew put in a fairly bold wheelbase change to his machine, to try and get back on terms after hitting a wheels sensor on the kerb at the tight chicane and crashing out on Saturday, no scoring. But it was Sunday that was even more frantic for Rea after a tangle with Ducati’s Alvaro Bautista at turn 13 in the final race action.

He described Race Two’s happenings in detail, saying. “Race Two made a pretty good getaway, but found myself third and fourth. Then the first laps, I think lap two, we came together. So, I knew I was strong there all weekend. I just seen Toprak [Razgatlioglu] going. I wanted to go down the inside. He [Bautista] came back to his line and I was there. We touched. I was really on my limit on the inside to make the manoeuvre but I didn’t blow the corner, by any means.

“I made my apex and unfortunately he went down. I’m really sorry for that because that was really not my intention. I want to make that clear.

“There was zero bad intention. I think from the other side with emotions hot and everybody after the race, it sounded like it was in my brain before the corner. I didn’t think at turn 12, “Right, I’m going to put this guy down.” Not at all. It’s not the way I ride. I went down the inside and parked my bike and unfortunately we came together. I have been to see him. Offered my apologies and tried to give my point of view. I listened to his point of view. So, for me that’s turn the page now. I had to take my long lap penalty, unfortunately. I didn’t understand what was going to happen.

“Of course, Race Direction