WorldSBK Aragon: Rea rescues victory with last corner move

Kawasaki’s Jonathan Rea faced 2019 flashbacks as he battled Alvaro Bautista for the entirety of the WorldSBK season opener.

The Aruba.it Ducati man was in touch until the final seconds as the pair crossed the line 0.09s apart with Pata Yamaha’s Toprak Razgatlioglu settling for an uncharacteristically distant third.

2022 Superbike World Championship race action roared to life in the Spanish mountains with reigning champion Razgatlioglu launching from pole ahead of the 18-lap contest. Four months of preseason testing coming to fruition as Bautista rejoined the Ducati squad from the front row alongside six-time title holder Rea.

The wind picked up as the race prepared despite the 28℃ track temperatures. The Pata Yamaha securing the holeshot as the lights went out with Rea quickly dispatching the Ducati for second. A strong start from Iker Lecuona found the Honda rookie through to fifth as he demoted Alex Lowes, Rea pushing through to the lead on the second KRT out front.

Michael Rinaldi held fourth on the Ducati as lap two began, Pata’s Andrea Locatelli heading Xavi Vierge on the second HRC machine from seventh and eight with Eugene Laverty and Ilya Mikhalchik rounding out the top ten.

The Rea/Razgatlioglu battle continued for the lead as the pair swapped positions throughout the second lap, the Northern Irishman enforcing his dominance through turn 11 and maintaining control as the Turk wrestled his R1 down the back straight.

Laverty advanced next time around as he made his way to eighth, Bonovo teammate Loris Baz running just adrift of the top ten with GRY Yamaha’s Garrett Gerloff for close company.

Lowes dispatched Lecuona for fifth on lap four, with Locatelli narrowly behind as the trio battled hard. Scott Redding