WorldSBK Magny-Cours Race 1 Results: Rea masters wet to close on sixth title

It may have been gloomy but Jonathan Rea’s hopes of wrapping up the 2020 WorldSBK Championship title this weekend brightened as he sailed to race one victory at a soggy Magny-Cours, while Scott Redding could only manage fifth place.

Coming into the weekend needing a 62 point buffer over Redding to make it six WorldSBK titles in a row, Rea got his quest off to a brilliant start in terrible conditions to notch up a tenth win. It means he is now 65 points clear of Redding, so as long as he finishes ahead of the Briton in the remaining Superpole Race and Race 2, he will leave France as champion.

Made to work hard initially, Rea was fortunate a good start from third that nose him into the lead at Turn 1 got him clear of an unfortunate incident behind him when contact between Garrett Gerloff and Tom Sykes sent the latter down right into the patch of BMW team-mate Eugene Laverty out.

To make matters worse, the pair had started 1-2 - Laverty leading Sykes - after the BMW’s starred during the morning’s damp Superpole.

Despite the contact, Gerloff stayed upright and seemed Rea’s best challenger for victory along with fellow Yamaha rider and renowned wet weather specialist Loris Baz. However, Gerloff’s challenge ended with a high-side on lap seven, while Baz’s pressure waned during the second half of the race.

As such, Rea scythed home to victory for another maximum points haul, ahead of Baz - scoring his third podium of the year and a maiden one on home soil - while Alex Lowes stepped on the rostrum for the first time since his win in Australia back in February/March.

Chaz Davies was a lonely fourth, ahead of Redding whose race came alive in the closing stages having wallowed down in tenth as he struggled to find his feet in the wet on the Ducati. Comfortably the fastest rider on circuit by the end, Redding was seventh into the final lap behind a fierce tussle for fifth between Leon Haslam and Toprak Razgatlioglu.

After Razgatlioglu passed at the Adelaide hairpin for the final time, Haslam struck back with a bold pass into Estoril but having completed it successfully, promptly high-sided off as he rounded the ensuing left-hander. Delaying Razgatlioglu, Redding popped ahead of both for some precious extra points.

Michael Ruben Rinaldi was seventh from Xavi Fores and Michael van der Mark, who diced with the leaders initially before a tumble while running fourth dropped him to ninth.

2020 WorldSBK Magny-Cours - Race 1 Results