One day Alvaro Bautista would lose this season. After a fantastic record of wins since the start of the World Superbike season, Bautista was unable to get the win at Race 1 in Imola. Jonathan Rea won for the first time in 2019, and Kawasaki is again on the top of the podium.
The Kawasaki rider had his life made easier when Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Ducati) suffered a problem. Davies was forced to abandon the race, and Rea got the lead. The Northern-Irishman rider then put on a fantastic performance and crossed the line in first.
The second position today went to championship leader Alvaro Bautista. The Ducati rider was nowhere near Rea’s rhythm. He lost almost half a second per lap, so Bautista had to settle for second. He still has a healthy lead over Jonathan Rea. The two are now separated by 48 points.
Third on Race 1 went to a rider that did a fantastic comeback! Turkish Puccetti Kawasaki rider Toprak Razgatlioglu managed to start from 11th and move through the field. He then battled with Michael van der Mark on the last lap, eventually beating the PATA Yamaha rider. Toprak secured his third World Superbike career podium.
Will Jonathan Rea manage to win tomorrow at Imola’s Superpole race and Race 2? Stay tuned to iMotorbike to find out!
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