WorldSBK Most Superpole Race Results | Razgatlioglu wins after scary Rea contact

Toprak Razgatlioglu has taken a controversial fifth WorldSBK win of the season in Most after a scary last lap skirmish with Jonathan Rea almost led to a nasty accident for both.

With Rea upping the pressure on Razgatlioglu during the latter laps having trailed him from the start when his rival beat him on the run to Turn 1, the stage was set for a showdown in the final turns.

After trading passes on lap eight and nine at Turn 1, coming into the last lap Rea successfully out-braked Razgatlioglu into Turn 1, but the compromise to his exit from Turn 2 would allow the Yamaha rider to sweep back past.

Nonetheless, with Rea having successfully completed the majority of his passed in Race 1 at the fast-entry, slow apex Turn 15 right-hander, Razgatlioglu attempted to ward the Kawasaki rider off with a particularly aggressive widened entry line into the corner.

With a baulked Rea now very close to the R1 ahead, when Razgatlioglu proceeded to commit to his usual braking style with a lanky ‘leg dangle’, it made contact with Rea’s Kawasaki very briefly.

With Rea reacting to Razgatlioglu’s leg - which could have been described as ‘extended more than usual’’ on this occasion - he was forced to let off the brakes and carry on across the gravel trap.

Releasing Razgatlioglu to victory to go with his second place finish in Race 1, Rea was fortunate to both stay upright and rejoin still in second place, ahead of title rival Alvaro Bautista, who was a distant third almost four seconds off the lead.

Michael Ruben Rinaldi rallied hard against team-mate Bautista for several laps before settling for fourth, with Axel Bassani making it a trio of Ducatis in a row aboard the Motocorsa bike.

Andrea Locatelli brought his Pata Yamaha home in sixth ahead of top Honda rider Iker Lecuona, while Scott Redding - star of the show on Saturday with his run to third place -  suffered for a shocking start to the Superpole Race that had him down in 14th place at one stage. He recovered back to eighth ahead of Garrett Gerloff, to ensure himself a spot on the third row in Race 2.

Elsewhere, Alex Lowes has work to do this afternoon after crashing out of eighth mid-way through the race, while Ryan Vickers was another to take a tumble.

2022 WorldSBK Championship | Most, Czechia | Superpole Race 1 RESULTS