WorldSBK Portimao Race 2 Results | Rea back in hunt after Razgatlioglu crash

The meandering 2021 WorldSBK Championship title fight delivered another unexpected twist after Toprak Razgatlioglu suffered a dramatic high-speed crash out of race two in Portimao, allowing Jonathan Rea to recover a chunk of points lost this weekend.

Rea marched to a much-needed victory with an aggressive surge up the order from tenth on the grid, the Kawasaki man determined to get one over on Razgatlioglu after crashing out of both Race 1 and the Superpole Race from the lead.

This time, however, it was Razgatlioglu to suffer the drama after suffering an almost identical accident to that of Rea in Race 1, the Turk coming down over the crest coming into the long right-hand final bend.

However, while Rea’s fall was rider error, replays appear to show a front fender snapping off the Yamaha R1, which in turn snaps the chain, prior to the fall leaving him with no chance to recover it.

From 20 points to 45 to 49 and down to 24 again, Razgatlioglu and Rea will take their contracting 2021 WorldSBK title battle to pastures new next time out at the Mandalika Circuit in Indonesia next time out.

Redding completed a brace of second place finishes for Ducati, while Loris Baz achieved the same in third place, the Frenchman starring in only his second outing aboard the Go Eleven Ducati.

However, his achievement was not without some controversy after a collision with Alvaro Bautista on the penultimate lap forced the Honda rider to crash. The Spaniard ran wide into Turn 5, allowing Baz up the inside, the pair meeting on the apex to result in contact.

Andrea Locatelli battled with the leaders initially before eventually fading to fourth, ahead of Garrett Gerloff, who landed his best result since Donington Park in fifth place.

Pole man and Superpole Race winner Michael van der Mark couldn’t maintain his form in dry conditions but picked up good points for BMW in sixth place, followed by Michael Ruben Rinaldi, Leon Haslam, Axel Bassani and Eugene Laverty.

2021 WorldSBK Portimao | Race 2 RESULTS