SBK, GP France: motion of pride

In France,on the Magny-Cours circuit,when it seemed that Rea and Kawasaki could finalize their march to the title, Redding and Davies have a pride,they are first and third in race-2 and postpone the verdict to the Portuguese race in Estoril.

It seemed that we were moving towards yet another affirmation of Jonathan Rea’s immense talent.
The script – although recited in the incessant rain that gave little respite to the actors at the weekend – seemed the usual: Kawasaki and Rea in the chair and the challengers to have to compete on the sound of caress what would remain behind him. For Scott Redding then the ancillary difficulty of not knowing the track and having very little confidence with Pirelli’s “rain” rubber. Too many points to reassemble and too unfavorable the premises for the English ducati Aruba.it.

Everything hinted that the rider with the green bike would leave France with yet another world title to put on the board. Even the tests had not allowed the challenging riders to put pressure on the leader, who – although overtaken on the grid by the folate of laverty’s BMW and Sykes in Superpole – could start in Race-1 three rows ahead of the challenger.

So, at the start, it does not linger, it is the most damaged and perhaps it can only hear from the noise of the two BMW that they self-deed immediately. Yet another triumphant march, with Redding ing ing to come from tenth position, in the mist generated by the water raised by the opponents who precede it.

Chaz Davies is better placed, but he is not credited with contesting the title at the Champion. Scott Redding’s race is generous, the English rider will eventually be fifth, behind teammate Davies, behind Lowes, once so useful squire of his captain, a wild Loris Baz and a winning Rea, still piling points between himself and Scott.

Saturday ends here, as scripted, but with the feeling that something has changed about improving the feeling of Ducati riders with their Panigale V4R.

It’s Sunday and it’s time for the 10 laps race, the Superpole Race. Rea, Lowes, starts well again, with the twin bike looking over his shoulder. Even a Yamaha, that of Van der Mark,puts on a pillow between the fugitive and the challenger who stabilizes in fourth position. Behind Chaz Davies and Loris Baz, fifth place is played with a beautiful skirmish.

But the focal point of the race, Sunday and weekend is Scott’s attack on Van der Mark for third place: the two, when a couple of poor laps are missing, engage in a memorable battle, exchange three or four times the position and in the end, if it is the Yamaha rider who prevails and climbs the podium, what Scott Redding will gain from the defeat , will be the conviction and awareness that it will be possible to do well in Race-2,that the Panigale can put the wheels where you want and that, even to push, there is room to stay standing.

The premises are these, together with the more concrete fact of going on the grid of the final race occupying better positions: the fourth for Scott and the fifth for Chaz. Rea starts well, but Redding is another rider: third after the first corners, it will take no more than three laps to get rid of Van der Mark, Lowes and to take the lead with a beautiful overtake over the reigning Champion, which will also be overtaken by Baz and Davies.

The reaction of the Champion, who would like the title today, will be of little use: first Redding, by margin, without the slightest smudge, according to Baz, with his Yamaha Ten Kate often waving in the detached like a flag in the wind, third an excellent Davies, to take points away from Rea, fourth. “It was a good race. – then told the British ducati rider – I pushed to the maximum from the first lap trying to find immediately the feeling with the bike. It has been a difficult weekend and that is why I am extremely happy with this result. During the SuperPole Race I realized that I was losing precious cents in two turns of the circuit. I told my team, ‘If you can solve these two details, I’m sure I can win’. They did it and
I thank them.”

For the reigning Champion therefore no hundredth win and no title. So you go to Estoril with the title always at stake, but always firmly close to Jonathan Rea. For Ducati the feat remains difficult, but it would be beautiful to be in front in all three races of Estoril, with Redding, with Davies and also with Rinaldi, author of good placings yesterday. The points that divide Redding from Rea are 59, those up for grabs in the last appointment are 62. Realistically, what we do not want should happen. What we will like instead is that the sixth world championship in Rea is embellished with valid opponents.