WSBK Estoril: Devil of a Chaz!

The 2020 championship is given to statistics on the sixth lap of Race-1, in the last race in Estoril, Portugal: Scott Redding’s residual hopes fade due to a technical problem that forces him to retire. The title, well deserved, is the sixth in a row for Jonathan Rea, the rider , the reference point for everyone, the one who for six seasons set the bar that no one else – except him – has been able to overcome.

Rea was stronger than the difficulties that saw him start from the fifteenth box for a fall in the Superpole. Come back, finish fourth. More than enough to achieve a title built on victories and with a disarming consistency of performance. The challenger, Scott Redding, retired on lap six, honours and awaitshim to embrace him on the podium – it will be just the first of the episodes where the worldsbk sporting spirit will be the protagonist this Portuguese weekend.

In Race-1 the two rivals start together with the same destiny: to reassemble furiously. Scott Redding also falls in the Superpole, but – unlike Kawasaki’s rival – he can’t make the time: his will be the last box on the starting grid, despite excellent free practice sessions played. In front of everyone is Turkey’s Toprak Razgatlioglu, who will play solo race and pass first on the finish line by margin.

Yamaha is in a state of grace, but behind him comes Chaz Davies, who loses some position at the start but then inadies a series of overtakes that lead him first to overcome Rinaldi, then – fallen Van der Mark – to grab third place against Gerloff and the second overtaking Rea.

They are high school overtaking,as are those with which the Gerloff and Rea positions will often be exchanged for the last step of the podium. The fast American rider prevail. Beautiful race, mirror of a mutilated championship, watered down, but certainly spectacular and addictive. It is no coincidence that the fresh confirmed champion will thank, among others, those who allowed it to be played. In the Super Pole Race, Jonathan Rea’s goal and especially for Scott Redding will be to climb back from position to position, to restore the grid hierarchies of Race-2.

It’s Sunday and we start for the ten-lap sprint race. Razgatlioglu shoots well again. He is followed by Gerloff, Davies, Van der Mark. Exciting the duel that the latter two engage for the last step of the podium: they exchange positions several times, touch each other (but they do not make a drama, here he uses so!) and in the end the Yamaha rider will prevail.

Front row all Yamaha, with Razgatlioglu, Gerloff and Van der Mark and second row with Davies, Rea and Redding, thus finalizing his splendid comeback. Without prejudice to yamaha’s great exploit here in Portugal, hierarchical orders are restored. Redding can seek victory of the flag, Rea can go hunting for victory number 100.

For Chaz Davies, the rider whohas been in charge of reining in Rea’s power for six seasons, it will be the last race with Team Aruba.it’s Panigale V4R. To replace him in 2021 will be Michael Ruben Rinaldi, who with the Ducati of Team Go Eleven has just won the trophy for independent teams. Chaz, 185 races with Ducati and 28 victories, had the best epic with the twin-cylinder, of which he was by far the best performer.

With the V4 she struggled, but – in the last races – she seemed to have achieved a certain feeling with her. He leaves with the tank on which the guys on the team wrote him a dedication ,signing it all. He ostentatiously flaunts it on the Grid of Race-2 with pride and, after untangle his opponents on the turn of the first lap, will take her first to the finish line at the end of a race where the domination will be peremptory, built at a lucid and fortuitous pace.

Chaz’s victory will taste like a signal, with which the number 7 rider seems to shout, ” Now I understandit, let me drive it again!” After the finish line he will embrace his Panigale V4R and be escorted by his teammate, second behind him, who will do everything to honor him, declaring that he is happier for Chaz than if he had won. In the park closed the party: the riders among them and it is Davies who reviews every member of the team. His embrace won’t spare anyone.

“It was a day full of emotions, ” confirmed Chaz-first on the grid then at the closed park. My boys made me excited and I thank them for all the passion and commitment with which they have worked in recent years. A thought and a big thank you to the entire Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team for what it has done for me and for what we have spent together. I believe this is the best way to greet the team, a result that the whole team deserves and I am happy to have given them this satisfaction. It was a very nice race, I went on the track with great determination and the feeling with the bike was absolutely extraordinary. And I’m glad I celebrated with the whole team. Emotions I will never forget.”

Beautiful double and beautiful history of Sport, but it is not the only one, we said it at the beginning: fallen on the ninth lap when he was fighting for second place with Razgatlioglu, determined to honor the fresh title, Rea will reach fourteenth and honor Xavi Fores, eighth, thanks to the points of which Kawasaki will be able to prevail by one point over Ducati for the constructors’ title. Team Aruba.it the satisfaction of winning the special ranking reserved for teams,thanks also to yesterday’s splendid double. This is the Superbike and these are the men it’s made of. This was the conclusion as best it could not have been of worlSBK 2020. From today on the Portuguese track we are working for the next season.

Who can, give Chaz a Panigale!