Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team) became the first rider to win successive FIM Superbike World Championship titles since Carl Fogarty in the 1998-19 seasons by finishing second at the opening 17-lap race of the Losail weekend.
Under floodlights Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) took an early lead he was to extend near the end of the race, pulling out a final gap of 3.904 seconds over Rea.
In third place Sylvain Guintoli (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team) took Yamaha’s first podium since their comeback to the series this year, after the French rider hunted down Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) and Nicky Hayden (Honda World Superbike Team).
Sykes re-passed Hayden for fourth place with the Honda rider fifth. Sykes is now just seven points ahead of Davies in the battle to finish second overall.
Xavi Fores (Barni Racing Team Ducati) was sixth today, Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team) a late seventh and Jordi Torres (Althea BMW Racing Team) placed eighth.
Michael van der Mark (Honda World Superbike Team) and Lorenzo Savadori (IodaRacing Team Aprilia) completed the top ten.
Leon Haslam (Pedercini Racing Kawasaki) was 11th after a positive race and Josh Brookes (Milwaukee BMW) was 15th.
Davide Giugliano (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was forced to retire and Leon Camier (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) crashed out of contention.
Camier got going again to finish 18th.
By Gordon Ritchie
