Rea signs off fantastic season with Losail victory

 

Triple World Champion concludes 2017 campaign with another triumph, whilst Davies and Lowes join him on the podium.

The  final race of the 2017 season at the Acerbis Qatar Round on Saturday night brought another win for Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team) as he crossed the line just under two seconds ahead of Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), with Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team) in third. The victory gives Rea the record of most points in a single WorldSBK season (556 points), beating the previous record set by Colin Edwards in 2002, as the Northern Irishman ends the year with 16 victories and 24 podiums in 2017.

Davies made an incredible start as he shot from eighth on the grid to first within the first two corners, but Rea soon took control of the race on lap four and he did not look back from there.

With 14 laps to go Welshman Davies survived a big wobble – with perhaps the biggest save of the season – holding his nerve to continue on the pace and ultimately wrap up second place in the race and second place in the final championship standings.

Lowes got the better of his Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team colleague Michael van der Mark in the second half of the race and finally finished 1.658s ahead of the Dutchman.

Xavi Fores (BARNI Racing Team) ended the season on a high in fifth place, whilst Marco Melandri (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was 5.688s behind the Spaniard in sixth place. Eugene Laverty (Milwaukee Aprilia) beat Sylvain Guintoli (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) to seventh by less than half a second, overcoming the Frenchman on the last lap.

Leon Camier completed his last race with MV Agusta Reparto Corse in ninth place just ahead of Roman Ramos (Team Kawasaki Go Eleven).

A huge crash for Jordi Torres (Althea BMW Racing Team) at Turn 5 in the early running meant his last race with BMW ended in the gravel, the Spanish rider seen bravely walking away after the massive highside. On the third lap Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) crashed out of third place at turn 14, ending his hopes of challenging Davies for the championship runner-up spot.

Davide Giugliano (Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team) was declared unfit due to gastroenteritis and therefore the unwell Italian missed out on the last race of the year.

The WorldSBK riders will be back in action at the first round of the 2018 season at Phillip Island in Australia next February.

P1 – Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team)
“It’s incredible, I don’t really have emotions or words, just a lot of thanks to the people who have put me in this position. Most of all I want to thank my rivals, I’ve really enjoyed this season and I’m excited about the prospect of 2018, these seasons don’t come along every day, so I just want to savor it for now.”

P2 – Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 
“I had the biggest save and the one I needed to do the most, I put my chest though the screen and as soon as I realized I could save it I managed to hold onto second spot. We sealed P2 which was our objective so I’m really happy, it was a tough race but I’m so happy with the results”

P3 – Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team)
“To be honest yesterday I was really disappointed, I knew I had the pace to challenge for the podium. I am happy with today, it wasn’t easy and I was a long way back but I stayed calm; I did a good job and I’m so happy for the whole.”

#QatarWorldSBK at Qatar: Race 2
1. Jonathan Rea Kawasaki 
2. Chaz Davies Ducati +1.961
3. Alex Lowes Yamaha +4.185

eom/WSBK release