Rea passes the 250 podium mark in Superbike

A good start to the race and more difficult final laps. Weekends are starting to follow a familiar pattern for Jonathan Rea. In front of his home crowd, the six-time world champion was on form in practice, setting the fastest time in Superpole. Rea then went on to claim his 250th podium after a fierce battle with Alvaro Bautista and Toprak Razgatlioglu. “Finishing third after setting the fastest time in Superpole was good for the whole team," said the Kawasaki rider. “The Donington circuit suits our bike well, especially since the track has been resurfaced. The grip is much better and we can really attack hard. And that's what I did, maybe a bit too much, because I had some brake problems. In any case, reaching the 250 podium milestone is quite an achievement, which makes me proud but also makes me feel a bit old...".

After finishing third again in the Superpole race, less than half a second behind Razgatlioglu, who won ahead of Bautista, Rea finished the second British round in fifth position. Starting from the front, the Kawasaki rider once again had to give way to Bautista and Razgatlioglu. At the end of the race, he could do nothing to prevent both Petrucci and Redding from overtaking him. “From the start of the race I was lacking rear grip," said Rea. “The bike was spinning up and wouldn't come out of the corners. I couldn't fight it.” Also on home soil, Alex Lowes rode to three sixth places to move up to seventh overall. “We were better than at Imola, but we're still not there yet", concluded the Briton. “As soon as the tyres start to deteriorate, we find it very difficult to manage the bike's behaviour. It's all the more difficult because the general level in Superbike racing is becoming more and more homogeneous.”