Rea: ‘I learnt a lot from Toprak’, Razgatlioglu not feeling ‘any pain’

31 points back from WorldSBK series leader Alvaro Bautista who has led the way since the opening few races, Rea needs to start taking points off the Ducati rider, with Magny-Cours expected to be a big opportunity to do so.  

However, the favourite going into the French round is Toprak Razgatlioglu, as the Yamaha rider has won five of the last six races, while also winning all three races at Magny-Cours last season - that was before being stripped of the Superpole race win due to exceeding track limits on the final lap. 

Despite Kawasaki looking like the weaker of the three bikes in recent rounds, Rea also has a very good record at Magny-Cours, making him a clear contender. 

"Every weekend is a new opportunity to score good points," said Rea. "Magny-Cours in the wet is a tricky circuit, as there’s a lot of areas that can catch you out. 

"In the dry, it’s straightforward with the chicanes, acceleration points and braking; you need a bike that’s a bit of compromise on stability and agility. 

"Last year, I learnt a lot from Toprak, from accelerating off the first gear corners. I’m open-minded and ready to do three really strong races."

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Razgatliioglu without pain as he looks make WorldSBK title comeback

Nearly 80 points behind Bautista after Misano, Razgatlioglu has reduced that gap to 38 thanks to his stunning form over the last two rounds. 

Recently on-track at Cadwell Park - rode a Yamaha R1 as part of a guest appearance at the BSB round - following a two-day Barcelona WorldSBK test which saw him suffer a big crash that red-flagged the session, Razgatlioglu claims he’s in no pain and is ready to continue where he left off prior to the summer break. 

Razgatlioglu added: "After a long break, the feeling is very good! This is my favourite track after Donington Park, and I hope that we see two or three wins like last year. 

"After the big crash in Barcelona, I’m feeling much better; it was a very big crash for me but luckily, nothing was broken. 

"Now, I’m riding a bike without a problem and not feeling any pain, which is good. I am feeling ready; I tested the new front tyre in Barcelona which wasn’t bad, but I don’t know about the rear one. I hope that there’s no rain for Friday, so that we can try the rear tyre! 

"This is my favourite track and for me, it’s very important in the race. I’ll try my best again, like last year."