P3 ‘the best I could do, didn’t bond with the bike’ - Rea

WorldSBK championship leader Jonathan Rea has seen his points advantage reduced from 35 to 20 by Misano race two winner Toprak Razgatlioglu. 

For most riders, three podiums from three races would be a brilliant weekend, but for six-time world champion Rea it was a weekend where, ‘I just didn’t bond with the bike’. 

In all three races throughout the weekend, Rea was seemingly missing just a couple of tenths that Razgatlioglu and two-time Misano winner Michael Rinaldi had. 

Both riders finished ahead of Rea in every race, although the Kawasaki rider could and probably should have finished second in race one if not for losing the front and pulling off a Marc Marquez type save. 

Speaking after Sunday’s race two, Rea added: "There was a point in the race where I felt Michael [Rinaldi] was just under my feet a little bit in some of the corners, but I couldn’t do anything about it to pass him. 

"Especially on acceleration from (turns) six, seven, eight, I lost too much speed, but it was the best I could do. 

"I really struggled this weekend myself. I just didn’t bond with the bike, so I’m just looking forward to going away, analysing the data, trying to work on our weaknesses, and come back at Donington. 

"But the best thing is that we have some fans here which really puts a smile on my face and three podiums is a solid weekend." 

Rea did manage to keep his unbeaten run of taking pole position at every round so far in 2021 alive, as he set a new all-time WorldSBK lap record at Misano.