NI’s Jonathan Rea wins historic fifth WSBK title
Northern Ireland’s Jonathan Rea has clinched an incredible fifth World Superbike title in a row, after taking victory in Race 2 at Magny-Cours.
Rea’s dominance of the sport was tested at the start of the season when Spain’s Álvaro Bautista kept him off the podium top spot in the first eight races.
However, the Co Antrim man soon found the form that had already secured him title win after title win.
Heading into the weekend’s action, Rea had already established a significant lead over his nearest rival, having come from 69 points behind.
The Kawasaki rider’s second-place finish on Saturday and Sunday’s win were then enough to make him uncatchable with two rounds still to go, sealing the unprecedented fifth straight title.
Bautista crashed out in the early stages of Race 2, after a collision with Turkish rider Toprak Razgatlioglu.