Donington Park WSB: Rea takes controversial race win

Honda rider Jonathan Rea has won an eventful second race at Donington Park in a race which saw plenty of aggresive overtaking from all the front runners.

Rea was fourth at the start of the final lap, with Leon Haslam at the front. Marco Melandri attempted to pass Haslam going into the Melbourne Loop, but ran wide, while Rea passed Max Biaggi to move up to third.

Going into the final corner, it looked as if Haslam would take a comfortable victory, but Melandri attempted to pass his team-mate from a long way back, running wide and pushing Haslam slightly wide.

Rea saw a gap and went for it, but Haslam tightened his line and collided with Rea. Haslam then collided with Melandri as they both crashed out. Haslam pushed his BMW S1000RR over the line to claim one point in 15th.

The collision meant Max Biaggi finished second, while Yorkshireman Tom Sykes finished third after leading the majority of the race.

The race saw several passes each lap between the top five, with Rea touching Melandri at the Melbourne loop on lap three, before running on to the grass at the final corner on lap 17.

Fixi Crescent Suzuki rider Leon Camier finished fourth, with Chaz Davies in seventh.

Carlos Checa crashed out at the first corner when he hit the rear wheel of Eugene Laverty, also taking out Jakub Smrz.

Aprilia rider Eugene Laverty crashed at the top of Craner Curves on lap 12.

1. Jonathan Rea (Honda World Superbike Team) Honda CBR1000RR 34’31.847
2. Max Biaggi (Aprilia Racing Team) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 34’32.355
3. Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) Kawasaki ZX-10R 34’33.876
4. Leon Camier (FIXI Crescent Suzuki) Suzuki GSX-R1000 34’36.092
5. Sylvain Guintoli (Team Effenbert Liberty Racing) Ducati 1098R 34’38.442
6. Ayrton Badovini (BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet) BMW S1000 RR 34’49.316
7. Chaz Davies (ParkinGO MTC Racing) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 34’49.635
8. Loris Baz (Kawasaki Racing Team) Kawasaki ZX-10R 34’52.940
9. Peter Hickman (FIXI Crescent Suzuki) Suzuki GSX-R1000 34’53.713
10. Hiroshi Aoyama (Honda World Superbike Team) Honda CBR1000RR 34’54.467
11. Niccolò Canepa (Red Devils Roma) Ducati 1098R 34’58.611
12. Lorenzo Zanetti (PATA Racing Team) Ducati 1098R 34’58.890
13. Michel Fabrizio (BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet) BMW S1000 RR 35’00.237
14. Mark Aitchison (Grillini Progea Superbike Team) BMW S1000 RR 35’28.465
15. Leon Haslam (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) BMW S1000 RR 35’52.043
RT. Marco Melandri (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) BMW S1000 RR 33’01.692
RT. Leandro Mercado (Team Pedercini) Kawasaki ZX-10R 32’32.764
RT. Gary Mason (Team Pedercini) Kawasaki ZX-10R 22’13.920
RT. Maxime Berger (Team Effenbert Liberty Racing) Ducati 1098R 19’16.663
RT. Davide Giugliano (Althea Racing) Ducati 1098R 21’55.720
RT. Eugene Laverty (Aprilia Racing Team) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 15’05.980
RT. Carlos Checa (Althea Racing) Ducati 1098R 
RT. Jakub Smrz (Liberty Racing Team Effenbert) Ducati 1098R