WSB: Scott Redding takes control with two victories at Jerez

Scott Redding has taken control of the 2020 World Superbike Championship after dominating the Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez.

The reigning British Superbike champion started the weekend off perfectly by claiming his maiden Superpole pole position. He then came out on top of an intense five-rider battle in Race One, taking his first-ever WSB victory.

Race One

Jonathan Rea led the majority of the race, but Redding fought back by overtaking Toprak Razgatlioglu and the forcing his way down the inside of Rea at turn six on lap 14 of 20. Rea and Razgatlioglu remained in second and third respectively. 

Off the podium, Chaz Davies was best of the rest on the Ducati in fourth. Loris Baz continued to impress on the Ten Kate Yamaha in fourth, ahead of Michael Ruben Rinaldi on the Team Goeleven Ducati. 

Alvaro Bautista was the top Team HRC rider in seventh, four seconds behind Rinaldi. Marco Melandri was eighth on his WSB return, whilst Alex Lowes and Leon Haslam completed the top 10. 

Yamaha’s engine woes on the world stage appear to have spread to WSB with Michael van der Mark being forced to retire with smoke coming from his R1. 

Redding’s win in Race One means that, for the first time since 2004, there were four different winners in the first four races of a WSB season. He is also one of only two riders to have won races in the Grand Prix, BSB and WSB paddocks – joining Troy Bayliss in that elite club. 

Superpole Race

In a show of defiance, Rea battled back from defeat in Race One to take victory in the Superpole Race. In doing so he became the first repeat winner of the 2020 campaign.

The reigning champion took the lead at the start of the race and led every lap of the 10-lap sprint race. The victory was Rea’s 90th win in WSB.

Redding kept the pressure on in the championship by taking second, with Van der Mark completing the podium. Razgatlioglu was in a podium spot when he retired with a mechanical issue – Yamaha’s second of the weekend. 

Baz was the leading independent rider in fourth, ahead of Davies and Tom Sykes. Lowes was seventh, with Garrett Gerloff, Haslam and Bautista completing the top 10. 

Race Two

The final race of the weekend was one to remember for Ducati. Redding took control of proceedings on the second lap and checked out at the front. Davies was keen to follow him teammate and was able to get by Rea rather quickly. He followed Redding home to secure Ducati’s first one-two since Assen in 2012.

The final podium spot went to Razgatlioglu after an impressive fight through the field. The Turkish rider moved up into fifth within a few laps, despite starting 10th on the grid. He then joined the podium fight and managed to get the better of Rea.

Rea, Lowes and Rinaldi had an entertaining battle for fourth. Rinaldi fought his way past both KRT riders to secure his joint-best finish in WSB. Lowes also managed to overtake Rea, with the champion having to settle for sixth. 

Van der Mark, Bautista, Melandri and Gerloff completed the top 10. Sykes and Haslam could only manage 11th and 12th respectively. Baz crashed out of the leading group on lap six, whilst Eugene Laverty also retired from the race.

Redding’s victory in Race Two makes him the first British rookie in to achieve six consecutive podiums in WSB. He now has a 24-point lead over Rea in the championship standings. Lowes, championship leader heading into the weekend, is a further two points adrift in third.