In a race halted by a red flag, Álvaro Bautista returned to winning ways in the World Superbike Championship this Sunday with a dominant performance at Magny-Cours.
Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha) started from pole position, but a strong start allowed Bautista (Aruba.it Ducati) to take the lead right away. He then resisted an attack from Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki) at Turn 5, but the Briton kept the pressure.
A crash between Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha) and Scott Redding (BMW) on the fourth lap led to the race being halted with red flags at the end of the fifth lap. Aegerter was taken to the medical center with suspected contusion, while Redding received a double Long Lap penalty.
When the race restarted, Bautista once again took the lead, holding off Rea and Razgatlioglu behind him. The British and Turkish riders battled each other for second place, with the 2021 champion having the upper hand.
Unaffected by the rivalry between his rivals, Bautista gradually pulled away at the front, ultimately winning with a 5.893s gap over Razgatlioglu. Rea completed the podium ahead of Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha), while Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) finished fifth, being the first among the independent team riders.
Results: