Jonathan Rea and Alex Lowes finished the weekend in the Czech Republic better than they started it, both managing to score a few more points thanks to Sunday's races.
When the WorldSBK riders started Friday at the Czech Most circuit, the sky already anticipated that the riders would have to live with the rain all day, lighter in the morning and stronger as the day progressed. However, that was not reason enough to slow down Alex Lowes and Jonathan Rea, who immediately got on their Ninja ZX-10RR to begin feeling out a 4,212-kilometer track layout that neither of them had seen before.
After the first reconnaissance laps, the two KRT drivers decided not to participate in FP2, preferring to sit down and rest and prepare for what the rest of the weekend would bring. Both Lowes and Rea ended the day hoping to run a dry FP3 before the Tissot Superpole and the first race on Saturday.
So it was. The KRT pilots were able to face an important FP3 session on Saturday in dry conditions. Already in the Tissot Superpole, Rea continued to show the excellent form in which he is, achieving the 33rd success of his career in the Superpole. Lowes, meanwhile, was ninth, earning a third-row start on the grid.
In the race, Rea was fighting Toprak Razgatlioglu and Scott Redding for the best result when he fell at the first chicane, although he was able to restart without injury in 11th place. Although parts of his bike buckled in the crash and he was able to return to action, he fell again as he entered Turn 20 on lap 18, just four from finishing. This time, he could not get back on track, being forced to retreat.
Lowes drew the first chicane of the race too tight and lost a lot of time before rejoining in 16th place. From there, he managed to climb up to 12th position, but also didn't have much luck falling into the first corner while running the fifth lap. He was back on track again, and was able to continue until the end, finishing his race in 13th place, which allowed him to earn some points for the general classification.
Sunday was generally better for the Kawasaki riders. Lowes, starting from ninth on the starting grid, finished seventh in the Tissot Superpole, placing himself in the third row for the second race of the afternoon. Rea, on his part, set a new lap record in the sprint race, with a lap time of 1'31.996, while chasing the starting leader of the race, Toprak Razgatlioglu. Rea failed to overtake the Turkish pilot. Additionally, the Englishman Redding also eventually passed Jonathan, who finished third.
In race two, Rea had to fight from fourth to third as part of a small but combative group with Andrea Locatelli and Lowes. Eventually, Rea was unable to catch up with Redding and Razgatlioglu, who had already created a significant gap with Jonathan. Third position was the best result Rea could get after a difficult weekend for the Northern Irishman.
Lowes held fifth place for most of the second race, but lost one position in the final two laps, due to pressure from the riders who followed him throughout the race. However, Alex's final sixth place was not bad for a physically demanding track like Most's, with 21 corners along its 4,212 kilometers in length.
In the overall championship standings, Jonathan continues to lead by three points, while Lowes remains fourth overall. Now, the drivers will have to wait until next weekend from August 20 to 22 to get back on track at the Spanish circuit in Navarra.
As for the World Supersport 300 Championship, Ana Carrasco had a difficult start to the weekend at Most, as she qualified in very late positions in the Superpole, which did not allow her to finish the race in her usual positions. However, she controlled the situation and made a good comeback in Most's second race, starting from 35th and passing under the checkered flag in 21st. Her next appointment will be held at the Magny-Cours circuit, during the weekend of September 3-5. A circuit that brings back very good memories for Ana having achieved her world title there.
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