Kawasaki Racing Team’s Jonathan kept his win streak alive, taking the race one win at Imola. A stopped and restarted first race was finally run over six intense laps, with Rea’s teammate Tom Sykes leading to start, but Rea took the lead soon after and eased way from Sykes.
The 2013 world champion did not give up the fight as he chased Rea all the way, setting a new lap record of 1:46.707 on lap five, before making a mistake changing gear on the final lap.
Rea held onto his advantage to win by .482 of a second.
“It was kind of hard behind Tom because I was looking for a place to pass, but he was quite accurate everywhere,” Rea said. “But then he made a mistake and I’d seen it as my chance to go pass and just do my rhythm and try and go away. So I’m really happy with this one.”
“I didn’t put it together, that’s the main blunt of it,” Sykes said. “It was the first mistake we kind of made the whole weekend in a session that counted. Like I said I was a bit disappointed with that… But you know the pace was fast, it was exciting—six laps was definitely something new for us.”
Aruba.it Racing Ducati’s Davide Giugliano put on a great showing for home crowd and led for most of the race before it was red flagged on lap 12 after David Salom had crashed out. After the restart Giugliano finished third, the pole sitter continuing his dream comeback from his Phillip Island injury that sidelined him for three months. A great effort as the Italian was still not a hundred percent.
“My feeling is not so good, but in this case is okay,” Giugliano said. “I’m very happy for this podium. For me is like a victory.”
Aprilia Racing Red Devils’ Leon Haslam was fourth and current World Champion Sylvain Guintoli on the Pata Honda was fifth.
Davies scored a pass on lap seven before the restart, but then ran wide and onto the gravel at the Rivazzas, his race over due to a technical issue. He had set the best lap of the cancelled race on lap six, a 1:47.290 that was just outside the lap record.
2015 Imola World Superbike
Race One Results
1. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki)
2. Tom Sykes (Kawasaki)
3. Davide Giugliano (Ducati)
4. Leon Haslam (Aprilia)
5. Sylvain Guintoli (Honda)
6. Ayrton Badovini (BMW)
7. Leandro Mercado (Ducati)
8. Matteo Baiocco (Ducati)
9. Michael van der Mark (Honda)
10. Michel Fabrizio (Ducati)
