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The next round of the 2022 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship will come from the Circuito Estoril from the 20^th – 22^nd May, where the latest instalment of what is already a dramatic season will play out. After the Motul Dutch Round at the TT Circuit Assen saw Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) take two wins and Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) one, the title dynamics are intriguing to say the least. Rea clashed and crashed with arch-rival Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) in Race 2 in one of the hottest talking points of the pairs intense rivalry, making Estoril even more unmissable. 

However, Estoril has also hosted dramatic races, none more-so than upon WorldSBK’s return to the circuit in 2020, when the title was up for grabs. Jonathan Rea had a commanding lead in the Championship and only needed a handful of points over Ducati’s Scott Redding to make it six in a row, but there was drama from the off. Having been fastest all weekend, Scott Redding was looking like he may be giving himself a chance until a highside at the start of Tissot Superpole saw him fail to set a lap time and start from the back of the grid. The drama wasn’t over as seconds later, Rea suffered a spectacular crash at Turn 4, his Kawasaki cartwheeling through the gravel. Luckily for Rea, he banked a lap and started from 15^th. 

This meant in the race, the Championship battle would be played out down field, as Rea would be coming from row five, whilst Redding was down on row eight. A bright start for Rea saw him 7^th by the end of the opening lap whilst Redding picked his way into the points paying positions. However, the WorldSBK rookie would soon be out as his bike ground to a halt just before Turn 6 just 6 laps into the race. Therefore, the title race was all over, and it didn’t matter where Rea finished, he was going to be World Champion for a sixth successive season. The celebrations began in style for the Ulsterman and his Kawasaki outfit.

Watch the 2022 Estoril Round in style, LIVE and UNINTERRUPTED with the WorldSBK VideoPass!