Reigning WorldSBK Champion Jonathan Rea put one hand on a sixth-straight title with victory in the Magny-Cours Superpole race this morning.
After riding past poleman Eugene Laverty on a soaking wet track, Rea only had team-mate Alex Lowes as any sort of challenge and he kept the 30-year-old just far enough behind to take the 12 points while Scott Redding ended just off the podium in fourth.
It was Rea’s 300th race in WorldSBK and with Lowes second, it was the second Kawasaki one this year after Phillip Island’s final race of the opening weekend.
Third, after a fabulous late fight with Redding, was Yamaha's Michael van der Mark with both riders applying full risk in the sopping wet conditions.
Chaz Davies got through to fifth, with Loris Baz (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) sixth meaning they both have second-row starts this afternoon.
Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team GoEleven Ducati) held off the once more dramatic Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha) for seventh, while Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team) and Leandro Mercado (MotoCorsa Racing Ducati) rounded out the top ten.
