WorldSBK, Rea vs Razgatlioglu at Mandalika: the combinations for the title

After twelve thrilling rounds, the day has finally come. The brand-new Mandalika track is ready to stage the final battle between Toprak Razgatlioglu and Jonathan Rea, as the pair fight for the world title at the end of what has surely become one of the most exciting WorldSBK championships of the last twenty years.

The Turkish rider arrives in Indonesia with 531 points, while the six-time champion holds 501. Razgatlioglu can therefore count on a 30-point advantage that, at least on paper, puts him in a hard-to-dent comfort zone.

When the victory is not enough

As for Rea, his mission is not a simple one. Johnny must essentially aim to win all three races, but even this might not be enough. If the Kawasaki rider were to ‘do the triple’, all Toprak would need to do is finish fourth in all the races to be crowned champion, albeit by a whisker.

Why by a whisker? Because in that situation, the two championship leaders would finish with the same points tally, but Razgatlioglu would ultimately win, having amassed the most race 1 and race 2 wins over the course of the season, or rather eleven to Johnny’s seven. So all this simply means that, to become champion, Johnny must win and hope that Toprak finishes lower than fourth in all three races.

A scenario that is hard to imagine if we look at the Turk’s recent performance but a number of outsiders (Redding and Rinaldi for starters) and particularly the unknown factor relating to the new Mandalika circuit could shake things up. All we can do is wait for the weekend, when we will enjoy the show and finally see who will lift the 2021 championship trophy.

Translated by Heather Watson

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