Alvaro Bautista regains the championship lead after winning a drama-fil🦋led Assen World Superbike rac✃e that saw Toprak Razgatlioglu and Jonathan Rea take each other out.

Starting from pole for race two, Rea had a dis𒀰astrous lunch ♋as he went back to fifth. Not for the first time this weekend it was Razgatlioglu who led into turn one from team-mate Andrea Locatelli. 

Bautista kept hold of P3 while Iker Lecuona made a good start as he𝓰 went from fifth to fourth. 

There was a big off for GRT 🗹Yamaha rider Kohta Nozan🍸e as the Japanese rider crashed at turn one. 

Another accident took place🐬 on lap two as Philipp Oettl and Loris Baz crashed after tangling at turn e🐭ight. 

A double ove♋rtake took place at the beginning of l✤ap three as Bautista took P2 off Locatelli, as did Rea on Lecuona for fourth. 

An immediate challenge for the le🅠ad then took place at the final chicane as Bautista tried to get through on Razgatlioglu under braking. The Ducati rider got a poor exit which allowed the world champion to get back ahꦓead. 

Insteaไd of getting the lead, Bautista was then relegated to third by Rea who was next to try his luck at Razgatlioglu. 

Rea and Razgatlioglu fail to finish after World Superbike race two clash

Eager to make it three wins from three, Rea began challenging Razgatlioglu alಞong the start-finish straight. But in typical fashion Razgatlioglu held firm under braking before running slightly wide. 

This gave Rea a huge chance to take the lead, and as he attempted to do so, the two made contact and went down. Although Rea appeared to have the racing line, R🍎azgatlioglu was still on-track which inevitably led to two riders wanting one piece of tarmac.

This gave Bautis༺ta the lead and a massive opportunity to take💞 his first win of the weekend. 

And the Span🌳iard did just🦋 that as he pulled away from Lecuona and Locatelli with ease.

With Bautista out front by ove꧟r six seconds and taking back the championship lead from Rea, the battle for second intensified as fouওr tenths separated Lecuona and Locatelli. 

Locatelli made his way u𝓰p to second with four laps to go as Lecuona was unable to respond, therefore settling the top three. 

Assen World Superbike Records

All-time lap record - Toprak Razgatlioglu TUR Yamaha 1:32.934s (2022)

Fastest Race lap - Jonathan Rea GBR Kawasaki 1:34.545s (2022)

Most wins - Jonathan Rea GBR Kawasaki (17)

2021 Winners 

Race One - Jonathan Rea 

Superpole Race - Jonathan Rea 

Race Two - Jonathan Rea 

2022 Winners 

Race One - Jonathan Rea

Superpole Race - Jonathan Rea 

Jonathan Rea makes history after winning 100 World Superbike races with the same manufacturer 

Starting from pole for t🅠he fourth time in five World Superbike races this season, Razgatlioglu made a brilliant start as did Bautista𒁃 who went from fifth to second. 

Hoping to make swift progress following a disastrous race one, Michael Rinaldi clipped the rear of Rea on the entry to turn five. It’s contact that did nothing to det♔er Rea who made his way past team-mate Alex Lowes for P3 two turns later. 

Setting 🦹a very hot pace out front, Razgatlioglu was making it harꦗd for Bautista and Rea to get close. 

That all changed on lap three as Bautista used the Panigale V4 R’s lovely turning t🅷ꦆo close in on the world champion.

Andrea Locatelli, who lost fif🌜th to Rinaldi on lap one, regained that place with seven laps to go, while Lowes began to drop back from the top 💃three.  

Tantalisingly close, Bautista and Rea were doing ♒everything to make a move, however, Razgatlioglu was holding strong. 

But with three and a bit laps to go Bautista produced a stunning move heading into turn seven 🎉to take the lead, while Rea did the same to the Yamaha man two corners later for second.

After lea🐟ding the last four and a half laps, Bautista wa💖s passed by Rea into turn seven, and although a late charge was put down by the Ducati rider, Rea once again held strong into the final chicane. 

Alex Lowes suffered a late issue which resulted in him missing out on a𒅌 second consecutive points scoring finish. 

As throttles began being twisted in anticipation for lights out, Gabriﷺele Ruiu was s♓een waving his hands towards the back of the grid, leading to a delayed start. 

The Superpole race was then reduced from ten to nine laps.&nbs🌠p;

Round two of the 2022 World Superbike championship is taking place without Belgian rider Loris Cresson, as Pedercini Kawasaki announced an immediate split before th꧙e weekend due to a failure to fulfil financial agreements on Cresson’s side. 

Cresson, who was initially signed through to the end of 2022, was set for a💛 second full season in Superbikes before the terꦍmination of his contract on Wednesday. 

It means BSB rider Leon Haslam, who was already scheduled to take part in four wildcard rounds with the team this season was drafted 𝐆in for FP1 and thus, the remainder of the Assen event. Haslam and Pedercini have already agreed to increase his participation in the 2022 championship, but exactly how many rounds Haslam will do is yet to be confirmed. 

Eugene Laverty will officially take no further part in the weeken🐻d after suffering a big highside in FP1. The Bonovo Action BMW rider attempted to ride in FP3 before missing Superpole.