The 2021 World Superbike championship has taken yet another huge twist after Toprak Razgatlioglu won race one in Portimao and Jonathan Rea crasheꦍd out. 

Before Rea’s fall, the fight between both riders was as fierce as we’ve seen all year as contact was ꦜmade in three consecutive laps. 

Razgatlioglu was first in initiating the contact with Rea after it appeared as though Rea was going to run 𓆉wide in turn 13, however, the Kawasaki rider was able to hold his line and return to the apex which led to a coming together.&nbs𒅌p;

On the next lap it was Rea who tried a late ꩲmove on Razgatliog𓄧lu at turn four, but the gap closed before he could get fully alongside the Yamaha rider, therefore leading to Rea’s front tyre hitting Razgatlioglu. 

Once the battle settled down on lap six, Rea then took the lead from Scott Redding on lap seven as he a𒁃ttempted to push on the pace.&n🔜bsp;

H🍌owever, Rea’s time in the lead lasted less than two corners as he suffered a huge crash iꦍn turn 15. 

Post race, Rea was both frustrated at the mistake, but also with ♐Razgatlioglu who was ‘arriving on the apex a lot’.

"That was frustrating. I knew that if I wanted to make my rhythm I need♋ed to get to the front," a⭕dded Rea. 

"I could see in the early laps I was getting beaten up an🏅d especially Toprak arriving ❀on the apex a lot. Surprising, and then I just couldn’t get my head down. 

"I could see I was strong in most areas of the track but without a clean lap I couldn’t reaཧlly get into the rhythm.

"Scott made a mistake in T13 so from that point I had track position and I went too much. In꧒ T13 I grabbed the brake, in high wind, and I grabbed it hard. 

"I was pushing becausꦚe I knew to make any advantage in the lap I needed to have some kind of advan༒tage going onto the start straight.

"But, of course, I didn’t even get that far. I am frustrated for me, frustrated for the team but we will get another chance tomorrow.♐"

While it’s unlikely that Rea will miss any of Sunday’s races, it has not been confirmed that he will in fact ride, as the six-time champion will be evaluated before warm-up. Rea suffe🎀red several contusions from the fall.

For Razgatlioglu, it was a 🍰stunning performance in the end 🐻as he got the better of Redding who seemed to have more rear grip left late on. 

But speaking after hiཧs 11th win, a win which sees him move 45 points clear of Rea, the Turkish rider was also battling an ‘electronic ꦰproblem’. 

Razgatlioglu said: "The race was not easy because Johnny [Rea] and Scott [Redding] we🔯re very strong. 

"After Johnnyౠ crashed I was fighting with Scott, it waꦉs not easy. But, I’m happy because again I win. 

"Some corners I was𝔍 not strong because I could feel an electronic problem, but tomorrow morning I think we are going to improve. Some corners I am♒ fast, but also the Ducati was very fast in the straight. 

"Tomorrow we will come back stronger because every race we improve. When I understood it wa♌s me and Redding fighting, I waited until the final two laps🎶. In the last two laps I tried my best again and I won."