Rea’s only hope is to be perfect
Prospects bleak for six-time champion
For six-time world champion Jonathan Rea, as the dust settled in Argentina it was already crystal what his job would be at the final round in Indonesia if he was to hold onto his crown: to win three races and hope his rival hits trouble.
Toprak Razgatlioglu’s 30-point cushion heading into Lombok means he’ll claim his first world title in Race 1 if he out-scores Rea by seven points: a win for the Yamaha man will clinch the title on the Saturday if the Kawasaki finishes third or lower. However, let’s imagine Rea wins and Razgatlioglu retires from the race; that would bring it down to just five points with 37 available on Sunday alone. Not only that, but rain is possible during what is Indonesia’s monsoon season. Rea excels in the wet while Toprak has been known to struggle, just as he did in the last rain-affected event, Portimao’s Sprint Race. Who on earth would want to put money on the outcome, especially after the swings we’ve already seen this year?
For the second season in a row, riders need to learn a circuit at the final round although, unlike Estoril in 2020, Mandalika 2021 is a totally new venue – there are no references, no local riders to chat to and no onboard laps on YouTube. It only adds to the anticipation in a season already packed to the rafters with tension. One thing is for sure: there is no room for error. Argentina saw Rea crash again, this time losing 30 minutes of practice on Friday. He therefore gathered no data with the SCX tyre which turned Race 1 into a points-scoring test session. To beat Toprak and so win a record seventh consecutive world title, Rea’s final round has to be inch-perfect.
He must win and hope his rival hits trouble