Despite starting the second WorldSBK race at Portimao on the third row of the grid, Kawasaki’s Jonathan Rea overcame the determined challenges of first early leader Chaz Davies (Aruba Ducati) and then his team-mate Marco Melandri to secure his second win of the weekend and his hat-trick of double wins.
Eventually, Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha) made the best use of his set-up to come through to second place just 1.189 seconds behind Rea at the flag. Melandri finished third, 1.6 adrift of VDM.
Fighting off the effects of recent injury and short recovery Davies was eventually fourth, 0.2 ahead of fifth place finisher Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team).
Milwaukee Aprilia riders Lorenzo Savadori and Eugene Laverty had a fight for sixth with the Italian rider just ahead at the flag, but 11 seconds away from the race winner Rea.
Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing Ducati Junior Team) was eighth, Loris Baz (GULF ALTHEA BMW Racing Team) ninth and Xavi Fores (Barni Racing Team Ducati) a lone tenth. Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK) was 11th, and Jake Gagne (Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team) 12th.
In the championship points Rea is 116 ahead of Davies, 420 to 304. VDM has 284, Sykes 240 and Melandri 229.
