Jonathan Rea confirmed his status as one of the all time WorldSBK riders by claiming back-to-back crowns on Saturday, but in the final race of the season it was Chaz Davies who claimed the spoils.
For Davies, it was a seventh win in the final eight races of the season, and six in a row, but ultimately the Welshman came up just two points short of Tom Sykes in the fight for second in the standings.
Those final points came courtesy of a gift from Rea to his teammate.
On the final lap, Rea conceded second to Sykes, and as a result the 2013 champion was able to finish ahead of Davies and give Kawasaki their first every one-two in the end of year standings.
Given the relationship between Rea and Sykes, it came as surprise to some to see Rea make such a gesture, but it showed again the close knit nature of the Kawasaki team as a whole.
For Davies, it always seemed as if winning races was more important than finishing second in the championship, but the Ducati rider had to deal with some difficult circumstances.
A red flag midway through the race when Saeed al Sulaiti’s engine exploded meant that Davies had to regroup, having seen a commanding lead nullified.
Starting from pole position, Davies was pushed all the way by Rea throughout the opening nine laps of the restarted race, but on the final lap he eased off to let Sykes through for a formation finish over the line behind Davies.
It was a fitting end to the season for all three riders. They have dominated the campaign; and in Qatar, Rea was able to seal the title, Sykes did enough to give Kawasaki a one-two title finish, and Davies was able to claim the honours of most race wins in a competitive campaign.
Photo: WorldSBK
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