Victory in World Superbike Aragon opener for Northern Ireland's Rea
Northern Ireland's Jonathan Rea has claimed an enthralling victory in the opening race of the 2022 World Superbike season at Aragon, as he pipped Alvaro Bautista to the chequered flag.
Kawasaki's Rea and Spaniard Bautista, who was returning on a Ducati for the first time since 2019, swapped places at the front in a dog-fight throughout.
Rea claimed the race to the line on the last lap to begin his bid for a seventh world title in perfect fashion.
Defending champion Toprak Razgatlioglu was third after beginning on pole.
The Turkish rider claimed a new lap record for the Spanish circuit in the Superpole qualifying session and was a part of a three-way battle at the front in the early stages of the 18-lap event.
Rea was pushed into second on the closing lap but overtook Bautista to win by 0.09 seconds by the chequered flag, with Razgatlioglu a further five seconds down in the final podium spot after dropping off the pace.
This was Rea's ninth World Superbike win at Aragon and the 113th of his career as he attempts to reclaim the crown he lost to Razgatlioglu last year after taking the title for the previous six years in a row.
"I really enjoyed that. From the first lap I got track position and passed a lot. There were a lot of areas where my bike was really strong," Rea told Eurosport after Race One.
"I was pumped from this morning. I went out there and loved it. It was like the first race of my career. The bike is just talking to me and I felt I could go. When they passed me I could re-set and make a plan.
"I was just too conservative on sector three on the last lap and that invited Alvaro on the last corner but I thought, 'Whatever happens, I'm going down fighting'.
"I did all I could, made myself as small as I could to get to the line."
The Superpole sprint race goes off at 10:00 BST on Sunday, followed by the second feature race of the weekend which is at 13:00.