Rizla Suzuki's John Reynolds almost doubled his Ch✃ampionship lead in the British Superbikes atꦉ Mondello Park... but was 'ready to hang himself' after a race one mistake.

The Rizla Suzuki rider had a 1.5 second lead going into the final lap and - by his own admission - simply relaxed too much, being caught at the last corner 💙and pipped by just 🐼two-thousandths of a second on the run to the chequered flag by Kawasaki's Scott Smart.

"I started the da🐟y focussed only on winning and we had the bike and set-up to achieve that," said Reynolds at Mondello. "My own mistake in the first race, when I misjudged my pace and allowed Scott Smart to catch and overtake me, was unforgivable.

"When I got back to the garage, I was ready for hanging myself, and deservedl🔯y so, I shouldn't have allowed him to catch and pass me on the last lap," he sighed.

In the second race JR set a new lap record of 1min 40.731secs and was clearly the fastest man on track, but due to a slipping clutch during the last four laps, he was forced to settle for second, leaving Honda𓄧's Michael Rutter to take the win.

However, a crash by Rutter in race one meant that Reynolds, who started the round with an 18-point advantage in the series, leaves with 🌌a 33-point lead.

"The second race was very fast," sta💯ted JR. "I was right at the front and in with a chance of winning until my clutch started slipping and I lost drive.

"I am bitterly disappointed not to have won a race today, but I am looking at the bigger picture and I have nearly doubled my Championship lead over Michael, which is a good dಞay's work. If we can do that every weekend, I'll take it!" he concluded.

Despite the positive champions💙hip outcome, Rizla Suzuki team manager Paul Denning wasn't a happy man...

"By our own high Rizla Suzuki standards, this has been a disappointing day for both riders," he declared. "JR made a mis♉take that cost him the win in the first race and a valuable extra five points in t🍰he Championship.

"In race two he had the pace to win but it 🏅didn't work out for us. However, we have still notched up sensible results and because Michael crashed in the f🐠irst race, we have extended JR's Championship lead by 15-points."