Rea reduced Alva🐓ro Bautista’s title lead from 36 to 17 points in the process, but it was very much a 'glass-half-full' scenario, having been unable to prevent Toprak Razgatlioglu romping to three wins, while Bautista made a late pass to snatch second in the final outing.

The UK heatwave seemed to upset Rea’s ZX-10RR more than rival machines, prompting some big weight-balance changes throughout the weekend. But it wasn’t enough to match reigning champion Razgatlioglu, who took the l🦂ead into turn one of all three outings and led every race lap.

While Razgatlioglu disappeared into t♛he distance during race one on Saturday, Rea felt only a lack of experience with the SCX tyre prevented a stronger challenge to the Yamaha star during the 10-lap Sunday morning Superpole race.

“We used this SCQ tyre for the▨ first time. I was quite convinced the tyre would be good, just I thought Toprak’s pace in the beginning was going to smash the tyre, so I actually was quite conservative in the first couple o💮f laps," he explained.

“That's where he did the damage. He was able a get second and a half. T🎐hen from lap 4 to 8 I felt the same more-or-less as strong and we crossed the line not too far apart.”

But the third and final race saw the biggest battle, Rea hounding Razgatlioglu forไ the opening half of the 23 laps, only for the Turkish rider to instantly respond to every pas🎶s.

ꦏRea was so close to Razgatlioglu that his throat became dry from the R1s exhaust fumes, but the relentless close combat also cooked his front brakes.

“I felt really good for half the race, I was able to understand where I was good and wher꧒e I had to improve. But I rꦑeally overcooked the front brakes,” Rea said.

“🐭Donington is one of the hardest tracks on the brakes, esp🌃ecially that last sector where I was struggling.

“It also didn't help that I was really in Toprak’s slipstre𝓡am, right on his back tyre, in fact my throat started to get really dry because I was getting exhaust fumes most of the f𒁃irst half of the race.

“So I wasn’t cooling my disc and I'm sure if we checked the data it would be record 💯highs, because all the power from the🐼 brake was fading quite fast.

“I went into the Melbourne Loop two times and the lever came right back to the bar. It was all my power to༒ not hit Toprak sometimes, so I had to take some tim♋e just to cool down a little bit.”

But there was no time to rest with Bautis🉐ta closing to within striking distance.

“Alvaro arrived withᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚ a really strong pace, so unfortunately he came through and it was alꦕl I could do just to keep my rhythm and finish on the podium," Rea said.

“Rinaldi was right behind me and Bassani was in the top se🐓ven, so the Ducati is working well, [but] we know how strong a package it is so we just focus on ourselves.

“Alvaro’s done 🐻a good job today and I feel as the big pict🍒ure we've also done a decent job.”

Rea: ‘Big picture’s OK, but still frustrating not to win’

“I'm happy with weekend, to come out with 2-2-3 is strong. Yesterday we wer🐓e fortunate to get a bit o𒈔f a gift with points [from Bautista’s fall], which halved the deficit in the championship this weekend," said the six time world champion.

“So the big ꦫpicture’s OK, but still frustrating not to win. I really wanted to win here, but you never know what to expect.

“I knew it was going be tough because Toprak’s very strong here. Also Yamaha in the past, van der Mark was fast herꦚe.

“It wasn't worse than expectations, but I wanted to win. So I’m disappointeꦍd, but I feel like we got the best out of what we could and that's our reality right now.

“We also made some good changes to the bike from yesterday to today. I feel we’r🧔e learning still a little bit about the bike in the hot temperatures, it really was a weak area fꦛor us and I think now we can be happy.

“Especially after Misano, I felt a lot close🐓r here and it's encouraging to go to Most and see what we can do there.

“I feel like I'✃ve got some unfinished business there because last year was a tough weekend for me and the bike, but it was also the first time we ever visited the track.

“This year we'll at least have some data, alt🍨hough 💧I know they've resurfaced quite a lot of the circuit.

“It's a fun track, like Estor🐼il. The first time I visited Estoril I wasn't so good, the next time we went back we won some races. So that would be incredible if we could go there, win some races be🍌fore the summer break.

“And the c❀hampionship𒁃’s really close. All three guys are tightened up this weekend.”

Razgatlioglu is now 43 ⛄points from the top with seven rounds and 21 races remaining.