Kawasaki's Alex Lowes clinches first career World Superbike double at Phillip Island as Jonathan Rea crashes out

Ulsterman Rea – 17th in Saturday’s first race of the season – was 10th in the earlier Superpole race before the 37-year-old came off his R1 machine at Turn 11 in Race 2 at the end of the third lap, moments after he had climbed as high as fourth place when Toprak Razgatlioglu suffered a technical issue on his factory ROKiT BMW.

The race was red-flagged after Rea’s crash and the six-time champion was carried away on a stretcher, although he was reported to be conscious.

A further update from the organisers said Rea had sustained ‘multiple contusions and abrasions’ in the incident, but he was later released from the circuit Medical Centre and returned to his Yamaha garage.

Rea will now look to regroup for round two of the championship in four weeks’ time at Catalunya in Barcelona after failing to put any points on the board in Australia.

By contrast, Briton Lowes had a dream weekend for Kawasaki as he returned to the top step in World Superbikes for the first time in four years, when the 33-year-old triumphed in Race 2 at Phillip Island in 2020.

Race 2 was restarted over a reduced distance of 11 laps, removing the need for a compulsory pit stop to fit a new rear tyre – a decision introduced on safety grounds this weekend due to aggressive tyre wear caused by the new asphalt at Phillip Island.