Jonathan Rea returns to victory at Phillip Island in Sbk

Superbike, race-1

Great return to Australia for the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship that at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit gives a beautiful Race 1 flag-to-flag valid for the Grand Ridge Brewery Round of Australia that sees the victory of Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK). The Northern Irishman thus puts an end to the winless streak that had lasted since Estoril.

Rea on lap 10 is one of the first to come into the pits to switch from wet tires to slicks; the same goes for Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK). The Northern Irishman makes the overtaking move that wins him the victory on lap 15 when he attacks Kyle Smith (TPR Team Pedercini Racing) on the outside in turn 4, who decides to stay on the track on wet tires.

In the wet in the leading group we find Rea, Razgatlioglu, poleman Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) who is the last to return to the pits to change tires. In the final stages the number 22 passes Bautista going to take third place behind Razgatlioglu.

Rea returns to winning ways after 24 races and 181 days and now boasts 118 WorldSBK wins, twice as many as Carl Fogarty. For Razgatlioglu it is the 81st podium in WorldSBK and the 28th this 2022 while for Lowes it is podium number 32 in total.