World Superbikes: Jonathan Rea ends 24-race win drought with Phillip Island victory
Jonathan Rea broke his 24-race World Superbike win drought by taking victory in the first race of the weekend at the final round of 2022 at Phillip Island.
Rea used all his experience to come out on top in a wet-dry race, his decision to pit for slick tyres at the middle of the 22-lap race paying dividends.
Northern Irishman finished the race with a six-second advantage over Toprak Razgatlioglu, with Alex Lowes third.
Newly-crowned world champion Alvaro Bautista came home in fifth position.
After fighting his way to the front of a four-rider lead group with wet tyres on a drying track, Rea was the first of the leaders to make the call to pit for slicks.
Of the initial leading group, Razgatlioglu followed Rea in on lap 10, while Bautista pitted on lap 11 and Lowes on lap 12.
rly pit stop proved crucial for Rea as he subsequently returned to the lead with eight laps to go with a sizeable advantage over his rivals and went on to record his 118th World Superbike race success.
It was a sixth race win of the season for six-time champion Rea but the first time he occupied the top step of the podium since winning two races at Estoril in Portugal in May.
Kawasaki rider becomes the first rider to have a winning career in the series spanning more than 13 years.
He still has a 32-point gap to bridge on Razgatlioglu in Sunday's Superpole and Race Two however if he is to leapfrog the 2021 champion into second place in the final standings.
Bautista fell behind Lowes and fourth-placed finisher Andrea Locatelli but his fifth spot proved enough for Ducati to secure the constructors' title.
Spanish rider clinched the title last weekend by building an unassailable points advantage by the conclusion of the Indonesian round at the Mandalika circuit.
Phillip island circuit in Australia is returning to the World Superbike calendar for the first time since early 2020.
It is scheduled to return to its traditional place as the first round of the 2023 championship in February next year.
1. Alvaro Bautista (Spa) Ducati, 564 points
2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Tur) Yamaha, 507
3. Jonathan Rea (GB) Kawasaki, 475
4. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Ita) Ducati, 284
5. Andrea Locatelli (Ita) Yamaha, 258
6. Alex Lowes (GB) Kawasaki, 250