Jonathan Rea "satisfied" with rostrum treble as World Superbike champion Alvaro Bautista clinches double at Phillip Island in Australia

The six-time champion had not tasted the victory champagne since bagging a double at Estoril in Portugal in May, but Rea finally returned to the top step in Saturday’s opening race, which began in wet conditions.

A perfect pit-stop strategy to switch to slick tyres as the track dried out gave the Kawasaki Racing Team rider the upper hand and he went on to win by over six seconds from Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha), with Rea’s team-mate Alex Lowes third.

New world champion and pole man Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Ducati) was fifth behind Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha).

On Sunday, the weather had an impact again with a downpour before the Superpole race putting extra emphasis on the correct tyre choice.

Bautista was one of only two riders who gambled on slicks and although the Spaniard was 14th at the end of lap one, he rapidly cut through the field as the track began to dry, passing rivals Rea and Razgatlioglu on lap nine of 10 to secure a stunning victory.

Razgatlioglu held off Rea by 0.043s for second place, clinching second in the championship before the final race.

Bautista then capped a memorable year with victory in the final race of the season, keeping Rea at bay to seal his 16th win of 2022 on the Panigale V4R.

The race was red-flagged on lap 18 of 22 after Eugene Laverty was involved in a collision with Spain’s Xavi Fores.

A result was declared based on standings at the end of lap 17, with Bautista getting the verdict by three tenths of a second over Rea. Lowes claimed third ahead of Razgatlioglu.

Rea, who finished third overall – 99 points behind Bautista – was again left frustrated by the superior speed of Bautista’s Ducati on the main straight, but the 118-time race praised his rival for his performance this year.

“It’s the story of our season really,” Rea said.

“As frustrating as it is, huge kudos to Ducati. They’ve really excelled in their engine performance, let’s say, this year.

“They’re really making us step up. It’s a good thing.

“My bike was very stable on the brakes. We were able to focus on the mechanical traction but just missing that little bit they have on the straight. The bikes were quite balanced over a lap,” he added.

“The lap times were quite similar and, to be fair to Alvaro, it’s quite difficult to lead around here especially in the wind so he was creating a good reference for me, just to be there.”

Rea said he “gave everything” and was satisfied with a trio of podiums to conclude a challenging year.

“We know the result, I gave everything,” he said.

“We can be quite satisfied with our efforts this weekend to go 1-3-2; good overall points for the weekend.

“I’m looking forward now to a little bit of rest before we start focusing on 2023. We can be satisfied with our work this year.”

Phillip Island will host the opening round of the 2023 World Superbike Championship as the iconic venue returns to its more traditional date in February (24-26).