Alex Lowes surprises Jonathan Rea, leads the Kawasaki double and becomes leader of the Superbike World Championship

What a surprise that the third race of the Superbike World Championship has brought us. Alex Lowes took the victory in a tight duel to the end against Jonathan Rea. Kawasaki double but victory for the theoretical second driver. Be careful because Rea starts to get internal competition, since Lowes is now a world leader.

And it is partly because mechanics have thrown Toprak Razgatlioglu. The Turk was not as fine as in the first two races and had to retire a few laps from the end. Sixth position for a great Álvaro Bautista, who has once again completed a very good comeback. And three third places for Scott Redding in Australia.

Great comeback for Álvaro Bautista to sixth position

In the Superpole race it was Jonathan Rea who took the victory after a passionate fight with Toprak Razgatlioglu until the last corner. The champion hit the contender in the last lap, while Álvaro Bautista suffered a fall that condemned him to start far behind in the second long race.

At the start Michael Van der Mark gave the surprise and was placed in the first position, ahead of Rea himself. But in the second round the champion recovered the first position and tried to pull the group. Behind, disaster for Leon Haslam, who fell after a touch with Michael Ruben Rinaldi.

The race pace was quite slow, to the point that the group did not finish opening. Xavi Forés again had bad luck and went off track, losing a lot of positions. Álvaro Bautista was advancing to seventh position, and was still attached to the race group led by Rea.

The race was unruly and the one who wanted to choose as the great hero was Loris Baz. The Frenchman was making his way through the group until he took first position thirteen laps from the end. In addition, Chaz Davies had also been climbing from the back of the grid to sixth. As a Baptist, great recovery.

The exchange of positions between Baz and Rea was constant in the first positions, but the group was still of nine members, with the Chilean Maxi Scheib closing the peloton. Alex Lowes slammed his ax and took second, just behind Rea. Key moment of the race. And little mistake by Baz, which almost ended in disaster.

Lowes was very aggressive in his role as Rea's squire, covering her back very well but not attacking him. There was a more separated group with six bikes: the two Kawasaki, the two official Yamaha, Loris Baz and Scott Redding. But without any doubt it was Michael Van der Mark who seemed the strongest next to the two Kawasakis.

And in the end disaster between Razgatlioglu and Lorus Baz. The Turk got the motorcycle seizing and stayed out of the race, while Baz went off the track trying to avoid him. The leading group cleared up, and Alex Lowes took advantage, now, to overtake Rea and change the rhythm. The fight was between them.

In one last round of heart attack, Jonathan Rea tried everything to overtake his partner but was unable to go. Victory for Alex Lowes and double for Kawasaki. Maximum surprise of the British, who becomes world leader. Fantastic sixth position for Álvaro Bautista and third position on the podium, again, for Scott Redding.