World Superbikes: Alvaro Bautista claims Phillip Island hat-trick
- Published
Alvaro Bautista recorded the fifth hat-trick of his World Superbike career
Alvaro Bautista began the defence of his World Superbike title in style with a hat-trick of wins at round one of the 2023 series at Phillip Island.
The Spaniard followed up his victory in Race One on Saturday by winning Sunday's Superpole sprint race and second feature race of the weekend.
Ducati-mounted Bautista becomes the most successful rider at Phillip Island in Australia with eight race wins.
Jonathan Rea could only manage seventh and eighth places on Sunday.
The Northern Irish six-time champion lost time and positions on the opening lap of the 10-lap Superpole race after he was forced wide by Dominique Aegerter at Turn Four, and was unable to make moves back through the order.
Bautista emerged the winner of that event by 2.46 seconds from team-mate Michael Ruben Rinaldi, with Turkish Pata Yamaha rider Toprak Razgatlioglu having to settle for third after holding an early lead.
Bautista claimed his fifth World Superbike hat-trick in commanding fashion in Race Two, from which 2021 champion Razgatlioglu and Kawasaki rider Alex Lowes were forced to retire after colliding on lap 17 of 22.
The champion had more than six seconds to spare over team-mate Rinaldi at the chequered flag to repeat his treble at the Australian circuit in 2019.
Yamaha rider Andrea Locatelli was third to complete the podium but behind him a battle raged for fourth place, Axel Bassani eventually sealing that position.
Rea was the subject of a couple of late-race moves to relegate him to eighth.
Razgatlioglu and Lowes were involved in the battle for fourth but both crashed when the former tried to make a move around the outside heading into Turn Four, with Lowes losing the front of his machine heading into Miller Corner, collecting Razgatlioglu.
The two riders were forced to retire from the race following the crash, costing them valuable points early on in the season.
Bautista enjoys a 28-point lead over Locatelli heading into next week's second round of the championship at the Mandalika circuit in Indonesia.
World Superbike standings
1. Alvaro Bautista (Spa) Ducati, 62 points
2. Andrea Locatelli (Ita) Yamaha, 34
3. Jonathan Rea (GB) Kawasaki, 31
4. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Ita) Ducati, 31
5. Axel Bassani (Ita) Ducati, 25
6. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Tur) Yamaha, 23