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The Australian Round for the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship is always a stunning affair and 2024’s season-opener was no different. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati) was an instant hit in WorldSBK after claiming a debut pole and race win on Saturday before Sunday’s glory went to Alex Lowes for the Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK as the #22 did the double. Plus, it would be impossible to forget Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) immediately proving his worth as he claimed a podium in his first race. Catch up on the Race 1 and Race 2 action hereand watch highlights from the Tissot Superpole Race on WorldSBK’s YouTube channel!

A DREAM DEBUT: for Bulega in a flag-to-flag classic

With resurfacing works at Phillip Island ahead of the round, it was announced the full-length races would feature mandatory pit stops with a window to complete the stop. Bulega lost out as lights went out but soon found himself battling his way back through the field, bundling Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) out the way at Turn 4 before passing Iannone for the lead at Turn 1 on Lap 7. From there, he maintained his lead throughout the pit stop phase and in the second half of the race to become the third Italian to win on his WorldSBK debut, and the first ever to win two consecutive races in two Championships – he won the 2023 WorldSSP season finale and 2024 WorldSBK season opener.

A SUNDAY DOUBLE TO REMEMBER: Alex Lowes with an outrageous overtake for victory

With Saturday belonging to Bulega, Sunday belonged to Alex Lowes. The #22 took advantage of Iannone’s handlebar issue in the Superpole Race to claim victory, his first since the 2020 Australian Round, but it was Race 2 that left everyone astounded. Lowes started from pole position but lost out to Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) who got the holeshot, but the battle would rage on to the final lap with Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing - Ducati) in the mix. ‘Loka’ looked like he had the pace to win but a crash at Turn 4 as he tried to pass Lowes for P2 took him out of contention. Lowes remained unaffected though and had his sights set on the #1 ahead, before he pulled off one of the best overtakes you’ll ever see as he swept around the outside of Bautista at Lukey Heights to claim a remarkable Sunday double – and an early Championship lead.

IANNONE'S EPIC RETURN TO RACING: straight on the podium

Iannone predictably stole the headlines in Australia as he made his return to racing after four years out on suspension. ‘The Maniac’ put his Ducati Panigale V4 machine second on the grid after an epic Tissot Superpole session, before grabbing the holeshot in Race 1 and leading the early stages of the opening lap. It was a complicated return for Iannone with the mandatory pit stop but he stood up to all the challenges thrown at him in Australia to take a Race 1 rostrum with third place.

2025 LOADING: catch up on the epic 2024 WorldSBK campaign and get set for next season with the WorldSBK VideoPass!