World Superbikes: Jonathan Rea crashes out of final race in Australia in red-flag incident

The six-time champion came off his Pata Prometeon Yamaha at Turn 11, bringing out the red flag.

Rea, who earlier finished 10th in the Superpole race, was described as ‘conscious’ following the incident after sustaining ‘multiple contusions and abrasions’.

The 37-year-old Ulsterman – 17th in Saturday’s opening race – was later pictured back in his Yamaha garage and will now turn his focus to round two at Catalunya in March in one month’s time.It was a nightmare debut for Rea in his first race weekend as a Yamaha rider, with the 119-time race winner failing to score any points.

Kawasaki’s Alex Lowes won the Superpole race and doubled up to take the early championship lead after winning race two, which was restarted over 11 laps following Rea’s accident.

The British rider passed Alvaro Bautista with three corners to go to secure victory and a maiden career World Superbike double.

Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) was also in contention on the final lap when the Italian rider dramatically crashed out.

World champion Bautista sealed the runner-up spot for his 90th career WSBK podium on the Aruba.it Ducati while Danilo Petrucci was third on the Barni Spark Ducati.

Toprak Razgatlioglu, third on the ROKiT BMW in the Superpole race behind Lowes and Locatelli, was forced out afte developing a technical issue with the factory M1000RR machine.