After end𒊎ing a 24-race 🌜win drought on Saturday, Rea was battling Toprak Razgatlioglu to make it two in a row during Sunday’s Superpole sprint.

But their intermediate tyres on the drying track proved no match for a brave slick gamble by newly crowned cham🌱pion Alvaro Bautista, who swept past them both on the penultimate lap.

Rea was then the only rider that could stick wit🎃h Bautista’s Ducati by the closing stages of race two, but their looming victory showdown🅠 was halted 5 laps early due to red flags for Eugene Laverty’s accident.

• Australian WorldSBK - Race Results (2𒀰): Eu🃏gene Laverty 'pelvic injury'
• Australian WorldSBK - Superpole Race: Slick tyre gamble pays off for Bautista

“I gave everything. We can be quite satisfied with our efforts this weekend to go 1-3-2. Good overall points for the weekend,” said the Kawasaki star. “The conditions [this weekend] were almost li🦩ke nothing I’ve ever seen in my career! Tyre decisions, pit stops [Race 1], red flag in Race 2.

“From my weekend, I’m really happy with my team and the way I’m ꩲr🎶iding the bike. Even in Race 2 with Alvaro, I felt stronger everywhere but the start-finish line.

“They were taking so much time, but through Turn 1, Turn 2 and even Turn 3, with the traction, an area 🦩we’ve really struggled with in the past, I had more grip and the tyre was very linear."

Rea added: “It was [still] everytඣhing I could do to be [behind Bautista again] by Turn Four, by taking too much risk and using up some tyre. But🦂 even doing that the tyre wasn’t dropping, so kudos to Pirelli.

“I think bringing these harder construction tyres for Phillip Island is the way forward. The race might be a little slower, but to s🎃tay in the 1’31 flat lap times, right to the end, was really very good.

“I thin♚k we have to be really satisfied with our effort this season. Of course, I made a few mistakes along the way but also I think the final result highlights where we are.

“We need to improve, but we ✅were more or less 25 points away from Toprak Razgatlioglu at the end of the season - the guy who won the championship last year.

“This year there was a new weapon to fight at the front [Ducati and Bautista] so we need to maximise all we can. The team hಌas been fantastic, and in the tough moments we have shown how strong a team we are.”

The six-time world champion finishes the season third overall, with six race wins. The Ulsterman was 27 points from Razgatliogꦺlu but 99 from Bautista.

Team-mate Alex Lowes completed the final podium of the season🅘 in third and was sixth in the world championship.