---
title: "Rea: It’s nice to start the season this way"
canonical: "https://readmotorsport.com/2017/02/26/rea-nice-start-season-way/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Lewis Duncan"
section: "SBK"
published: "2017-02-26T12:04:36Z"
modified: "2017-02-26T12:05:20Z"
---

# Rea: It’s nice to start the season this way

Kawasaki Racing’s Jonathan Rea kicked off the defence of his World Superbike title in perfect fashion by doing the double Down Under, putting him 10 points clear in the championship standings.

The Northern Irishman was involved in a monumental battle for the victory in Saturday’s season-opener, and snatched the win by just 0.042s from Ducati’s Chaz Davies.

![Mirco Lazzari gp/Getty Images Sport](https://media.readmotorsport.com/readmotorsport/2017/02/645170606.jpg)

Sunday’s second 22-lap contest saw yet another multi-rider scrap for the podium places, though Rea’s journey to the top step of the rostrum was made slightly more complicated by WorldSBK’s brand new reversed grid rule.

However, starting from ninth only proved to be a minor inconvenience for the Kawasaki rider, and by lap three he was already into the top three.

“It’s incredible, to win the first race under the new grid regulations is really nice, especially as it penalised me the most yesterday for winning,” said Rea.

![Robert Cianflone/Getty Images Sport](https://media.readmotorsport.com/readmotorsport/2017/02/645428078.jpg)

By the sixth lap, the Northern Irishman had taken the lead, and just like on Saturday the closing stages saw him lock horns with Davies.

The Ducati rider was even closer to the back of Rea’s ZX-10RR coming onto the Gardner Straight for the final time, but the Kawasaki rider held his nerve to take his 40th WorldSBK victory by just 0.025s.

Only Noriyuki Haga (43), Troy Bayliss (52)  and Carl Fogarty (59) have taken more wins than Rea.

“I knew if it came down to a last-lap battle that Chaz would be there. To win like this makes me even prouder; it’s nice to start the season this way and it gives me some confidence going forward,” he added.

![Robert Cianflone/Getty Images Sport](https://media.readmotorsport.com/readmotorsport/2017/02/645121492.jpg)

“This is the best way to start my championship campaign, and I’m looking forward to the next few races.

“Phillip Island is notorious for not being able to get away and having to win on last-lap battles, and I came out on top in two of them this weekend and that’s really special.”