Two wins puts Lowes atop 2024 WorldSBK Standings

The 2024 WorldSBK season opened at Philip Island, Australia with some familiar names and some new ones on the leaderboard and on the podium.

Kawasaki Racing Team's Alex Lowes leads the standings with 50 points thanks to a perfect Sunday as he won both the Superpole Race and Race 2. The wins were his first victories in four years. 
"It has been a long time since our last win but we have been working hard," Lowes said. "In the Superpole Race I was really emotional, I think I was crying on the in-lap. It has been a big, important winter, changing many small details. I am fit and strong now, improving my confidence. I did a good job today. I am going to enjoy the moment because we did a really good job this week.To get two wins today was fantastic, and mixing it up there, I was really happy. The guys have done a fantastic job all weekend.”
Nicolò Bulega, the reining WorldSSP champ who moved up to the Aruba.it Racing - Ducati superbike team for this season, put his name in the records books by taking pole position and then Race 1, setting the fastest lap along the way in his first race at this level. 
"I am really very happy," Bulega said. "This result is important because it confirms the great work we did in the winter with the team…To take pole position and win the race with the fastest lap is something beyond my expectations.”

Defending WorldSBK champ Alvaro Bautista, Aruba.it  - Ducati started ninth in Race 1 and was part of the leading group until he crashed on lap 5. He remounted and salvaged one point from the race. 
Sunday was a better showing for the champion as he finished second behind Lowes in Race 2. Bulega placed fifth. 
Bautista was fourth and Bulega fifth in the Superpole race.
Italian Bulega is second overall with 41 points and his countryman Andrea Locatelli, Pata Prometeon Yamaha, is third with 29 points thanks to a second-place showing in Race 1 and in the SuperPole race. Spain's Bautista has 27 points and is in fifth place in the standings.
Round two is March 22 to 24 at Catalunya, Spain.