The Ballyclare rider has slipped 24 points behind WSB rival Redding after an unfamiliar sixth place in Jerez

The Kawasaki rider started from pole position after winning the 10-lap sprint race earlier in the day with a flag to flag victory over Redding and made his usual lightening start to lead in to Turn 1 but it wasn’t long before he was struggling with rear tyre grip.

Redding made his move at the end of the opening lap storming past Rea as they powered down the start finish straight leaving the local rider trailing in his wake in to Turn 1 on lap two.

Redding stretched his lead to over one second by lap three while Rea struggled to deal firstly with Redding’s team mate Chaz Davies who past him on lap 4 then Toprak Razgatlioglu on the Pata Yamaha who passed the helpless Ulster man on lap 8.

His troubles were not over as Italian Go Eleven Ducati rider Michael Ruben Rinaldi was on the move and passed both Rea and Lowes seven laps from the end of the race.

With four laps remaining Rea couldn’t hold Lowes back any longer and by the flag had to settle for sixth.

At least there was some satisfaction for Rea as he now has moved up to second in the title race albeit 24-points behind Redding as the championship heads to Portugal this weekend for the Portimao round, between 7 and 9 August.

Speaking afterwards Rea said: “I had absolutely nothing for the guys.

“I felt hung out to dry on the first lap. Going round Turn 3 I went completely sideways.

“I used the ‘C’ option rear tyre today, which is a development tyre.

“Yesterday it worked and I felt really consistent but today I just didn’t have it from the rear tyre from the word go.

“We changed the bike but we didn’t change the bike for ten seconds worth in race pace. I will put today behind me.

“I’m a bit disappointed to be honest but coming away from Jerez knowing that we did a pretty good job and the bike is in a good area is ok.

“We can look forward to Portamao this weekend, which is a happy hunting ground for us.

“We can take some positives from the weekend moving up a few places in the championship from an overall point of view but we slipped back some points on Scott.

“He looks like the reference right now and is doing a really good job.

“When you have been at the top for so long it is very tough but Scott and Ducati did an awesome job this weekend.”

In Saturday’s race one the 33 year-old five times world champion led for most of the 20-laps before Redding made his move five laps from home forcing the reigning champion wide at turn six.

By then his Kawasaki’s front tyre was well past it’s best and he had no answer for the race winner Redding on the Aruba.it Ducati with Pata Yamaha’s Toprak Razgatlioglu completing the rostrum.

“I am a little bit disappointed that I had nothing left at the end for Scott.

“I had a few front slides in turn two and it was enough just to knock my confidence a little bit to start thinking to bring it home.” said Rea.

The new championship leader Scott Redding added: “To have two victories here, a pole position and a second position, I’m very happy for me and the Aruba.it Ducati team. We did a good job.”

It wasn’t a great weekend for Eugene Laverty and the BMW Motorrad team as he was forced out of the race on the factory BMW with an apparent front tyre issue.

The Toome rider had a disappointing 15th in race one and 13th in the sprint race. He now lies 17th in the championship.

Meanwhile, Aghadowey’s Eunan McGlinchey narrowly missed out on qualifying for the World Supersport 300 races by only 0.2 seconds. McGlinchey finished seventh in the Last Chance qualifying race on the Team 109 Kawasaki on Saturday, when he was only just denied a crucial top-six finish in his world debut.