A new decade and new challenges lie ahead for Jonathan Rea with the opening World Superbike Championship round at Phillip Island in Australia next weekend.

Two days of testing prior to the much-awaited season opener are scheduled for next Monday and Tuesday at the same venue as teams and riders make their final preparations aheadof the 13-round series of 39 races.

Rea and his Kawasaki Racing Team have been the dominant combination for the past five years, landing a record fifth successive title last year.

Since joining Kawasaki in 2015, the 33-year old Templepatrick rider has won every championship and will now strive for a sixth world title as the greatest WSBK rider ever, lining upagainst a manufacturer, machinery and rider base that's arguably the strongest it has been since his reign at the top began.

Competition will come from all quarters in 2020, including Alvaro Bautista, who has made the switch from factory Ducati to HRC Honda on their full-factory return to the series. The Spaniard, who won the opening 11 races last year, now partners Leon Haslam, Rea's team mate a year ago.

Haslam's place at Kawasaki has been taken by Alex Lowes, a real contender to Rea's crown as is British Superbike champion Scott Redding on his WSBK debut and riding the factory Ducatis alongside Chas Davies.

Yamaha have two young live contenders in Toprak Razgatlioglu and Mark van der Mark, both of whom beat Rea in races last year while the new factory BMW pairing of ex-world champion Tom Sykes and Eugene Laverty could well rattle a few front running contenders in the season ahead. Toome rider Laverty coming off an injury plagued 2019 will be looking to return to podium form with his new Shaun Muir managed BMW squad

Rea said in Melbourne yesterday:

"Phillip Island is the closest race to a home round for me, (wife Tatia is Australian) so I always enjoy racing there. There's always expectation and nervous energy ahead of a new season, but I'mtrying to take a more mature approach in 2020.

"I was super excited a year ago, but had the wind knocked out of my sails in the opening rounds." Rea was referring to Bautista's early dominance.

On 2020 Rea stated:

"Of course I'd like to leave Phillip Island with three race wins, but it is a 39-race series and it's more important I leave Australia healthy and with a platform to build on for the rest of the season. More than ever consistency will be a vital asset and I'll just continue to focus on myself and after the first four or five rounds everyone will eventually find their place.

"I had to come from behind to win the title last year and that was a valuable lesson in just focusing on my own form and not worrying about everyone else."

There will be three races at Phillip Island, two 22-lap feature events on Saturday and Sunday afternoons with a 10-lap Superpole sprint race on Sunday at noon.