FIRST LOOK: KRT unveil new livery for Jonathan Rea and Alex Lowes
Replacing the 2022 paint scheme which featured a green, black and white livery, the 2023 ZX-10RR has seen green become the most prominent colour once again.
While the livery has certainly made a statement off-track, Rea and Lowes will be hoping to do the same on-track in 2023.
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Rea lost out when it came to battling the likes of Alvaro Bautista and Toprak Razgatlioglu in the championship last season, while Lowes also missed out on fourth as Michael Ruben Rinaldi and Andrea Locatelli narrowly got the better of the British rider.
However, pre-season testing has so far been very strong for Rea in particular, with the six-time world champion featuring heavily in the top two positions.
"I am really excited about this new season," said Rea at the team’s official launch. "We had a really solid off-season. I am also excited to go to Phillip Island and start the year in what seems to us like a more normal way.
"I feel that I have prepared really well away from the track, and during the winter tests we have improved, which is very motivating. It’s nice to have some new people around and that itself brings a different feel.
"I am eager to get going. We have made progress with the bike and are working hard to try to improve our feeling and results from last season. Hopefully we can challenge for race wins and fight for a world title."
Second at both the Jerez and Portimao tests, Rea looks set for a stronger 2023 season provided Kawasaki can continue to improve their bike given the strides forward Ducati and Yamaha have also made.
That same line of thinking goes for Lowes, who was extremely strong at Phillip Island last season.
Lowes matched his podium total from the first 11 rounds in Australia alone, which is both a good and bad sign as recent results were very positive although more consistency and better performance is needed throughout an entire season - the latter is an area that seemingly needs to improve based on testing results.
Speaking at the launch, Lowes said: "I love how the bike looks. I really like the 2023 design. Last year I had some quite good speed, strong qualifying performances and I could hang with the top three.
"As the race went on, when the grip dropped, I was struggling a little bit more. That is an area we have focused on.
"I am really looking forward to the year. I have had a good winter of training and I really can’t wait to get started.
"It may be a few years now that I have been in the Superbike World Championship, but I am still excited like it is the first time; like I felt back in 2014. Now I am looking forward to getting to Australia and getting down to business."
