Britain’s Sam Lowes will start Sunday’s Moto2 race at MotoGP Phillip Island from the back of the grid after being slapped with a big penalty from race stewards.

Lowes was adjudged to have ridden irresponsibly in free practice two and deliberately causing contact with another rider, in this case Jesko Raffin.

Lowes and Raffin collided as they went across the line with a clearly-upset Lowes doing a lot of pointing and waving at Raffin as they went through Doohan corner on the cooldown lap.

The sanction adds insult to injury as Lowes crashed at the start the second session after touching a damp white line through the last and very fast corner.