World Superbikes king Jonathan Rea bows out
THROUGHOUT the 38-year history of the World Superbike Championship one rider stands above all others.
The colourful and excitingly dangerous sport has produced household names like Carl Fogarty, Troy Corser, Troy Bayliss and Max Biaggi, however no one comes near recently retired Northern Irishman Jonathan Rea.
Rea announced his retirement toward the end of the 2025 season after a long and illustrious career.
A totally dedicated, humble professional who inspired many British and Irish riders will be sorely missed in the upcoming championship.
From his marvellous season in 2007 in the British Superbike Championship where he finished runner-up, Rea signed with Honda in 2008 to compete in World Superbikes.
His move to the Kawasaki Racing Team in 2015 was the beginning of an incredible run of dominance not seen before or since in this class of motorcycle racing.
Between 2015 and 2020 Rea rewrote the record books, winning six consecutive World Superbike titles – a feat unmatched in the history of the championship.
Most notably his ability to overcome adversity was
celebrated in the 2019 championship tussle with Alvaro Bautista, who blasted away with an unprecedented 11 wins in a row.
Having witnessed the opening round’s three races at Phillip Island the Bautista Ducati combination streeted the field at times by up to 30 seconds.
In dramatic fashion Rea strung together six victories as chinks started to appear in Bautista’s armour, turning the tables through sheer persistence, skill and self-belief to finish with 663 points to Bautista’s 498.
Switching teams from Kawasaki to Yamaha for the 2024 and 2025 seasons Rea had hoped to relive the glory years but was unable to scale the heights he once enjoyed.
For the record Rea greeted the chequered flag 119 times, had 264 podiums and achieved 104 fastest laps in World Superbike racing.
He was awarded an MBE for services to motorcycle racing.
Rea has recently signed a deal with Honda Racing as a test rider where his knowledge and skills will be used to improve performance development.
Australian motorcycle fans will long remember the brilliant Rea/Kawasaki combination.
