WorldSBK: Jonathan Rea commits to Kawasaki

The six-time World Superbike Champion, Jonathan Rea has extended his contract with Kawasaki. The Kawasaki Racing Team and Rea have worked together since 2015. This relationship will continue into the 2023 and 2024 seasons.

All six of Rea’s titles have been won while he has been in Kawasaki green. Ever since Rea joined Kawasaki in 2015 it seemed like a match made in heaven. However, after Rea was dethroned last year he is motivated to claim back his crown.

2022 has started well for Rea with five wins and eight further podiums to his name. Rea is currently second in the standings behind Ducati’s Alvaro Bautista. Kawasaki currently find themselves second in the manufacturers championship.

For 2023 Rea will be partnered with current teammate, Alex Lowes. The pair have worked together since 2020 and get to continue their relationship for at least one more year.

Jonathan Rea: “I am really happy and excited to renew my contract with Kawasaki, to roll on for two more years. It has been an incredible partnership; we have enjoyed so much success together that it is almost a natural progression. There was not much negotiation needed to continue together from both sides. It was more a case of how much more motivation I had to keep racing at the highest level in the WorldSBK Championship.

“It has been an incredible few seasons; more competitive than ever. I have realised how motivated I am to continue and to continue fighting to win. Kawasaki gave me the opportunity back in 2015 to realise a childhood dream when I won the WorldSBK championship in the first year together. As a partnership we are so solid. I am looking forward to continue making memories and representing an incredible manufacturer and brand.”

“My team is my racing family. I love everyone inside the team like my own family and relationships like that count for a lot in racing. Huge credit goes to every single person in the staff, from Provec Racing, all the engineers in Japan, and everyone in the Kawasaki family. I am excited to see what we can do over the next two seasons.”

Guim Roda, Team Manager: “Since we signed Jonny for the 2015 season, and until now, we have written a nice part of WorldSBK’s history. We are so proud to be part of this Rea success story, which also means, Kawasaki’s success story. It’s going on eight seasons together now, and Jonny has been performing at the maximum, always. Nowadays, and at the age of 35, he is in his best shape, and we know there’s still a lot of dancing left to be done.

“We have been working hard to define, with KMC, which kind of project we could create for Jonny to allow him to keep pushing at 110%. I think we gave him the motivation he needed to go for it for two more years. We can never rest on our laurels of our successful past, so we will have a hard job to cover his expectations. We are ready for that, we guarantee it will be a real show for at least two more years.”

Image from worldsbk.com