FEATURE - Jonathan Rea interview
Words: WorldSBK
Photos: WorldSBK, GeeBee Images, Kawasaki
The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship will have a new look for a number of reasons in 2022. Familiar faces have gone, new faces have arrived and others have switched to new (and sometimes familiar) teams. But perhaps the biggest change for 2022 is that Jonathan Rea won’t be starting the season with the #1 plate on his bike.
For the past six years, the Ulsterman has worn the #1 on his Kawasaki Racing Team ZX-10RR. Challengers have come and gone in that time. And while some of those challengers have been faster, more aggressive or more tenacious than others, few have been as consistent as the man they were chasing.
Now, for the first time since 2015, Rea will be looking to take the WSBK Championship, not defend it.
In an interview with WorldSBK.com this past January, the six-time champion shared his thoughts on pre-season testing, his goals for 2022, the return of his old #65 number, likely rivals and even retirement.
Testing Times
With the first leg of Rea’s 2022 pre-season testing regime with KRT completed at time of writing, the 35-year-old says that progress has been made with the latest ZX-10RR, but the true test will come when most of the WSBK grid ride alongside each other at the Catalunya test in late March.
“Right now, in January, this is the second test of our preseason and to be honest, we had a good test at Jerez in December where we tried some new items and I felt really good with the bike. The biggest difference is that I can [now] brake how I want to and I have more confidence in the front of the bike. Everything is going on plan.
“Kawasaki have been working really hard in the background and hopefully we can learn some things from this [Jerez] test, Portimao, the MotorLand Aragon test and also Montmelo (Catalunya), where we will face our main rivals. Then we can compare exactly where we are.”
Back to 65
For the first time since 2015, Rea will race with the #65 he wore in the early years of his WSBK career. While not a change he wanted to make, it’s a change Rea’s being positive about.
“Changing my number, firstly, is not by choice, but going back to #65… let’s say it is my career number. It gives me a lot of happy memories.
“I remember the #65 being on the front of my 2015 Kawasaki and it was an incredible moment, an incredible time and it changed my life.
“When I put it back on my bike in Mandalika at the end of last year, I had this nice feeling inside that ‘I’m going back to #65 and this is going to be good.’ For me, the number’s not about pressure and it’s not like when I’m racing that I see it in front of my face!
“It’s strange to go back to [#65] and I might have to rejig my merchandise a little bit, because after six years, we’d started to incorporate some number ones! It’s a little bit of a change!”
Looking back at 2021 and targets for 2022
There’s no denying that last year’s WSBK season didn’t end the way that Rea wanted, but the Ulsterman said he still enjoyed it.
Interestingly, despite suffering only three retirements in 37 races last year, Rea feels that he made too many mistakes, so reducing errors is a goal for the 2022 season. Focussing on himself and not others is another…
“Well, of course, 2021 was a challenging year but also, when I look back, it was a fun year. I really enjoyed 2021 because I learnt a lot, I was still fast and I still battled… the battles in the races were incredible.
“For 2022, my target is to make less mistakes. How do we do that? We need to improve the technical package of the bike. First impressions so far are that the bike’s a little bit more user-friendly when I’m riding on my limit.
“I need to try and forget about all my other competitors and the other manufacturers and focus on my job inside Kawasaki. Sometimes last year, that was my biggest mistake: I was looking to the others. It was playing negative thoughts in your head like, ‘oh, they are fast’ or ‘their bike is so fast' but [at Kawasaki], we have a great bike. Even when we have some limitations or difficulties, I can still compete for winning races. That’s what I need to focus on and bet on myself a bit more.”
Motivation for 2022
With six championships under his belt, Rea obviously isn’t lacking in motivation. Unsurprisingly, losing last year’s championship has ensured that motivation is stronger than ever, but Rea reveals that not being the defending champion has eased the off-season workload, too.
“When people ask, ‘What’s the difference in motivation from winning or trying to beat someone again,’ it’s the same. When you’re winning, it’s almost like the fear of not winning is keeping you motivated. When you finally accept that you’re second and you’re at peace with it, then you can work forward in a good way. There’s no fear involved, and it becomes all about trying to win.
“This off-season has been really nice. Sometimes, when you’re winning a championship, it’s incredible: for TV, for media, etc. However, what you don’t see is the marketing commitments, flying everywhere to see a sponsor, manufacturer, or country.
“The last time I was on a plane before this [January] test was in December, so I’ve had such a good off-season. Sometimes, the weight of that #1 is heavy. I’ve enjoyed the positive sides of not being World Champion, but it doesn’t outweigh wanting the #1.”
Rivals in 2022
With new champion Toprak Razgatlioglu at Yamaha, Alvaro Bautista back with Ducati and Scott Redding now on a BMW, Rea’s rivals for season 2022 are numerous. While these three are expected to be the front runners, Rea will have an eye on many others, too.
“Is Toprak the guy to beat? Well, let’s see! You’d be silly to bet against him and I really feel that he starts as favourite. And I think that it really helps the preparations and the hype surrounding him and his future. I’m curious to see how he is going to perform in 2022. In WorldSBK, you never know.
“After Toprak, so many guys filled the podium in 2021, a lot of unexpected guys and a lot of race winners, it was incredible!
“I expect the same kind of season [this year]; rookies with more experience, factories learning more, rider changes such as Bautista to Ducati, Redding to BMW and also MotoGP riders coming into Honda. It’s all change!
“I’m sure that, after three or four rounds, we’ll understand the evolution of the Championship, but for me, I’m just focussed on myself. If I can do that, then I’ll be fighting for podiums and hopefully a little bit more.”
Retirement is coming – but when?
At 35, Rea is obviously closer to the end of his riding career than the start, so when Chaz Davies retired last year, Rea considered asking his longtime rival for advice on “the right time” to hang up the leathers.
“It was a strange feeling for me when Chaz retired. He's been my career rival and I almost wanted to go to Chaz and say, ‘Hey man, is this something that creeps up season-by-season, race-by-race, or does it just arrive one day and that’s it?’
“I know my time’s going to come, but I want to finish my way. As a motorcycle racer, that never happens, but I must say that the feeling [of looming retirement] isn’t around right now. It’s about winning, trying to do my best at Kawasaki and enjoying it too; it’s a lot of hard efforts in the off-season and for me at home. Also, for the team and the schedule, it’s a busy championship. If you’re not enjoying it, then it’d be the perfect time to step away but while there’s the possibility to win and you’re having fun, I’ll be lining up on the grid for sure.”
