Steve English On Jonathan Rea: Saying Goodbye To A Legend

There’s a difference between being the greatest and being the best. For much of Jonathan Rea’s career he was both. However, time waits on no man. Over the course of the last few years the vice-like grip that Rea held over WorldSBK weakened. His rivals, especially Toprak Razgatlioglu, took advantage of that and Rea’s results suffered as a result.

Ultimately, Rea’s decision to ride for Yamaha will be viewed as a mistake. One pole position and one podium finish isn’t what we expected to see from his tenure in blue. However, it’s also worth remembering that when he made his decision to leave Kawasaki that he didn’t believe he could win another title there. He was either going to leave or retire at the end of 2023 and ultimately his path led him to retirement in either case.

At his best Rea was a ferocious animal on the bike. He always appeared to be backed into a corner and fighting for every inch. His swashbuckling style was something to behold. His most recent victory, at the Czech Round in 2023, is a perfect case study of what made Rea special. In changeable conditions he seized his chance to win. Last time out in Hungary for the Superpole Race, the 1000th race in WorldSBK history, seemed tailor made for Rea. Mixed conditions and a narrow racing line was exactly what he needed. The magic just wasn’t there that day.

In the past that race was one where you could almost write Rea’s name on the winner’s trophy before the race had started. Now, his confidence isn’t what it was. An opportunity slipped through his hands without ever really having a chance to prove himself.