At the WSBK test in Barcelona, Jonathan Rea has new hope: The Yamaha newcomer is within striking distance of the top
After the false start at the WSBK season opener in Australia (which happened), Jonathan Rea made an impressive comeback this week. At the test in Barcelona (see test report), Rea only lost 0.6 seconds on the best time and maintained his position in the top 5
This made Rea faster than his Yamaha brand colleagues. Team-mate Andrea Locatelli, who was by far the best Yamaha rider in Australia, was 0.067 seconds slower than Rea.
The result from the Barcelona test makes life easier for Rea, who did not finish in the points in any of the three races in Australia and retired from the weekend with a heavy highsider in race two
Victories not yet realistic according to Jonathan Rea, but podiums are
He is aiming for podiums at the European opener in Barcelona. He was less than two tenths of a second off the top three at the test. “I want to finish three races and score good points,” he says, looking ahead to the second WSBK event of the season.
“To compete for victory here, we need some improvements. I have the feeling that we can fight for a podium,” muses Rea. The support of his new team impresses the Northern Irishman, who enjoys the full backing of team manager Paul Denning
Great praise for Paul Denning and his team
“Paul Denning has been great since I joined,” says a delighted Rea. “With the problems and results we had at Phillip Island, you’d think people would be a bit down.”
“That’s where I felt the strength of my previous team. When you think you’re going nowhere, people look to you because you make the difference,” noted Rea.
“This team is fantastic, it’s the same or even better because the people are behind you and Paul is an integral part of that atmosphere,” says Rea. “He always gets involved, wants to know what’s going on. That’s nice.”
“It’s always nice to please the boss. You feel a bit like a dog: you always want to please your owner. It’s the same as a motorcyclist, you always want to please your team boss and your crew chief and make people happy. I basically feel like a dog,” jokes Rea.
