Record World Champion Jonathan Rea talks exclusively about the situation in WSBK and MotoGP and fears that manufacturers are questioning their projects
The Japanese motorbike manufacturers are currently experiencing difficult times. In MotoGP, Honda and Yamaha dominated the action for many years, then completely slipped down the sporting ladder within a few years. Even top-10 results are often a hurdle for the Japanese factory teams that are used to success. And in the World Superbike Championship, too, there are signs that the Japanese manufacturers are facing some difficult years. We spoke exclusively to record champion Jonathan Rea about this development.
“It’s worrying,” notes Rea, who hopes the Japanese have the strength to make a fresh start. The British rider fears that the manufacturers will not invest huge sums of money in order to ride behind: “It’s about keeping the other manufacturers interested. I could imagine that there are manufacturers who decide to stop. “
“There are huge budgets involved in MotoGP. I can well imagine that people would think twice about investing many millions of euros a year to be defeated and listen to derogatory comments from their own riders. A way has to be found to make the show better,”
European manufacturers are doing a “better job “
according to Jonathan Rea.
Ducati is currently setting the pace in the World Superbike Championship with the Panigale V4R. Compared to the superbikes of the Japanese manufacturers, the Panigale has significantly more power, draws inspiration from the MotoGP bike and appears more modern.
“You could argue that this is a championship based on production bikes. But in MotoGP, the Japanese manufacturers are also struggling. And in MotoGP, the manufacturers have the freedom to do anything. They can build a new chassis at any time. But the European engineers do a much better job,” notes Rea.
Ducati takes back-to-back victories in both MotoGP and World Superbike. “It worries me that the races have become a bit boring. The bottom line is that it’s all about the show,” notes Rea.
“We are here to put on a show for the fans,” clarifies the six-time World Superbike Champion, looking back: “When I won with Kawasaki I had Chaz Davies, Tom Sykes, Toprak and Redding breathing down my neck. Everyone knows how it goes now. Ducati also dominates in the other paddock. Their customer bikes are also very strong. “
Will MotoGP and WSBK be curbed?
One way out of the crisis would be to limit performance, according to Rea. MotoGP has become too fast anyway and is reaching the limits of safety at some tracks. If MotoGP is cutting back on performance, then of course the World Superbike Championship has to follow.
“You should limit the performance. The bikes have become far too fast. We don’t need 250 or 260 hp here in the World Superbike Championship,” Rea is convinced.
