Thread Modes Jonathan Rea ‘needed change’ to enhance title prospects

Malcolm Administrator Posts: 20,579 Threads: 18,390 Joined: Oct 2005 Reputation: 0 #1 Jonathan Rea ‘needed change’ to enhance title prospects Ulster’s Jonathan Rea said his desire to mount a serious challenge for the World Superbike Championship sparked his decision to end his career-long association with Honda. The 27-year-old finished third overall in the series this year in the Ten Kate-managed Pata Honda team but felt a change of manufacturer was required to enhance his prospects of lifting the crown. Rea, who made his full World Superbike debut in 2009, is now a factory Kawasaki rider, joining the KRT squad alongside 2013 champion Tom Sykes to ride the Ninja ZX-10R next year. The Isle of Man-based Northern Ireland star – who was prevented from speaking about his new deal until December 1 under the terms of his old contract – said: “I have been trying for many years to win the championship and it has never happened. I sat down during the year with the people most close to me and we knew that if I wanted to achieve a world championship I could not just cross my fingers and try again. “I had to make a change to expect a different outcome. In the last three seasons Kawasaki has had a very competitive bike,” he added. “Also with the new rules for 2015 it was important to be in line with a factory team that would develop the bike through the year. “The deal happened very early. It was hard to contain my excitement at the deal so early because we could not talk about it for a long, long time. The deal was quite straightforward in itself so there was not too much selling of the point on either side,” Rea said. “It was a case of we both want to do this so let’s get the deal done.” Rea immediately impressed on the 2015-spec Kawasaki in testing and headed the times last Wednesday at Jerez in the dry, although he admits he has merely ‘scratched the surface’ with the potential of the machine, which is being developed to meet new technical rules due to be introduced next season. “My first impressions are positive. It is very user friendly and easy to ride. The power is very linear on the bike. We are scratching the surface now with development,” he said. “The 2015 technical rules in WSBK are quite different from before so in some ways we are starting at a zero point. “The new rules are more basic, more in line with the standard Ninja ZX-10R that the customer can buy from a shop. That is good but it also means some limitations for us in terms of a race machine. “With the team round me I feel really good. The atmosphere in the box is cool. They are looking after me really well, not just at the circuit but also outside the circuit,” he added. “There is a lot of emphasis on taking care of an athlete for example. That brings a new meaning to being part of a family. “I am really excited to represent Kawasaki as a factory rider, and also to be part of this successful team, so I am excited.” Looking ahead to 2015, Rea is confident he is better positioned than ever to scale the World Superbike Championship summit, both in terms of the machinery at his disposal and in his approach mentally. “Maybe when I first joined the world championship the package was ready, but I wasn’t. But I feel now that I am ready,” he said. “We need to get the best out of the bike and we will see.” 02-12-2014, 01:14 PM Website Find Reply

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