It’s official, Jonathan Rea will remain with Kawasaki Racing Team (KRT) after agreeing on a two-year deal, putting him at Team Green for the 2023 and 2024 WorldSBK Championship season.
- Rea agreed a two-year deal to remain with KRT.
- Rea currently sits second in the championship, just 17 pts behind Ducati’s Alvaro Bautista.
Despite some rumours suggesting that Rea might consider a WorldSBK future without Kawasaki, Rea – who previously confirmed that he might consider retiring – expressed his delight to continue his successful partnership with KRT.
“I am really happy and excited to renew my contract with Kawasaki, to roll on for two more years. It has been an incredible partnership; we have enjoyed so much success together that it is almost a natural progression.
“There was not much negotiation needed to continue together from both sides. It was more a case of how much more motivation I had to keep racing at the highest level in the WorldSBK Championship.
“It has been an incredible few seasons; more competitive than ever. I have realised how motivated I am to continue and to continue fighting to win. Kawasaki gave me the opportunity back in 2015 to realise a childhood dream when I won the WorldSBK championship in the first year together.
“As a partnership we are so solid, and I am looking forward to continuing to make memories and representing an incredible manufacturer and brand,” said the six-time WorldSBK champion.
Kawasaki dominated the WorldSBK after winning its first title in two decades with the success of Tom Sykes in 2013; however, Rea’s dominance took the team to a new level of greatness, winning six straight titles comfortably.
Although coming up against a younger foe with Toprak Razgatlioglu claiming the 2021 title, Rea has come out swinging in 2022, taking five wins which put him in a title fight with Razgatlioglu and Ducati’s Alvaro Bautista.
