The team of Motosan had the opportunity to interview Jonathan Rea, the new six-time crowned Superbike World Champion. The Kawasaki rider analyzed how the 2020 season went and let it be known that he will be competing for some time to come.
2020 is an unusual year. Strange in the sense that a global pandemic has broken out into everyone's daily lives, claiming many lives. For World Superbike riders, there was no alternative but to fight within the new normal. Jonathan Rea (Ballymena, United Kingdom), continued this normality in his own domain: he magnified his achievement with a new crown, the sixth in a row.
The Northern Irish rider, associated with his Kawasaki, was once again crowned WorldSBK world champion, this time at the final event of the season at Estoril. His career has been rewritten. Jonathan Rea symbolizes the legend in this championship and remains, by far, the rider who has won the greatest number of world titles in the history of World Superbike.
While fiery drivers were eager to break the hold Rea had imposed on them for five years, he showed once again that his championship statistics are still on track. 99 victories, 185 podiums, a record number of points and a future of Superbike which seems not to be possible without the six-time world champion.
What is your general vision for the 2020 season (taking into account the consequences of the pandemic, its effects on the calendar and daily life in the paddock)?
“In 2020 it was very difficult for everyone, especially at the start of the season when we realized we might not have a championship. We were very lucky because Dorna and all the circuits had a season. To be honest, we've had more races than I expected, and day-to-day life in the paddock has been very different. Everyone wears masks, no hospitality, all spaces are ventilated when eating. It was hard, and especially the strangest thing was when we had a good result: the team was very far away! For me, the atmosphere was bad, but in the end we had a championship and that's what matters the most. »
Regarding the competition part, what differences have you noticed compared to last season?
“As far as competition is concerned, it’s like every season, you have to adapt to changing conditions. The season was much more intense from a calendar perspective. We had a lot of back-to-back races, and from August to October we raced almost every weekend or every other weekend. So we had to stay very focused, not make mistakes or get injured. »
What was the easiest and hardest thing for you this season?
“The hardest part of the season was definitely the travel. Moving around the world during the pandemic has been difficult. My team demanded a regulation that all members inside the zone had to be tested by PCR. So we had to be super attentive during each race, but in the end it became normal. The easiest thing of the season was the weekend schedule, because there were no pitlane tours for fans, no show in the paddock, no media, attendance was really low. To be honest, there was a lot of free time over the weekend compared to what we normally have. I missed the fans, but it was easy schedule-wise. »
Scott Redding was your main rival for the championship. What was a bigger challenge for you, Bautista – Ducati or Redding – Ducati?
“It's very difficult to compare Bautista and Redding because they have been very different and I don't want to talk about it in a negative way. Bautista started the season much stronger than Scott. He kept his lead in the Championship and then made a lot of mistakes. And on the other hand, Scott didn't make many mistakes, but he needed time to understand the V4 R. It may not be the perfect bike for him. It's a bike that suits smaller riders like Álvaro or Rinaldi, but to the extent that it's a bigger challenge, it's more difficult.
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Did you feel more pressure because there were fewer points difference with the second-placed team (Redding) and did you ever think about the possibilities of losing the title?
“First of all, I never really thought I would lose the title. In Australia, I was very disappointed to have crashed in the first race, but mentally I recovered very quickly and was able to win the second race. At that time we thought it would be a long 13 race season, but that has changed. The fact is that Scott was more consistent than Álvaro but, second point, it was a championship of 8 races instead of 13, so it would be almost impossible to achieve the same points difference with so few races, and yes , I tried to think positively. »
Have you seen greater equality between factories this season?
« The biggest difference this year is that Yamaha has taken a good step forward with its two riders, Van der Mark and Toprak, whereas in the past it was more difficult for them to be there every weekend . Baz and Gerloff were also in the fray, so that was the biggest difference. The fight had always taken place between Ducati and Kawasaki but not Yamaha until now. »
Do you see any strong opponents, or who could stand out, for next season?
“About the new season, it’s still very difficult to say now if Scott is going to be there and progress. Toprak finished the season very strong… We will have to wait and see. »
How many titles do you think you can aspire to? How long do you think you can be competitive?
“I feel like I can be competitive for many seasons. My body is in good condition, as is my mind, and I feel ready to face the coronavirus situation for a very long time. I was able to recharge my mind and it gave me a lot more motivation. I don't know how long, I don't want to limit my career, but I feel like I can still race to win more world titles. »
Do you think you could have achieved the 100th victory at Estoril? Even so, you are the rider with the most victories in Superbike history…
“After qualifying, it was very difficult, because starting from 15th position has been difficult. Maybe it wasn't the perfect tour for us because we didn't test it there. We never had the opportunity to get a perfect setup, whereas now we have a lot more information and we can be strong next year. »
Do you have other goals to achieve, or personal challenges?
« My big goal now is to achieve a hundred victories in SBK, it's very close but that's it. Also improve my feelings, continue to enjoy the races and not hurt myself. »
Read the original article on MotosanGP.com
Photo: WorldSBK.com
