Rea to travel to Italy 'with intention of riding'
Jonathan Rea is to travel to the fourth round of the World Superbike Championship at Cremona in Italy "with the intention of riding", his Pata Yamaha team has revealed.The Northern Ireland rider missed the first three rounds of the 2025 series at Phillip Island in Australia, Portimao in Portugal and Assen in the Netherlands after sustaining multiple fractures to his left foot in a crash while testing in February.Rea subsequently had successful surgery in Belfast and has been continuing his recovery at home.An update issued by his team indicated that the six-time world champion was to return "after consultation with his medical team in Northern Ireland, travelling to Cremona with the intention of riding pending official review with the FIM Medical Director on Thursday".The statement added that Rea "had left no stone unturned in his efforts to recover as quickly as possible from the injuries sustained to his left foot at the Phillip Island Official Test in February".The 38-year-old said he was "super excited" to be on the brink of a return to action."It feels like a really long couple of months, but in the last 3-4 weeks I've maximised regaining strength and function of my left foot," he explained. The injury was a lot more serious than first expected and I just want to thank everybody that was behind me to get back on track, especially the fans and all the messages of encouragement. "I feel confident and ready – Cremona is a track that I haven't raced at before but I was able to spin a few laps in testing last season. I'm just so happy to be back with my team and riding my Yamaha R1."Rea is in his second season with his Yamaha team after a disappointing campaign in 2024 which saw him finish 13th overall in the standings and secure a solitary podium finish at the UK round of the championship at Donington.
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BBC News
11 hours ago
- BBC News
Rea 12th as Razgatlioglu wins Misano Superbike opener
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Belfast Telegraph
a day ago
- Belfast Telegraph
Frustrated Jonathan Rea admits he has lots to do after early struggles at Misano
The Ulster rider missed much of the first free practice session at the Marco Simoncelli Circuit after his Pata Maxus Yamaha R1 developed an electrical issue. Rea squeezed in a lap at the end of FP1 but there was more frustration in the afternoon when the 38-year-old was unable to make much progress with the set-up of the machine. He finished 18th after the opening day, 1.715s down on pacesetter and championship leader Nicolo Bulega ( Ducati). Rea is now aiming to make up for lost time in final practice and qualifying on Saturday ahead of the opening race of the weekend at 1.00pm. 'Tough start to my day which put us on the back foot because we had a technical problem in the morning that kept me in the box,' Rea said. 'Fortunately, the mechanics worked incredibly hard and I was able to get a lap at the end of the session to verify the bike was okay and give us some confidence to move on in the afternoon. 'Unfortunately, FP2 we didn't make much progress with the set-up as temperatures rose and the track felt different, a bit greasy, and I really struggled with a lot of chatter and understeer. 'It was hard to be precise, I couldn't stop like I want to and be on the correct part of the circuit. 'I tried to take a wheel to understand what other riders were doing, but the more I tried, the worse it got. 'Definitely room for improvement tomorrow and very disappointed with today.' Rea made his return from injury at Cremona in Italy last month after missing the first three rounds following a crash in testing at Phillip Island in Australia. He is out of contract at Yamaha this year and is reported to be seeking a deal with a different manufacturer for 2026. Rea is the most successful rider in World Superbike history, winning the title in six successive years between 2015 and 2020. After leaving Kawasaki, he has struggled to find the same form at Yamaha and finished last year in 13th in the standings, with his best result a third place at Donington Park. Italian Bulega, last year's title runner-up, was 0.190s faster than reigning champion Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad) yesterday, with Alvaro Bautista ( Ducati) in third. Bulega leads the championship by 31 points from Razgatlioglu going into round six and is bidding to win the crown for the first time in only his second season in World Superbikes. Razgatlioglu, meanwhile, is set to make the move to the MotoGP World Championship next year with the Pramac Yamaha team and is determined to retain the title for BMW before taking on a new challenge next year. 'On one side, I feel sad; on the other, I'm so happy,' said Razgatlioglu, whose crew chief is Northern Ireland man Phil Marron. 'I'm sad because I feel like World Superbike is part of my family. I know everyone, 'I'm really happy with the paddock. This paddock is relaxed, and everyone is friendly. 'Moving to MotoGP as a three-time World Superbike champion is my biggest dream for this year. 'We're still fighting for the title with Bulega and we're not so far behind, just 31 points. I hope we get the title this year. 'This is my last year with BMW, and I need to give something to them before I move to MotoGP.' On Sunday, the Superpole race is at 10.00am with Race Two at 1.00pm.
Reuters
4 days ago
- Reuters
Twice Superbike champ Razgatlioglu to ride for Pramac in MotoGP in 2026
June 10 (Reuters) - Twice World Superbike champion Toprak Razgatlioglu will make the switch to MotoGP in 2026 after agreeing to join the Prima Pramac Racing team, Yamaha announced on Tuesday. Razgatlioglu, the first Turkish Superbike world champion who is known for his showmanship and has 63 wins, won his first title with Yamaha in 2021 before making the switch to BMW, winning the title again in 2024. Pramac made the switch from Ducati bikes to Yamaha this season. Razgatlioglu is currently second in the 2025 Superbike championship. "Toprak, the most victorious Yamaha rider of all time in Superbike, has proven to be an exceptional talent, securing the WorldSBK Title twice, which is no mean feat," Paolo Pavesio, the managing director of Yamaha Racing, said in a statement. "His transition to MotoGP is both a 'homecoming' and an exciting new challenge that's been set up with the clear goal of progressive growth over time." Razgatlioglu had previously tested the Yamaha bike in 2023. Pramac currently have Jack Miller and Miguel Oliveira as their riders this season, with Yamaha saying the 2026 lineup will be confirmed in due course. Current WorldSBK leader Nicolo Bulega is also set to join Ducati's MotoGP test team next year ahead of a potential switch in 2027 when MotoGP's new regulations come into effect.
