The six-ꦇtime WorldSBK champion has not won a race so farཧ this season and has subsequently endured his worst start to a season with Kawasaki since 2015. 

Rea has remained competitive by often out-performiꦦng his machine, however, those same brilliant performances have resulted in third or fourth place results, as opposed to wins like i༺n previous seasons?

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While Rea has still been more competitive than nearly the entire WorldSBK grid in 2023, his lack of sustained success beca🦹me difficult to accept to the poi♊nt where thoughts about retirement were even had. 

"I’ve thought♍ about retiring," Rea told . "When you find it hard to be really competitive, I start🌜ed to ask myself. I started to have those questions. 

"It’s tough because people question what I’m doing here, ‘he’s done enough’ or ‘why does he keep turning up?’ but right now it’s at that point where I still really believe in the programme I’m iꦡn. 

"Hopefully we can find the way. I’m so motivated to win. I want to win again. I feel like I have so much more left to🔯 give. I feel like I’m riding in the best shape I ever have. 

"I’m really busting my a🦹ss every lap. Right now, it seems far because it’s hard to be competitive but if you really believe that it’s possi🌞ble, why not work?"

Instead of retiring, Rea will be in WorldSBK until the end of 2024 at least, as he still🐼 believes he can win races.

"I don’t have much else," continued Rea. "I’ve got my wife and kids at home but, aside from racing motorbikes, I h𓂃ave nothing. It’s my life. 𝔍It’s all I’ve known since I was a kid, and I haven’t allowed myself to think what comes after. 

"Until that day comes where I don’t feel like I can be competitive, or m🐈aybe I’m n🎀ot enjoying things in the same way, maybe I’ll think about walking away. 

"When 𓆏you’re not winning, you must take enjoyment from other areas and that’s to♋ugh. I’ve been through it. 

"I’m starting to learn to set sma𒉰ller targets. Don’t just become obsessed about winning🔯. Find ways to keep motivated."