Jonathan Rea: “Kawasaki and I are like Valentino Rossi and Yamaha - but I needed something new”

Rea and Kawasaki is the most successful rider-team combination in WorldSBK h♈🌊istory, after they amassed six championships together.
But they are entering t🦂heir final ro꧂und together this weekend at the 2023 finale in Jerez.
“I needed something new,” Rea told .
“I🧔 felt t🌌oo motivated and energised to quit, and at the same time I wanted a new challenge to face.
“It is difficult to desc🍷ribe the situ𒐪ation from the inside.
“I don'🏅t know if it's the end of an era, also because my name and that of Kawasaki will always be linked in some way. ཧ;
“This is a great chapter in my life, which is now comin🐲g to an end.
“Kawasaki and I will be a bit like Rossi and Yamaha, from the point of view of the relationship over♐ time."

Rea will join Yamaha, inheriting Toprak Razgatlıoglu’s seat, i☂n 2024.
“I had many alternatives in mind, among the opꩲtions there was also retirement,” Rea admitted.
“I had also thought about it in the past, for example after my first title: at the time, talking to some friends, I said 'I w🐎on a title, my life is complete'.
“Racing, though, is my passion and things go fast, so year after year I always thought about the next one, an♋d now I'm still here.
“In 2023 things didn't start well, so I thought about retiring again, but the opportunity to change was mor✅e convincing."
Rea was asked if he will bring cr♑ew chief Pere Riba with him to Yamaha, but replied: "I don't know, for the moment I've only discussed my future."
Rea’s Kawasaki sea💯t will go to Axel Bassani next season.
“I learned of his signature an hour before the release of the💖 press release,” Rea said.
“For him this is a great chance, after all we are talking about an o✱๊fficial team.
꧒“We met that same evening in the Portimao paddock.
“I told him that he will be dealing with a group of wonderful peopleꦯ. He will also have a lot of wo𓃲rk to do, that's for sure, but I wish him the best."