Jonathan Rea: 2015 eni FIM Superbike World Champion

The Pirelli Spanish Round has gone down in history as the WorldSBK race meeting at which Jonathan Rea was crowned World Champion of 2015. The British rider, standard bearer of the Kawasaki Racing Team, clinched the ultimate goal in Race 1 courtesy of his fourth position. He has been pursuing the title since his first full campaign in 2009.

Rea first mounted the all-conquering Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R at MotorLand Aragon on 17 November 2014, supported all the way by Team Manager and former rider Guim Roda. The Northern Irishman arrived in Malaysia at the start of August already with a mathematic chance of claiming the title, despite three rounds still remaining of the 13. After Race 1 at Jerez, he has now won 12 races this year and picked up 20 podium finishes from the first 21 races. He is chasing Doug Polen’s 1991 record of 17 race victories in one season, which can now only be equalled.

Since the inauguration of WorldSBK in 1988, Rea is the third rider to win the crown on a Kawasaki motorcycle. The first was American Scott Russell in 1993, while the next was Rea’s current team-mate Tom Sykes two decades later. Rea has also become the first different World Champion in as many years (with the last five titles having been sealed by Carlos Checa, Max Biaggi, Tom Sykes and Sylvain Guintoli) and the fifth British World Champion after Carl Fogarty, Neil Hodgson, James Toseland and the aforementioned Tom Sykes.

Although Rea’s raw talent has never been questioned over the past six seasons, it wasn’t until the 28-year-old from Ballymena rode the green bike that his maximum potential could be extracted. All the while off the track, the humble Briton has remained a professional, unassuming human being, rider, husband and father. He currently resides on the Isle of Man.

Biography

Date of birth 2 February 1987
Place of birth Ballymena, Northern Ireland

Career

Race starts in World Superbike 161
Pole positions 6
Wins 27
Podiums 62
Fastest laps 19

First race Algarve/1, 2008
First pole Assen, 2010
First win Misano/2, 2009
First podium Kyalami/2, 2009
First fastest lap Nurburgring/2, 2009

Career path

2015 World Superbike: Kawasaki Racing Team, 1st, 465 points (12 wins, 20 podiums, 2 poles, 9 fastest laps)

2014 World Superbike: Pata Honda World Superbike Team, 3rd, 334 points (4 wins, 9 podiums, 1 pole, 2 fastest laps)

FIM Endurance (EWC): F.C.C. TSR Honda

2013 World Superbike: Pata Honda World Superbike Team, 9th, 176 points (1 win, 4 podiums, 1 fastest lap)

FIM Endurance: F.C.C. TSR Honda

2012 World Superbike: Honda World Superbike Team, 5th, 278.5 points (2 wins, 6 podiums)
MotoGP: Repsol Honda Team, 2 races, 21st, 17 points

2011 World Superbike: Castrol Honda, 9th, 170 points (2 wins, 5 podiums, 2 poles)

2010 World Superbike: Hannspree Ten Kate Honda, 4th, 292 points (4 wins, 10 podiums, 1 pole, 5 fastest laps)

2009 World Superbike: Hannspree Ten Kate Honda, 5th, 315 points (2 wins, 8 podiums, 2 fastest laps)

2008 World Supersport: Hannspree Ten Kate Honda, 2nd, 164 points (3 wins, 6 podiums)

World Superbike: Hannspree Ten Kate Honda Jr., 2 races, 26th, 14 points

2007 British Superbike: HM Plant Honda, 2nd, 407 points (5 wins, 16 podiums, 4 poles, 5 fastest laps)

2006 British Superbike: Red Bull Honda, 4th, 248 points (4 podiums, 2 poles)

2005 British Superbike: Red Bull Honda, 16th, 64 points (1 pole)

FIM Superbike