Jonathan Rea was declared unfit for the restart of Race 2 of the WSBK in Phillip Island, after his crash caused the race to be red-flagged. Regarding his condition, the rider said he is ‘physically well’, thanked his protective equipment, and regretted falling when he was making improvements, especially in terms of his confidence.
The six-time champion was evaluated at the medical center of the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, where he was deemed unfit due to multiple bruises and abrasions. However, he promptly returned to the pit box after the evaluation and later spoke about his condition: ‘First of all, I am physically well, I hit my hip hard in the accident, but I have no further injuries since Tuesday. It has been two big crashes this week, but I am still in one piece thanks to Alpinestars and Arai’.
The rider admitted to feeling frustrated as he was making good progress with his new bike: ‘I am very frustrated because the fall was a big surprise, it was when I was gaining confidence on the bike and feeling very good. I took advantage of the track when Toprak had engine problems and I was in a good position in the race, but as soon as I started to feel really confident, I fell’.
The goal now is to start over: ‘We just have to start from scratch, analyze everything, and try to improve the sensations for myself. We can see how competitive Loka [Andrea Locatelli] is and that we can get there – now I want to go home to regroup, reset, and come back stronger in Barcelona’.
