The departure of Jonathan Rea from Kawasaki at the end of the Superbike World Championship season was announced this morning, marking the end of a joint journey that began in 2015 and resulted in six titles. And despite moving to rival Pata Yamaha, the rider rejects the idea of a farewell.
The British rider began by expressing gratitude to Kawasaki, stating: ‘I want to thank everyone at KMC and KRT for believing in me and giving me the opportunity to prove myself at the highest level. I have learned and grown so much as a person and as a rider since the first day I climbed onto the factory Ninja ZX-10R superbike’.
Despite the various achievements, Rea emphasized that he takes with him much more than just results: ‘Winning six consecutive WorldSBK titles will always be the most obvious highlight of my time with Kawasaki, but there will also be fantastic memories, life lessons, and laughs that I will carry with me into the future. And, of course, it is our mission to finish the 2023 season as strong and committed as we have always shown. Looking back on our journey now, I am filled with pride at the joy and happiness we brought to Kawasaki fans and Kawasaki owners around the world’.
Finally, #65 emphasized that he is not saying goodbye for good: ‘This is not a goodbye, because you don’t say goodbye to family, but it is simply the end of an incredible chapter. I wish KRT the best of luck for the chapters that will surely follow. See you on the track’.
