SBK, Rea: "The Kawasaki has surprised me once again"

He wanted to make things crystal clear from the outset. Johnny Rea didn't hold back on day two of pre-season testing at Phillip Island, topping the timesheets with his Kawasaki. The Northern Irish rider set the best time of the day, but really stood out for his race pace which became clear when he completed a long run of 20 laps, with times consistently in the low 1’31"s.

Johnny, you've shown your potential once again here in Australia.

“I think I've been constantly competitive during these tests, we have a clear idea as to the path to take and the results demonstrate this. We've made some significant improvements here too, particularly in terms of pace”.

Melandri is just 0.030 behind. Does that worry you?

“This is one of the tracks where he's been very fast in the past, just like today. But the championship is long and there are many races on the calendar. Of course we need to be aware of Marco though, as his bike is as competitive as ours”.

What is the Kawasaki's strong point?  

“The engineers always listen to my feedback and are very quick to take action. There are still many things to improve, but we have defined the set-up. The engine and suspension are very high performing”.

Your race pace is impressive. Did you expect this?

“To tell the truth, no, the Kawasaki has amazed me once again. I was able to complete a long run, dividing it into two and the used tyres have me significant feedback. I'm confident for the race weekend”.

Do you think Melandri will be your direct rival in this opening championship round?

"I want to stay focused on what I'm doing, without thinking about other riders. My goal is to finish in front of them all”.