SBK, Johnny Rea hunting for breakthrough in 2025: will new engine be enough?

On Saturday, the legends were out, while Sunday was all for the present-day riders. One of the most eagerly-awaited events at EICMA was the Champions Charity Race, or the flat track pursuit race with direct elimination, the proceeds of which were donated to Abio, the association for hospitalized children.

Winning all the spotlights in the final round was Johnny Rea who got the best of the Italian Supermoto Champion, Elia Sanmartin on a Honda. So Sunday's victory  remains the Cannibal's only seasonal affirmation, as he reaches the end of a complicated 2024, to say the least.

If on the one hand, there were injuries, on the other, there was a love affair with Yamaha that hasn't yet fourished, yet, he's hoping all this will be postponed until 2025. The fact is that in Tuesday the 26th and Wednesday the 27th, Johnny will be busy with the two-day test on the R1 at Jerez.

One of the innovations the Japanese manufacturer is presenting is an engine that, due to the Superconcessions, should offer more power, allowing the R1 to have additional cards to play against a competition that has really raised the bar. We'll see what the road mapped out in Jerez will be and whether or not the expected breakthrough will take place in 2025.