Since 2009 the outright protagonist of SBK, as well as the greatest ever in the category with no less than six world titles to his name, Jonathan Rea has decided to take a step back and in 2026 he will transition to the role of test rider for Honda, the brand that launched him among the bigtime and with which he wanted to set himself up again after announcing his retirement from racing competition.
Protagonist of a 2025 that to call full of trials and tribulations is an understatement between crashes, injuries and a confidence that never arrived with his Yamaha R1, the Northern Irishman revealed what led him to decide to quit.
"I found this decision's crept up quite quickly. Actually, I felt like a character in a game that was going to die. I was quite worried and sad about that, but I realized that character will still live, but in a different game," were his words as reported by Crashnet.
Despite a couple of one-off appearances in MotoGP in 2012 with the Tokyo manufacturer, the 38-year-old has spent a large part of his career among the factory derived Superbike championship. "Thank you to Superbike. They've given me so much in my career, but it also takes a lot away from you as well. There's a lot of tough moments. I've lost friends and colleagues and endured lots of time in A&E and hospital rooms, which makes the decision to walk away much easier, so I'm looking forward to my life coming at a much slower pace, spending time with my family, enjoying the next new challenge," he concluded.
In spite of these resolutions, the former Kawasaki rider will soon be back on the track. Barring any twists and turns, the first appointment should be the SBK Jerez test set for January 21 and 22. After that we should see him back on the bike in races at the Portimao and Donington rounds.