Six World Championships. 17 seasons at the highest level. A record tally of race starts, race wins, podiums, points, fastest laps and titles... Jonathan Rea’s career as a full-time rider in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship was second to no one, evidenced by the never-ending list of achievements associated to his time in the series. But the numbers only tell a part of the story.
The struggles, the setbacks, the perseverance, the support… That is what makes Rea, for many, the GOAT. Releasing today, ‘The Greatest’ aims to tell that side of the story.
This documentary series consists of six episodes chronicling the career of the six-time World Champion, each between 10 and 15 minutes in length. Featuring 18 exclusive interviews, including family members, mentors, friends and foes alike, as well as Rea himself, ‘The Greatest’ grants an in-depth view into some of the highlights of the #65’s legendary WorldSBK career.
FROM UPSTART TO LEGEND
The journey begins in late 2007, with a 20-year-old starlet fresh off British Superbike success walking into the office of Ronald Ten Kate, boss of the self-named title-winning team, and requesting a ride in the World Superbike Championship. Although his demands weren’t initially met, it didn’t take long for the Honda squad and the entire paddock to realise that Jonathan Rea’s ambition was on par with his talent. Episode 1, Instant Impact, takes us through Rea’s seven-year stint on Honda machinery, all the way up to his decisive move to Kawasaki in late 2014.
The seven years as Honda’s rising star were followed by nearly a decade as the man to beat in WorldSBK. Chapters 2 through 4 focus on three of the main challengers that Rea faced throughout his time racing for Kawasaki. Episode 2, Rivalry, dives into the first four years of that journey and the tense feud with main Championship contender Chaz Davies. Northern Ireland versus Wales, Kawasaki versus Ducati, and a host of scraps on and off the track.
THE ORIGINS OF THE TITANIC TRIO
Episode 3, Resilience, tells the tale of perhaps Rea’s most outstanding title: 2019, against the seemingly unbeatable duo of newcomer Alvaro Bautista and the Ducati Panigale V4. A title won against all odds; or as the #65 himself puts it, “a story of never giving up”. Episode 4, Respect, on the other hand, walks us through the season in which the six-time World Champion finally met his match in Toprak Razgatlioglu. From the Turkish rider’s first steps onboard a Kawasaki, mentored by Rea, all the way through to that sublime 2021 WorldSBK season in which the Northern Irishman was finally defeated.
A MORE INTIMATE LOOK INTO THE LIFE OF THE #65
The fifth episode takes a step back off the track and into the personal side of Jonathan Rea. Episode 5, Behind the 65, lends a voice to those who have supported Rea along this journey, from his closest family to the crew that aided him to six world titles, and answer the question: what makes the #65 tick?
The story behind episode 6, The Last Chapter, is fairly self-explanatory: Jonathan Rea’s final throw of the dice, the bold move to Yamaha which, unfortunately, yielded little more than bad luck, a string of crashes and injuries, frustration, and a general sense of “what could have been”. A frustrating spell which, nonetheless, did nothing to tarnish the #65’s unparalleled career, or diminish the outpour of respect received as Rea announced the end of his career as a full-time rider in WorldSBK.
‘The Greatest’ is now available to watch in full on WorldSBK VideoPass – subscribe now at 50% off!