A twist in WorldSBK: Jonathan Rea stays in the championship, but in a new and unprecedented role with a new team. Here are the words of the most successful rider in history.
No one could imagine a Superbike without Rea — and indeed, it won’t happen. On August 25, the Northern Irish rider announced his retirement from racing: after 17 seasons, six consecutive world titles, 119 victories, and 264 podiums, competing without being able to remain competitive led Rea to decide to stop.
However, as he himself had stated, that decision did not represent a farewell to motorcycling, but merely the closing of a chapter. Today, his future plans have been revealed: Jonathan Rea will become a test rider for Honda on the SBK side. The six-time world champion will work on developing the new CBR1000RR-R, which will be raced by Jake Dixon and Somkiat Chantra in 2026.
Jonathan Rea’s words
“From the moment HRC shared their plans and the role they envisioned for me, I immediately felt excited to understand how I could contribute. Returning to Honda feels like coming full circle, as it’s the manufacturer with which I started racing in WorldSBK and achieved my first wins.
Even though my role will be quite different from what I was used to as a full-time rider, I’m very motivated to begin this new chapter. My goal is to bring all the experience and knowledge I’ve gained throughout my career and use them to support the development of the CBR1000RR-R and the official Honda HRC team in the best possible way.
I’m also happy to work again with Chris Pike, the Honda test team’s project manager and my former crew chief, with whom I share great memories and mutual respect. Working together as a team,
Yuji Mori’s words
The Honda HRC Team Manager commented on Rea’s arrival: “We are very happy to welcome Jonathan back into the Honda WorldSBK project and the Honda family. Having the greatest WorldSBK rider of all time with us as an HRC test rider is very important for all of us — and, we believe, for the Championship as well.
Jonathan’s international career began with Honda, and seeing him return with the wealth of experience and knowledge he has acquired makes this collaboration very meaningful. It highlights our total and ongoing commitment to the Superbike project. His contribution will play a key role as we continue to develop our program and work to bring Honda back to the level we are aiming for in the Championship.”
Photo: WorldSBK, Jonathan Rea
