Pata Honda’s Jonathan Rea feels his brace of eighth place finishes at Phillip Island on Sunday are not reflective of ‘where we deserve to be’.
Rea has been struggling to find a clear way forward with a new electronics system on his Honda Fireblade during pre-season testing, although the Northern Ireland man believes a breakthrough is finally in sight.
He finished behind his new teammate, Leon Haslam, in the Ten Kate operated Honda team in race one, but turned the tables in the second race as Haslam could only manage tenth position after he lost vital seconds when he was baulked by an incident involving Chaz Davies and Loris Baz on the first lap.
Rea, who finished fifth overall in the World Superbike Championship last season, did not enjoy the start he wanted in Australia as he bids to launch a challenge for an elusive world crown and hopes to make progress at a three-day test at Aragon in Spain ahead of the second round there on April 14.
“It’s been a strange weekend, and it’s frustrating for us all to look at the classifications and see where we are because I don’t feel that it’s a true reflection of where we deserve to be,” said the 26-year-old.
“On the other side of that, it’s clear how much effort we’re going to have to put in to make the electronics better.
“It’s our main problem right now because back at the team’s workshop we found a little bit of power for the engine for this event and I know there’s another plan to develop that.
“It’s clear we need to make a couple of steps forward and bypass where we where with the electronics last year,” he added.
“I feel there’s a light at the end of the tunnel though because I’ve already got some positive feelings with the new system.
“There are just a few inconsistencies when getting on the throttle with the traction control cutting in and holding back the engine.
“Two finishes is always the aim for the first race, but we leave here still with work to do.”
Comments