Jonathan Rea seeks improvements to sustain title challenge against Ducati and Yamaha rivals

Bautista is on course to secure the world crown for the first time on the Aruba.it Ducati and currently holds an 82-point lead over Pata Yamaha’s Razgatlioglu with two rounds left.

Kawasaki rider Rea is another 16 points down in third spot and the 35-year-old is realistically now fighting for the championship runner-up position.

The Northern Ireland man dominated the series for six seasons after joining Kawasaki in 2015, winning the title each year until he was edged out in 2021 by Razgatlioglu in a thrilling battle that went down to the wire at the final round.

Rea, though, has fallen behind Bautista and Razgatliolgu this year and hasn’t won a race since he sealed a double at Estoril in Portugal back in May.

He has won a record 117 times in World Superbikes, but Rea’s strike rate this season has dipped markedly, with his five victories so far significantly less than he has managed in each of the past seven years.

In contrast, Bautista has won 14 times with Razgatlioglu chalking up 11 victories.

There are still six races remaining as Mandalika in Indonesia (November 11-13) and Phillip Island in Australia (November 18-20) host the final two rounds, when Rea will be fired up to finish off the campaign on a winning note.

However, he has made it clear that big improvements are needed in order to take the fight to Ducati and Yamaha in 2023 as Rea continues to chase a seventh world title.

“I’m disappointed with the situation we’re in and that we’re not competitive enough,” Rea said.

“However, it is what it is. Ducati and Alvaro and Yamaha and Toprak are doing an incredible job and we need to step up. It’s clear the areas we need to improve but we’re not touching the sides – it’s hard.

“We can’t have it all our own way, but I don’t feel like we have that reference anymore, which is good because I just hope everyone digs in and realises and reacts to it.

“This year, in some circuits, we’re fighting with our hands tied behind our back and that’s frustrating,” he added.

“Apart from that, I feel like I’m riding well and that everyone inside the box is doing their best, but we just can’t make the improvements we need.”

Rea did look the most likely winner of the Superpole race last time out at San Juan in Argentina until a mistake at Turn one ruined his prospects, allowing Razgatliolgu through into the lead.

Bautista, who also passed Rea for second place, admitted afterwards that his rival “would have won the race” without the costly error.

“If Jonny didn’t make the mistake, he’d have won the race; Jonny was stronger than Toprak and me,” Bautista said

“When Toprak was behind him, he was pushing so hard, whereas after Jonny made the mistake, the pace slowed down.”

Rea will hope for a repeat of his performance in Indonesia last year at the upcoming penultimate round, where he won twice at the new Mandalika International Street circuit.