Jonathan Rea sees 'lots of positives' after Pata Yamaha World Superbike debut at post-season test in Spain

The Northern Ireland man has made the switch to the team after a stellar nine-year partnership with Kawasaki, during which time Rea became the most successful World Superbike rider in history.

The 36-year-old spent Monday meeting his new team and fine-tuning his riding position on the YZF-R1, but Rea was finally able to put the machine – kitted out in a special winter testing livery – through its paces at the Angel Nieto circuit before wet weather dampened spirits in the afternoon,.

Rea, who replaces fellow former world champion Toprak Razgatlioglu at Pata Yamaha for 2024, completed 12 laps in total and was fourth fastest depsite a minor crash when he hit a damp patch at Turn 13.

“It was fantastic to get the first laps on the R1 because you always have anticipation and maybe a preconception of how the bike’s going to be,” he said.

“I’ve been super-excited until this morning and then I got really nervous all of a sudden. I was thinking ‘can I be fast with the bike?’ or ‘what’s it going to feel like sitting on the bike during the bike fit?’

“I got comfortable but the position felt strange and I couldn’t imagine riding the bike. As soon as I exited pitlane, there were a lot of positives straight away I could take.

“We did three outings; the weather has been far from perfect. Even this morning, at a lot of corners, it was full of wet patches. Just before lunch, we got a lot of drizzle and then the track got soaked,” Rea added.

“We considered keeping the bike nice and dry for tomorrow and keeping with the test plan. Hopefully, the track can dry out tonight – maybe it’ll be a late start tomorrow – but it’s also important to ride in the wet.”

Rea finished third in this year’s championship behind Ducati’s Alvaro Bautista and 2021 champion Razgatlioglu, who left Yamaha to sign for the Shaun Muir-run factory BMW squad.

Australian Remy Gardner was fastest on the GRT Yamaha from Italy’s Michael Ruben Rinaldi, who has been confirmed the in the Motocorsa Racing Ducati team after losing his place in the factory squad to World Supersport champion Nicolo Bulega, who joins Bautista in the official squad.

Swiss rider Dominique Aegerter (GRT Yamaha) was third quickest ahead of Rea, who was just under half-a-second down on Gardner’s time.

Bautista, also a faller at Turn 13, was fifth fastest ahead of American Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW).

Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team) slotted into eighth ahead of World Superbike debutant Bulega, while Rea’s replacement in the factory Kawasaki team, Axel Bassani, rounded out the top ten.

Former MotoGP rider Andrea Iannone made his return to the sport after four years away. The Italian has joined the Team Go Eleven outfit to ride a Ducati and was 11th, two seconds off Gardner’s pace.

The test concludes at Jerez on Wednesday.