New Honda HRC test rider Jonathan Rea confident of 'making a step' as World Superbike testing continues this week at Portimao
Jonathan Rea will be back on track this week at Portimao in Portugal as the six-time World Superbike champion continues his new role as a test rider for Honda HRC.
The second official WSBK test of 2026 is the penultimate shakedown ahead of the opening round at Phillip Island in Australia from February 20-22.
Last week’s test at Jerez in Spain was hit by wet weather and riders will be hoping for better weather on Wednesday and Thursday after only managing a few hours’ dry track time at Jerez, although there is rain in the forecast at Portimao this week.
Rea will again be joined by fellow Honda HRC test rider Tetsuta Nagashima and new signing Jake Dixon, whose team-mate Somkiat Chantra will again be absent after the WSBK rookie fractured his right arm in a pre-season training crash at Sepang in Malaysia. The Thai rider could also be doubtful for the first round in Australia in less than a month’s time.
Northern Ireland’s Rea, who announced his retirement from full-time racing last year, was the fastest Honda rider at Jerez, where he completed 50 laps.
The 38-year-old says he is still adjusting the factory Fireblade and admitted he is “nowhere near” his full potential on the bike.
“For me, it was understanding the bike, understanding its potential and trying to ride it to its full potential because with 50 laps on the bike, I’m still nowhere near where we need to be,” said Rea.
“I have a positive feeling, the bike gave me a lot of good sensations that I’ve been missing, let’s say, but there’s also areas that we have to improve and from my experience, and the technical crew, both in the team and at HRC, we can put our minds together and really try to make a step.”
Italy’s Nicolo Bulega, runner-up in last year’s championship behind Toprak Razgatlioglu, topped the times at Jerez on the new 2026 Ducati V4R from Briton Alex Lowes (bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team).
Reigning champions ROKiT BMW Motorrad have opted to sit out the test to save their testing allocation for better forecasted days.
The team has signed Miguel Oliveira and Danilo Petrucci this year in a new line-up following the departure of Razgatlioglu to MotoGP, while Michael van der Mark has taken on a test role for the German manufacturer.