Underdog Jonathan Rea says 'pressure is off' ahead of World Superbike finale in Indonesia

Rea trails Turkey’s Toprak Razgatlioglu by 30 points and will need luck on his side of he’s to clinch a magnificent seventh world crown.

However, with 62 points still available across the three races at the brand new Mandalika International Street Circuit this weekend, the 34-year-old’s hopes are still very much alive.

The Kawasaki star finds himself in the unusual position of going into the 13th and last round as the title underdog, but Rea says he will be able to ‘ride free’ this weekend, when his target is to try and win all three races.

“After a few weeks at home preparing, I’m very excited to go to Mandalika and get the last round of the championship underway,” said Rea.

“I’m curious to see the circuit for the first time. First impressions from images I’ve found of it are great. It looks like a circuit that will suit the strengths of our ZX10-RR.

“We will work hard on Friday to learn the circuit and fine tune our settings. We will arrive there 30 points behind in the championship battle but we will fight to the end.

“I feel all the pressure is off now; I can ride free with nothing to lose and the target is clear. With three points scoring opportunities lying ahead I will give 100 per-cent to get the maximum possible.”

Practice gets under way on Friday, with the first race on Saturday at 0700 GMT. Sunday’s Superpole race is scheduled for 0300 GMT with race two at 0700 GMT.