Jonathan Rea

As the most successful rider in the history of the FIM Superbike World Championship, Jonathan Rea needs little introduction.  

His statistics in the championship are unparalleled, with 119 wins to his name and 263 podiums from his mammoth 16 years competing in the class. His win count, podium count and impressive tally of six world championships will see him at the top of the WorldSBK history books for some time to come.

Like many road racers, Rea’s racing life started out in motocross but the Northern Irishman wasn’t particularly keen to make a switch to the road racing scene with his early goal to become a world champion, but on the dirt.  

He made the switch to circuit racing in 2003 at National Championship level. Progressing through the ranks, Rea finished runner-up in the British Superbike Championship in 2007 before graduating to the world stage in 2008.  

Rea initially progressed to world championship racing in the Supersport World Championship in 2008 and spent the year in a season-long battle with team-mate Andrew Pitt (now his Pata Prometeon Yamaha crew chief) for the title. Rea would finish runner-up to the Aussie, but earned a promotion to the FIM Superbike World Championship the following year.  

He took his first ever WorldSBK podium in round six of the 2009 season at Kyalami, and won his first race in his debut season at Misano.  

A change in manufacturer came for Rea in 2015, which led to instant success, and kickstarted what would turn into his charge to become the most successful rider in WorldSBK history. Six successive World Championship crowns between 2015 and 2020 established Rea’s place firmly in the history books.  

Alongside his WorldSBK experience, Rea is also a two-time Suzuka 8H winner and also appeared in the MotoGP category as a replacement for Casey Stoner for two races in 2012.  

Seeking a new challenge in 2024, Rea joins the Pata Prometeon Yamaha team as he looks to add to his already dominant tally of WorldSBK success.