Rejoices in the winning of his fifth Superbike championship with a double victory in Argentina, celebrates Rea.
In the latest World Superbike (WorldSBK) races held in Argentina, six-time champion Jonathan Rea continued to face challenges as he adapts to his new team and bike. Despite clinching the championship with two rounds still to go, Rea has not yet secured his fifth title this season, with his best race finish being fifth place in Race 1 at the UK WorldSBK round at Donington, marking his season-best result.
Rea, who joined the Pata Yamaha team at the end of 2023, has been struggling to reach his previous peak form. His difficulties have been evident in his performance this year, particularly in qualifying and Superpole sessions, which has impacted his starting grid positions and race performance.
In the recent Argentina races, Rea built a lead of over a second after passing Álvaro Bautista in the second race. However, his overall race pace and rhythm have not consistently matched the top contenders. Bautista, on the other hand, finished second in the first race and fifth in the second race, but struggled with slow lap times, allowing Michael van der Mark to close the gap.
The battle for second place in the championship involves riders like Andrea Locatelli and Nicolo Bulega, who have been consistently finishing in strong positions. In the Argentina races, Bautista led from the start in the second race and built a lead of around a second. However, Van der Mark closed the gap by almost a second in one lap, passing Bautista to secure second place.
Despite some positive signs, including a strong qualifying and a good race start where he briefly reached P2 before settling back, Rea's overall race pace and rhythm have not consistently matched the top riders. Chaz Davies had a faster pace, closing the gap by almost a second in just one lap, and even threatened Bautista's second place. Toprak Razgatlioglu also finished on the podium, passing Bautista to take third place.
Rea's teammate, Alex Lowes, played a crucial role in helping Rea improve his qualifying lap, allowing him to qualify fourth in the UK Superpole, which helped him start nearer the front and compete for high race positions. However, Rea has pointed out that fully understanding the Yamaha bike remains a challenge.
While Rea has shown glimpses of competitiveness and is making progress towards his better form this season, his fifth world title remains elusive as he navigates a difficult transition with Yamaha and recovers from an injury sustained at the Phillip Island test in February 2025. The final two rounds of the WorldSBK championship are eagerly anticipated, as fans and pundits alike wait to see if Rea can regain his championship-winning form.
Rea's race pace, despite showing glimpses of competitiveness, remains below the average of the top riders in this season's WorldSBK races. In contrast, sports enthusiasts eagerly anticipate the final two rounds of the championship to see if he can recover and regain his championship-winning form.
