Six-time WorldSBK champion Jonathan Rea explains what enticed him to reunite with Honda as its official test rider.
The Northern Irishman called time on his full-time Superbike World Championship career in 2025, bowing out as the paddock’s most successful rider.
A record of 119 wins, 264 podiums and six consecutive championships made him the most decorated rider in the series’ history.
After two years at Yamaha before seeing out his career, Rea has reunited with Honda, where he spent the first part of his career, as a test rider for 2026 and beyond.
Rea said the main attraction of joining Honda was its “underdog” status as the manufacturer looks to win a race for the first time since 2016.
“When I first rode the Honda, we started with a setup similar to the one the race team uses. But I wasn’t sure if it suited me,” Rea told SPEEDWEEK.com.
“I just didn’t feel completely comfortable, and before I start thinking about new parts, the feeling has to be right.
“The appeal of this project is that we’re the underdogs. Everyone involved is incredibly motivated to make the bike faster.
“So far, the results haven’t been there, and everyone agrees that something has to change. When I joined Yamaha, it was different.
“After Toprak left, having been very fast up to that point, they trusted the bike’s already high level of performance.
“My motivation is high, and the resources and know-how are there; it just needs to all come together correctly.”
It has been confirmed that Rea will take part in WorldSBK’s second test at Portimao on March 9–10, replacing Jake Dixon after he fractured his wrist at Phillip Island ahead of the opening round.
Rea will also appear as a wildcard in the second round at the Algarve on March 27–29, before another outing at his home race at Donington Park in July.
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