Jonathan Rea joins Sykes at Kawasaki

As reported by MCN months ago, Jonathan Rea has today confirmed that he will join the Kawasaki Racing Team for 2015, lining up alongside Tom Sykes for an all-British bid for the World Superbike title.

Rea, who has been a loyal Honda rider for almost his entire career, will make the move from the underpowered Fireblade machine to a ZX-10R after losing out on the chance to make a move to MotoGP. Fellow countryman Eugene Laverty will instead line up on that grid on a Honda.

With the Northern Irishman widely acknowledged as a star talent, the combination of him and the dominant ZX-1oR machine Sykes took to the 2013 title could well give him the step up he needs to become a true title contender for 2015.

Speaking after the announcement, team manager Guim Roda commented: “After three years working with Loris Baz to grow up a young talent, we will start in 2015 a new strategy, with an experienced and fully formed rider Johnny Rea. We are sure he can increase the whole team performance and he will be a very good team-mate with Tom Sykes.”

“Both have a big respect for each other, and I’m sure both guys will increase their performance, searching the limits of the Ninja ZX-10R. We expect to put on track two very strong riders next year so it is our idea try to win back the title with our two British weapons.”

Rea’s new crew chief, former racer Pere Riba, added: “I am very happy that a rider with this kind of level of experience is coming to our Kawasaki team. For me, and all the team, this makes us feel very happy. I believe we have shown that we have a good base and we are working hard to have an even better bike. I believe we can give the tools to Jonathan so he will be fighting for the championship. We will start the winter tests very soon and I feel very positive that Kawasaki took the decision to have Jonathan in the team. As a crew chief we will try to give him the best not only technically but also helping him in general and I am sure we can have a good year.”

Rea’s own crew chief of the past three years, Chris Pike, will move to MotoGP to become Scott Redding’s right hand man at MarcVDS.