Now that both World Superbike and MotoGP seasons are over and riders go off to Winter break, some of the top riders are willing to give interviews to specialized media in a more relaxed way, comparing to the stress they live during the season.
Jonathan Rea, four times World Superbike champion with Kawasaki, is one of those riders that has taken some time during his vacations to talk to Italian media Gazzetta dello Sport.
In this off-season interview, Rea talks about his biggest fear in racing, and at the same time details that he was really close to move into MotoGP, but no manufacturer wanted to give him a factory spec bike, so he opted to stay with Kawasaki in World Superbike instead.
As for his biggest fear, Jonathan Rea says that “the rider always makes the difference, but having a competent team in which I have full confidence is very important. I invest a lot in myself, and I work in close contact with my personal trainers because I only have one fear: losing!”.
This season Jonathan Rea had a chance to move to MotoGP, and the Irish racer confirms his manager was in talks with three different manufacturers
“Yes, I was in talks, but I stayed with Kawasaki because they’re the best. The bike and team (in MotoGP) weren’t too competitive”, begins Rea, and then explains that he would like to race against Marc Marquez, but he doesn’t have a bike to do it
“How can I challenge Marc if I don’t have an incredible bike? He is the best rider in the world because MotoGP is the best championship. The best of the best race there. I would really love to have a chance to measure myself against them, but the opportunity didn’t arrive”.