Jonathan Rea crashes dirt bike against Yamaha prodigies: "It was super slippy!"

Jonathan Rea crashed in a dirt bike event hosted by Yamaha to help aspiring riders.

The 2025 Yamaha BLU CRU Master Camp gave riders between the ages of 15-18 a once-in-a-lifetime chance to learn and train alongside Yamaha riders from MotoGP and the World Superbike Championship.

Jonathan Rea, Miguel Oliveira, Remy Gardner, Jack Miller and Alex Rins were guiding the teenage prospects through a series of challenges.

Proof of how difficult the flat-track training can be was provided by Rea, the six-time WorldSBK champion, who went down while battling the young prodigies.

“Another one bites the dust,” Yamaha teased via social media.

“The BLU CRU have claimed their next victim, as six-time WorldSBK champion Jonathan Rea is the latest in a long line of illustrious riders to crash trying to keep up with our young riders, this time at the Yamaha BLU CRU Master Camp.”

Rea smiled: “They watered it, it was super slippy. I actually tucked the front at Turn 2!”

The bosses attending the event and explaining its importance included Paolo Pavesio, Managing Director of Yamaha Motor Racing, Niccolò Canepa, Yamaha Motor Europe's Road Racing Sporting Manager, Tetsu Ono, General Manager, Motorsport Strategy Division, Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd., and Gino Borsoi, Team Manager of the Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP Team.

Training was taking place at the Aspar Circuit and included a four-hour technical riding class.

Additional help was provided by 2009 FIM 125cc World Champion and Yamaha MotoGP team Rider Performance Analyst Julian Simon, and flat-track expert Marco Belli.

Rea summarised: “It was a really cool day! Especially because a lot of the riders had never done flat track before, and even after tough technical training sessions this morning, they impressed me.

“It was fun to ride with them and teach them about flat track, as while it uses a different skillset, those skills are transferable to road racing, as flat track is all about losing traction, and in road racing, that happens a lot, and it’s how you react to it with your body that matters.

“Hence, many riders use off-road riding and flat track to hone their skills, so it was really nice to hit the track with the BLU CRU riders. It was a demanding day for them, but to see so many smiling faces at the end made it all worthwhile.

“The Yamaha BLU CRU Master Camp has really impressed me. You can see the effort that has gone into the event, and it demonstrates Yamaha’s commitment to developing the next generation of world champions.”

Yamaha provide stepping stones for future MotoGP riders

WorldSBK rider Gardner said: “The Yamaha BLU CRU program is great! It is a great initiative that provides a direct and structured path from grassroots racing to the highest levels of the sport.

“It really does provide stepping stones and support every step of the way. It is something that didn’t exist when I was growing up, and I wish it had been, as I would have loved it.

“The Yamaha BLU CRU Master Camp provides these ten riders with a fun and fantastic opportunity to go out, enjoy themselves, improve their riding, hone their abilities, and take those skills back to the racetrack.

“I am also really looking forward to heading out with them to ride some flat track… hopefully they will go easy on me!”

Alex Rins said: “It is really inspiring to see what Yamaha is doing with the Yamaha BLU CRU Master Camp, and it was great to be a part of it!

“I watched the young riders as they rode flat track this morning, and they not only impressed me with their pace but also with their attitude. They are all working hard, so it was nice to give them a break this afternoon and take them out on the WaveRunners to break up the training and also build camaraderie.

“I wish there had been a program like this when I was younger, as it really does give riders a clear pathway from grassroots racing all the way up to MotoGP. I hope they can wait for me to retire before they steal my seat!”

The young riders taking part were Alessandro Di Persio (Italy), Christopher Clark (USA), Mario Salles (Brazil), Arai Agaska (Indonesia), Hinata Okada (Japan), Valentino Knezovic (Australia), Thanakit Pratumtong (Thailand), Leonardo Marques (Brazil), Rintaro Takemoto (Japan), and Natalia Rivera (Spain).