Jonathan Rea picks out the one area for Yamaha to improve at Estoril WorldSBK

Jonathan Rea feels there is one key area for he and Yamaha to improve before Superpole at the Estoril WorldSBK.

Rea said he felt good from the beginning in a the Portuguese track, and that he had a positive initial impression from the development version of the SC1 front tyre (the softer of the two available compounds) that Pirelli has debuted in Estoril this weekend in World Superbike.

“I felt good from lap one, really,” Jonathan Rea said, speaking to WorldSBK.com after FP2 in Estoril.

“We just brought the bike that we finished with in Aragon, that I felt quite good with. 

“Then, just trying to understand the different tyre options – Pirelli brought a new front tyre that we had to evaluate. 

“Some different feelings from the standard SC1 tyre and the new development tyre. To be honest, the development tyre feels quite strong, I did a race run with that where I was able to be fast and consistent.”

If there is something Rea would like to find overnight it’s performance on the edge of the tyre. 

“Just put our heads together, make a decision on that tyre choice tonight, and try to improve the bike a bit more – we’re searching for edge grip,” he said.

“That’s the key area where we have to improve; the bike’s stopping well, changing direction well in the agile parts. So, just looking for a bit more grip.”

Rea’s first run in FP2 saw him able to keep pace with Nicolo Bulega for a few laps before dropping back.

“I just think that’s our pace, our rhythm right now,” Rea explained. “We need to find a little bit more. 

“To be fair, in the first part of that race simulation I had Bulega just in front, so I was able to benefit from the slipstream for those four, five, six, seven laps. 

“But as soon as I found my own rhythm it was harder to maintain that without the drag down to turn one and then you go into tyre management mode, energy management mode, and trying to just complete that. 

“With no points [available] it’s hard to come to see ‘Lap 15’ on your board – you think it’s going to be a long session!”

The Northern Irish rider feels that both Bulega and Toprak Razgatlioglu “are in a different race” to the rest, but that the battle behind them is one he could be included in.

“I haven’t sat down and looked through all the [chronological analysis] of all the other riders, so I don’t know where I fit in,” he said.

“It would be nice to think that we could ride inside the top-five. But I don’t really know where we are, I haven’t analysed everybody right now. 

“For sure, the front two guys are in a different race – Toprak [Razgatlioglu] and Nico [Nicolo Bulega], their rhythm is incredible. 

“But I think after that it’s going to be a battle and I hope to be a part of it.”