Rea signs new Kawasaki deal to stay until 2020

Reigning triple World Superbike champion Jonathan Rea has confirmed his future by signing a new two-year deal with Kawasaki.

Rea made history by taking the all-time World Superbike wins record with his 60^th career victory in race one at Brno, surpassing Carl Fogarty’s previous tally of 59 win, and holds a 65-point lead in the current World Superbike championship.

After being linked with potential moves to factory MotoGP outfits, including Aprilia and Repsol Honda, the Northern Irish rider has confirmed his future will remain at Kawasaki in World Superbikes until at least 2020.

Rea joined Kawasaki from Honda at the end of 2014 and has been a dominant force since winning three consecutive world titles along with a race-to-win ratio of almost 50% and become the first factory rider confirmed on the 2019 World Superbike grid.

“I am more than happy to continue in these next two seasons with the Kawasaki Racing Team,” Rea said. “Since the end of last season we have already started to talk about continuing our partnership, so it’s nice to finalise everything now, so that we can concentrate on the remaining races of 2018.

“From the moment I arrived at the end of 2014 I was welcomed into the Kawasaki family and since then we have achieved success beyond our wildest dreams. Here is where I want to stay.

“Of course it feels natural to keep writing this incredible story together, and I want to thank everyone in the Kawasaki Racing Team for believing in me and for this opportunity. Together we will work harder than ever to keep the ZX-10RR at the front of World Superbike in the future. I have the best team of people around me to ensure that we can continue fighting for the World Championship.”

KRT team boss Guim Roda has echoed his rider's comments and is confident of fighting for future world titles as well as completing its current domination in 2018.

“We can celebrate that Johnny decides to stay two more years in Kawasaki and running in World Superbike,” Roda said. “It is important that he has decided that WorldSBK is the place that still makes him motivated. I’m sure many fans would like to see him running with the top guys in MotoGP, but we can ask the guys from MotoGP to come here to see the battle too.

“The level Rea has now is so high and this only will make the level of other riders and manufacturers in World Superbike increase. All will be forced to give their maximum to beat Johnny, so we all must be happy and motivated. Of course, we all will continue working to improve the package so I’m sure the show will continue.

“Other riders and manufacturers will need to work hard if wants to have the honour of being a World Superbike champion. The show must go on.”