Rea on joining Yamaha: “It all boils down to the fact I need something new”
The six-time WorldSBK champion will bring an end to his partnership with Kawasaki which has lasted nine years and seen them win all six of Rea’s titles together.
Rea’s departure to Yamaha sees him replace Toprak Razgatlioglu, who himself secured a stunning move to BMW earlier in the season.
- Gardner: “I hope I still remember how to ride a bike”
- Bassani: “How I feel about not having factory bike isn’t easy to explain”
But while it’s a challenge Rea felt he needed, it hasn’t made the process of leaving Kawasaki any easier given their success.
"As you can imagine, after six World Championships, nine years working together and so many memories, it’s been one of the hardest decisions in my career," said Rea.
"In the end, it all boils down to the fact that I need something new, a new challenge and I had the opportunity somewhere else to find that.
"It’s mixed emotions because it was a very emotional time to leave such a family and a place where I’ve created so many amazing memories, not just on the track but off of it.
"The time is right to make the next chapter in my career and we’ll deal with that later, but it was a very hard decision."
Yamaha have been more competitive over the last two seasons, and with Ducati even further ahead, Rea’s decision to leave appears to be the right one from a performance point of view.
And while it’s a move he made based off on-track results, leaving the people within Kawasaki behind is also going to be tough for the Northern Irishman.
Rea added: "Of course, I’ll never forget my first World Championship or the first feelings with the team, pleading my team manager Guim to give me a chance on this bike.
"Rolling up to the first test, working with my mechanics and creating that bond inside the garage.
"There’re things I’ll take with me in life, such as dealing with people and creating an atmosphere.
"The team helped me with that and my childhood dream was to be World Champion and I’ll always remember my time with Kawasaki as the people who gave me the chance to fulfil a childhood dream."
