Breakthrough for Jonathan Rea? "I learnt a bit more about the Yamaha R1 in traffic"

Jonathan Rea produced one of his best WorldSBK races since joining Yamaha during Race 2 of the Czech round.

Making his way through the field as the race went on, Rea delivered some of the best race pace throughout the 22-lap race.

Quick overtakes on both factory Honda riders allowed Rea to close in on Michael Ruben Rinaldi late on, before the six-time world champion pounced with just a couple of laps to go.

Rea, who has struggled in 2024 to find a clear direction aboard the R1, looked more comfortable battling other riders than at any other stage this season.

That was highlighted at Most, as Rea admitted previous battles with Toprak Razgatlioglu played a role in his many overtakes in Race 2.

Speaking about the race, Rea said: “I think with seven laps to go, I thought he was just there. Once I got through on the Hondas, I thought ‘don’t give up’. He might come back, he might not. 

"In clean air, the Yamaha can make the lap time; at one point, I feel like I was one of the fastest on tracks. I checked the last few laps. 

"While we have some areas we need to work on, the bike was working good in other areas. 

"I knew if I could put my bike in clean air and ride my lines, I could potentially catch him. 

"When I caught him, it was about where I was going to pass! It had to be, not an aggressive one, but a block pass. You don’t have to go through. 

"I sort of learnt that one on Toprak, racing him in the past. He’d always just level me. 

"Where I always tended to go through on people and put myself wide, I just levelled a few guys today in a few of the corners and that seemed to work. 

"I learnt a bit more about the Yamaha R1 in traffic and how to exploit all its strengths.”