Jonathan Rea “not 100% fit” but “excited to ride” at Aragon World Superbike

Jonathan Rea is back from injury at the Aragon WorldSBK this weekend, following his absence at the Italian Round.

Rea returns following a thumb injury picked up at Magny-Cours’ French Round, in Race 1 on 7 September.

Rea crashed on the first lap almost in-unison with Nicolo Bulega, although the two fell independently of each other.

Bulega suffered right shoulder injuries but returned on Sunday to win both races, while Rea was sidelined with a deep wound to his right thumb that required a skin graft.

Rea’s absence was enforced at last weekend’s race at Cremona Circuit through a lack of fitness. He was replaced there by Niccolo Canepa, who had only entered retirement the weekend before following the final Endurance World Championship round at the Bol d’Or.

Returning at Aragon, where Rea has won a record nine times in WorldSBK, the Northern Irish rider said “I’m quite excited to ride,” when speaking to WorldSBK.com on Thursday, although he added that “I’m not 100 per cent fit.”
 

He continued: “The skin injury is not raw and has dried out now, but the flexion I have with my thumb is quite limited, even getting the glove on is a bit of a chore. 

“I’m sure, on the bike, it’s going to be comfortable enough. The position feels okay when I was sat on the bike before. 

“I did everything possible with my medical crew back home, all the treatments I could think of to accelerate healing.”

Since Rea last raced, Yamaha has introduced a new R1 to the grid, complete with new aerodynamic, downforce-generating front wings.

“I don’t know what to expect from [the new bike], to be honest I haven’t spoken to the guys about it all,” Rea said.
“It looks really cool and much more aggressive. It’s always nice to walk into the garage and see something really new. That gives you some extra inspiration and motivation. 

“With the introduction of wings, and I don’t have too much experience, but I think we can apply more torque, keep the throttle more open and maybe the bike will become more stable. 

“That’s my expectation so let’s see if that matches the reality.”