Rea eyes fightback at favoured circuit

Jonathan Rea is eager “to build on our results from Phillip Island” as he eyes the top spot of the rostrum in Thailand having had to settle for second place behind Aruba.it Racing Ducati’s Alvaro Bautista at Phillip Island last month.

Rea accepted a treble of runner-up finishes at the 2019 opener in Australia behind Bautista was his optimum outcome given the Ducati V4 R's superior pace compared to the rest of the World Superbike field.

But the reigning World Superbike champion has a near-flawless record at Buriram having taken six wins from a total eight races since the Thailand round joined the calendar back in 2015.

The Kawasaki rider is hopeful his ZX-10RR can produce a strong showing in the tight and twisty second part of the Buriram circuit, while the top speed produced by the Ducati riders at Phillip Island will pose a tough challenge on the Thai track’s two long straights, leading to Rea wanting to “nail” his bike setup.

“Thailand is a great venue and one that always welcomes a lot of fans, especially Kawasaki support,” Rea said. “The circuit is one of two halves; the first being fast stop-and-go sections and then the flowing final sectors, which play to the strength of the Ninja ZX-10RR setup.

“Friday will be important to nail that setup and understand our level. I’m excited to start. We have enjoyed some great success there in the past, so the goal is to build on our results from Phillip Island.”

Last year Rea claimed the WorldSBK riders’ championship lead at the Thailand round, a position he would never relinquish on his way to the 2018 world title, and won race one at Buriram 12 months ago. Rea has also notched up two double victories in Thailand (2015 and 2017) plus another win in 2016’s race one.