Rea bidding to maintain momentum in Bautista’s backyard

Jonathan Rea will look to push on from where he left off at Imola as he bids to claw back more ground on World Superbike Championship leader Alvaro Bautista on his rival’s home turf.

The four-time WorldSBK champion broke Bautista’s unprecedented run of 11 straight wins with a pair of dominant success at Imola, his first of the 2019 season allowing him to whittle the Spaniard’s lead down to 43 points.

A slither of hope for Rea in a season that saw the ex-MotoGP rider comprehensively dominate in the opening four rounds of the year, the Ulsterman is hoping the shift in momentum can continue in Jerez in front of Bautista’s home fans.

“I’m excited to go to Jerez and understand our potential there,” he said. “After the race weekend in Imola and a positive test at Misano I feel ready for this next challenge.

“Jerez is a very nice circuit to ride, especially the fast-flowing corners at the end of the lap. It will be important to make a lot of laps during practice to prepare for the races, as it’s the first time we have raced in Jerez during the summer.

“The temperatures will be much higher than we experienced during our winter tests. With this in mind, we will work hard and try to keep the momentum going.”