Six-time World Champion Rea To Retire At End Of Season

Six-time World Superbike champion Jonathan Rea will discontinue from competitory motorcycle racing astatine nan extremity of nan 2025 season.

The Yamaha rider will propulsion down nan curtain connected his dressed up profession aft nan last information of this year's title successful Spain successful October.

Northern Irishman Rea, 38, won six successive World Superbike titles betwixt 2015 and 2020 to cement his spot arsenic nan series' astir successful rider of each time.

In his 459 title races, Rea secured 264 podium finishes, pinch 119 title wins and 105 champion title laps.

"I've been reasoning of this time for a agelong clip and yet I've decided to measurement distant from full-time racing and retire," said Yamaha rider Rea.

"This athletics has been everything to me. From increasing up arsenic a kid successful Northern Ireland dreaming of racing bikes to opinionated connected nan apical measurement of nan World Superbike Championship, winning races and world championships."

Rea first burst connected to nan world superbike shape pinch Honda successful 2008, claiming his first 2 title wins nan pursuing year.

He switched to Kawasaki successful 2011, a move which resulted successful him breaking each grounds successful nan championship.

In 2017, he was recognised for achievements successful nan athletics by being awarded nan MBE successful nan Queen's Birthday Honours list.

He besides vanished runner-up successful nan 2017 BBC Sports Personality of nan Year down Sir Mo Farah.

After a record-breaking nine-year business pinch Kawasaki, which yielded complete a period of title wins, Rea amazingly signed for Yamaha past season.

However, his quest for a seventh world title ended successful disappointment arsenic nan Ballyclare rider posted conscionable 1 podium decorativeness pinch nan team.

Rea endured a difficult 2024 connected nan motorcycle and this twelvemonth suffered a superior clang successful pre-season testing which has hampered his progress.

When I first met Jonathan Rea, he was conscionable 8 years old. He told me: "Watch retired for nan Rea name. Racing is successful our family's humor and I americium going to beryllium a world champion."

That whitethorn good person been nan starry aspiration of youth, but 20 years later Jonathan's dream became a reality - and nan representation of that time has endured.

Inspired by Northern Ireland's five-time world champion Joey Dunlop, Rea managed to unafraid 1 much than his hero.

His tally of six successive world titles make him nan country's astir successful motorcycle rider, and his business pinch nan Kawasaki squad is arguably 1 of nan top successful motorsport history.

On track, Rea - who was besides crowned Irish motorcyclist of nan twelvemonth 9 times successful a statement - has ever been an highly fierce and driven competitor. Off it, he is 1 of nan astir grounded, humble and articulate sportsmen I person ever met.

Throughout his career, he has granted BBC Sport NI unprecedented entree into his life - I consciousness very fortunate to person been fixed a beforehand statement spot to his singular journey.

In nan future, he will surely beryllium overmuch sought aft arsenic a trial rider and we whitethorn moreover him undertake immoderate endurance racing.

But erstwhile he hangs up his competitory leathers, he will do truthful arsenic 1 of Northern Ireland's top sporting ambassadors.