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Rea called time on his glittering career at the final round at Jerez in Spain earlier this month, where the Northern Ireland star was ruled out of the final race with a knee injury after crashing in the first two races of the last weekend of the season. The 38-year-old claimed a record six titles with Kawasaki between 2015 and 2020, and won 119 races during an unmatched career. Rea had also been linked to BMW, but reports suggest he will join Honda, with the opportunity for selected wildcard rides next season potentially part of the deal. The Ulsterman made his World Superbike debut with Honda at the end of 2008 and finished third in the championship in 2014, when he impressed on a below-par Fireblade before signing with the Kawasaki Racing Team the following season. Rea left Kawasaki after nine years as the most decorated rider in World Superbike history to join the official Yamaha squad for the 2024 and 2025 seasons. His best result on the R1 was third in the Superpole race last summer at Donington Park, with Rea finishing the season in 13th place overall. A foot injury sustained in a crash during testing in February forced Rea to miss the opening three rounds of the 2025 championship and he ended the year in 16th position. His sparkling World Superbike career spanned 17 years, with Rea competing in 476 races and claiming 264 podiums. Speaking to TNT Sports during the season finale at Jerez, Rea said: “You know, racing's everything to me. I love being competitive, and whether that's getting on a start line, on my motocross bike and enjoying the adrenaline that racing gives me, for sure, I'll be doing something. “The sport has given so much to me and maybe now it's time to try and give back in a different way. But I'm really looking forward to life at a slower pace, probably less pressure, because the highs in my race career have been incredibly high, but the lows have been disastrous. “I can't thank the sport [enough] for giving me everything I have in life, but it took so much away as well; it took good friends away.”
