Jonathan Rea, WorldSBK riders and officials pose for a photograph during a visit to Doha Golf Club, yesterday. Picture: Instagram / @Jonathan_Rea
Racing star Jonathan Rea of Britain has already secured the 2019 WorldSBK Championship title but the Kawasaki giant seems geared up for a victorious finish to the season tomorrow.
After watching former MotoGP rider Alvaro Bautista of Spain notch 11 consecutive victories at the start of the 2019 season, Rea worked his way back to the top with 14 wins to seal the championship ahead of this week’s final round of the year.
“I can’t believe it’s the end of another season. While we were able to achieve the target we set at the beginning of the year at the Magny Cours round, there is still a lot to play for going into this weekend,” Rea, the five-time WorldSBK champion, said ahead of the final round which concluded tomorrow under lights at Losail International Circuit (LIC).
“We are trying to bring home the manufacturers’ title for Kawasaki. It is nice to have these targets going into the weekend at a circuit that I really, really love. I love everything about the race,” the affable Briton said.
“Riding under the lights is something really special because you feel at one with the bike as there are no external distractions in your line of sight. After an amazing weekend in Argentina, where I felt really competitive with the bike and we worked really well as a team in the limited practice time, that will be the same target in Qatar,” Rea said about his two wins at the Circuito San Juan Villicum in Argentina almost two weeks ago.
“To work really well together to maximise the potential of the Ninja ZX-10RR. Our goal is simple – to go out and win some races and end the season on a high. It has been a real dream season and I am really looking forward to the Losail race weekend. Can’t wait to get there,” Rea said in a team statement.
Rea has an unbeatable tally of 601 points from 12 rounds while arch-rival Bautisa is second with 460 points.
In a candid chat on Wednesday, Bautista admitted battling against Rea was a rich learning experience for the Spaniard making his WorldSBK debut for Ducati.
“For sure, the fight against the best Superbike rider is not easy. What I saw was at first half of the season, he has a lot of experience on his bike. He knows the Championship, he knows his team, he knows his bike. They work together. They get maximum from each condition,” Bautista said.
“For us, it was new. We did not have reference from previous seasons. Sometimes it was easier and sometimes we had problems. At the end, I think, we missed the experience with the bike and with the championship. More than they won the championship, (it was that) we lost the championship. They got the maximum from each moment. He has a lot of experience.
“We did well in the first half of the season, we did well. In the second half, he was able to get more points as we had bad luck. It was pleasant to fight against the best. Sure I will try to beat him next time,” Bautista, 34, said.
