SBK: Jonathan Rea to ride for Yamaha from 2024

It’s a day of announcements for WorldSBK as the championship prepares to resume at Magny-Cours this weekend. Following the news that Rea and Kawasaki will part ways at the end of this season (his contract with KRT was set to expire in 2024), Yamaha Racing now confirms that it has hired the Northern Irish rider for a period of two years.

The release issued by Yamaha reads: “Yamaha Motor Europe is pleased to announce that six-time FIM Superbike World Champion Jonathan Rea will race alongside Andrea Locatelli in the Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK Official Team in 2024, having secured a two-year agreement with the Ulsterman.”

This will be the third (Japanese) manufacturer with which Jonathan Rea is competing in World Superbike, following his time with Honda (2008-2014) and Kawasaki (2015-2023). The rider has enjoyed an incredible career to date, with six world titles to his name as well as 119 race wins, 41 pole positions, 256 podiums and 102 fastest laps over 401 races. #65 also holds the record for the longest period between his first win (Misano 2009) and latest victory (Most 2023) and has finished in the top three overall every year since 2014.

A statement from the CEO

Yamaha Motor Europe President and CEO Eric de Seynes states: “We are very happy to welcome Jonathan to the Yamaha family and we are very much motivated to collaborate with him for the future. We have the same motivation to win, and the same passion for WorldSBK. Like him we have been world champions in recent years, and we want to be back on the top of the box once again. Jonathan’s drive, determination and hunger for success have been constants throughout his career and these attributes will contribute to our future common success. We truly believe that Jonathan can add to his World Championship tally, writing his name even larger in the history books, and we are equally confident that he can achieve this together with us. We are working hard to improve further our race proven Yamaha R1, to ensure that we provide Jonathan with exactly what he needs to achieve his and Yamaha’s goals in 2024 and 2025.”