Paris - September 18th 2024 - Between 2015 and 2020, Jonathan Rea won six Superbike World Championship titles in a row with Kawasasi. This historic domination was also the result of a fruitful collaboration with the TotalEnergies compagny.
In 2015, you won the first of your six World Superbike titles. What memories do you have of your first season with the Kawasaki team?
It was an incredible season! I'd been working towards it for years, I could even say that I'd worked all my life to win this world championship title. I started with motocross thanks to the help of my parents, then I had opportunities to move up to road racing... When I joined the Kawasaki team, I had already been racing in World SuperBike (WSBK) for six years. It was the first time that everything had come together, and this title was a great joy, not only for myself, but also for all my family and everyone who had been with me up to that point. The 2015 season was the start of the most beautiful chapter in my career.
Was the pressure on?
No, not really, because that year everything went really well. I had a great bike, a great team... I was riding naturally, I never pushed myself... I was travelling around the world with a lot of pleasure. I didn't feel like I was off to work in the morning. Once again, 2015 was nothing but happiness for me.
Was there a kind of release after all those years chasing that title?
Yes, of course. There was a kind of relief. In fact, the joy didn't come immediately. When I had the title in my pocket, I felt like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders. There had been so much work and sacrifice before I got there that it took me a while to savour that first title.
And then there were five more. How did you experience your domination until 2020?
Staying at the top for so long, without leaving first place, is perhaps the most difficult thing in this sport. Six world champion titles in a row is something unique that requires a lot of hard work. Consistency is the most complicated because you can't make mistakes, you can't get injured and you have to rely on a meticulous team and very reliable equipment. That's everything we had at Kawasaki. I also think that, in terms of riding, I was in complete control of what I was doing. I really enjoyed the challenge.
You won your six titles with ELF. What do you remember about this collaboration?
That's right, I shared all my successes with ELF. I was delighted with the technical support, which obviously contributed to our domination throughout that period. I was involved in the development of various products which then benefited the brand's customers. It was an extraordinary partnership of which I am very proud. And then there were the beautiful liveries on our bikes in the ELF colours.