05/06/2023 News
Three top 5s for Rea in Superbike
Imola, Italy, june 5th 2023 - Still struggling with his Kawasaki’s set-up, Jonathan Rea was in damage limitation mode at Imola. Although he didn't manage to finish on the podium, the six-time world champion never finished outside the top five the whole weekend.
After a Superpole session cut short due to a red flag crash and a sixth place on the grid, Jonathan Rea failed to make it into the leading group on Saturday afternoon. The Briton spent a long time in sixth, before finally gaining an extra place after Petrucci's crash. He then held off Aegerter to cross the finish line of the first race of the weekend in fifth place. “I've never fought so hard for a win as I did for that fifth place," admitted Rea. “As soon as the tyres have worn out, the bike's behaviour changes radically. I have to ride differently and at the moment it's not working out. We have some ideas on how to improve things, but it's going to take some time.”
Fifth again in a Sprint race, reduced to seven laps, the six-time world champion concluded his weekend with a solid fourth place. Once again, a result he had to work hard for. “I had a problem right from the start with my front brake’s lever," he explained. “I couldn't adjust it while I was riding and I finished the race with cramps in my forearm. It was very difficult to stop the bike.” Seventh in Race 1, Alex Lowes was sixth in the Superpole race before crashing out in Race 2. “I'm really disappointed with my results because I had a pretty good pace this weekend," remarked the Kawasaki rider. “Unfortunately, my crash in the Superpole and the fact that it was shortened cost me dearly. Starting tenth, I found it very difficult to get the right pace. That's also why I crashed in Race 2.”