The No. 65 holds the record for titles, wins, podiums and fastest laps in WorldSBK history, but he will end his exceptional career at the end of this season.
Jonathan Rea (Pata Maxus Yamaha) has announced his retirement from full-time racing at the end of the 2025 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship season. The most successful rider in history, regardless of criteria or statistics, has chosen to hang up his leathers. His career spanned 18 seasons in WorldSBK, resulting in records and historic moments that established him among the greatest names in motorcycle racing.
THE HONDA YEARS: an appearance in 2008 before five full seasons
Rea excelled during his full season in WorldSSP, earning a call-up to race with Hannspree Ten Kate Honda, his Supersport team, in WorldSBK at Portimao. A front row and fourth place demonstrated his potential. He quickly joined the grid full-time in 2009, still with Ten Kate Racing. In five seasons on the CBR1000RR, he scored 15 wins and 42 podiums, before a new era began in 2015 with Kawasaki.
THE DREAM TEAM IN GREEN: Never before seen with Kawasaki
In 2015, Rea joined the Kawasaki Racing Team and the ZX-10RR, which won the 2013 title with Tom Sykes and finished runner-up in the Manufacturers' Championship in 2013 and 2014. Success was immediate for the No. 65, who won his first race in green at Phillip Island before going on to claim 14 wins and his first world title, the start of a record-breaking run. Nine wins in 2016 allowed him to retain his crown, before making it three in 2017. His dominance didn't stop there: he also won the titles in 2018, 2019 and 2020, brushing aside new and old rivals to become the first person to exceed four WorldSBK crowns, dethroning Carl Fogarty. With Kawasaki, Rea has claimed 104 victories and recorded no fewer than 221 podiums. From 2021 onwards, the pace slowed: he lost the title to Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) that season, and then to Álvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) in 2022 and 2023. Rea then decided to take on a new challenge by changing his colours, going from green to blue.
A SHOCK TRANSFER: Rea joins Yamaha in 2024
Razgatlioglu surprised the entire motorcycling world by leaving Yamaha for BMW, before Rea made an unexpected move: replacing "El Turco" at Yamaha for the 2024 season. The two years spent with the Yamaha R1 were eventful, with highlights including a pole position at Assen in the rain and a podium on home soil at Donington Park, his first with Yamaha. But an injury-plagued start to the 2025 season took its toll, and despite some encouraging signs, Rea failed to find the consistency needed to put Yamaha back on the front foot. At 38, he made the decision to end his full-time racing career.
REA: " It's not the records, the trophies or the victories, but the people and the memories that I will cherish forever ."
In a video posted to his social media, Rea said: “I’ve been thinking about this moment for a long time and have finally decided to step away from full-time racing and retire. This sport has meant everything to me. From growing up in Northern Ireland, where I dreamed of racing, to standing on the top step of the WorldSBK Championship podium, through victories and titles. Throughout my career, I’ve had one goal: to win. This mentality has defined who I am. I’ve never raced to be a figurehead, but to be the best. Now is the time to listen to my body, my mind, and most importantly, my instincts. If I can’t race to win anymore, then it’s time to stop. I have the same love for this sport today as I did on day one. I’m incredibly proud of what I’ve achieved: six world titles, over 100 wins, and many other accolades. These are records I never thought possible.”
It's not the records, nor the trophies or the victories, but the people and the memories that I will cherish forever. I've had the honor of working with incredible teams, sponsors, and engineers. You've all been a part of this journey, and I'm grateful for allowing me to live my dream. To my family, my parents, my brother, and my sisters: thank you for your sacrifices at the beginning of my career. To my wife, Tarsh, and our children, Jake and Tyler: thank you for being my anchor and pillar through the good times and the bad. To all my rivals: thank you for pushing me to be the best I can be; I've become a better driver because of you. To all my fans: thank you for your support and loyalty, through the good times and the bad, which has helped me pursue the career I dreamed of. Even though I'm leaving full-time racing, this isn't goodbye. I will always be connected to this sport, but in a different way. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for everything. It was an incredible adventure. See you in the paddock."
YAMAHA: " Facing a rider of this caliber was an honor... We will give it our all in our last four races together ."
Andrea Dosoli, Motorsport Director at Yamaha Motor Europe, praised Rea's career: "Jonathan is an extremely talented rider who has achieved remarkable things during his 17 years at the highest level of production motorcycle racing. He can be proud of his record, as it is unlikely that another rider will achieve such figures for a long time. For years, Jonathan has been a fierce rival, pushing us to improve. Facing a rider of this level in the fight for the title was an honor. For the past two years, Jonathan has no longer been our opponent, but our rider. Even if our adventure together has not gone as we had hoped, Jonathan has remained committed and professional. We will continue to work hard in our last four rounds together, because nothing would give us greater pleasure than seeing this Champion return to the podium before calling time on his magnificent WorldSBK career." We thank Jonathan for all his efforts, professionalism and commitment, congratulate him on his achievements and wish him the best for the future."
Congratulate Rea on his career by using the hashtag #thegREAtest on social media, relive his brilliant career and follow his last four races with the WorldSBK VideoPass , currently half price.
