WSBK king Rea not getting proper MotoGP shot “a great shame” – Rossi
Valentino Rossi says it is “a great shame” six-time World Superbike champion Jonathan Rea never got a proper shot in MotoGP.
Northern Irishman Rea has been the all-conquering force in WSBK with Kawasaki for over half a decade, winning six titles on the spin from 2015 to 2020, while also tallying up over one hundred race wins.
Rea competed in two MotoGP races in 2012 with Honda in place of the injured Casey Stoner at Aragon and Misano, scoring two top eight finishes and hugely impressing the team.
However, despite numerous flirtations, a proper full-time ride in MotoGP has never come the way of Rea, who is currently locked in a thrilling battle with Yamaha’s Toprak Razgatlioglu in WSBK for the 2021 title.
Rossi believes it is “a great shame” Rea never got a proper shot in MotoGP, and feels even now at 34 the Ulsterman could be fast in the premier class.
“This year the battle with Rea [and Razgatlioglu] is very fun, very great to follow because I think they are two great Superbike riders at their top [talent] and the battles are always good to follow,” Rossi said.
“And I think that it’s a great shame Johnny Rea didn’t have a chance to pass through MotoGP maybe five, six years ago because I think he rides very well and he had the potential to be strong in MotoGP – but maybe also now [he could be fast].”
Valentino Rossi, Petronas Yamaha SRT
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Both Rea and Razgatlioglu have won 11 races and scored 25 podiums apiece in 2021, but two crashes in the recent Portimao round has allowed the latter to take a 24-point lead in the standings ahead of this weekend’s Argentina round.
At the end of the year, Razgatlioglu – who was linked to a 2022 MotoGP seat with Petronas SRT – is set to test a Yamaha M1, which is something Rossi thinks will be “very interesting”.
Bike Retrospective: When a Superbike legend proved his worth in MotoGP
“I like Toprak a lot because he’s a very modern rider, he’s young, he’s very, very physically prepared,” Rossi added.
“And especially he has great bike control. I think this is his strong point.
“He’s fast, so it’s very interesting he’ll try the M1 because I think that he can be competitive, and also he can be competitive in MotoGP because he’s still young and he has a lot of potential."
Jonathan Rea, Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK, Toprak Razgatlioglu, PATA Yamaha WorldSBK Team
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Related video
Previous article
How KTM has wrestled control of young MotoGP talent from Honda
Next article
Gerloff doesn't want MotoGP shot just "because I have a good passport"
Why Quartararo has evolved more than Yamaha on his road to the MotoGP title
Fabio Quartararo has his first match point in the 2021 MotoGP title race this weekend at Misano. While the 2021 Yamaha is a much-improved bike to its inconsistent predecessor, its the rider himself who has shown the biggest evolution this season. Oriol Puigdemont delves into Quartararo's growth.
How KTM has wrestled control of young MotoGP talent from Honda
There once was a time when Honda controlled any young rider who emerged in motorcycling, but its market dominance has now swung to the side of MotoGP rival KTM and, to a lesser extent Ducati. Could this development have significant ramifications for the future?
Why Marc Marquez has to reinvent himself as a MotoGP rider
Marc Marquez's romp to victory at the Grand Prix of the Americas led many to believe the 'old' pre-injury Honda rider was close to coming back to his full powers. However, the 'old' Marquez will probably never exist again and instead he'll have to adapt to his new reality to return to title-winning ways in 2022
The Marquez self-preservation that fulfilled a COTA MotoGP “dream”
Marc Marquez scorched to his seventh Circuit of the Americas victory in MotoGP last Sunday with a display reminiscent of his pre-injury form. However, his path to the win across the weekend was in keeping with the current reality of his physical limitations, with self-preservation on Saturday key to his Sunday success
How Ducati has developed MotoGP's most versatile bike
His third place at Misano made Enea Bastianini the fifth different Ducati-mounted rider to score a podium in 2021. Amid a season that has seen one rider amass the bulk of Yamaha and Honda's success, the Ducati's versatility makes for a potent weapon, but the contribution of a former leading light shouldn't be forgotten
The next steps in the rebuilding of a stalled MotoGP career
Maverick Vinales’ early debut with Aprilia has been one of the most interesting plots of the recent MotoGP rounds. The results may not look standout on paper, but a closer inspection reveals just how much progress Vinales has truly made in understanding a bike that has taken him well out of his “comfort zone”
How ‘El Diablo’ and ‘the Beast’ starred in MotoGP’s Misano contest
On a day each of the podium trio could claim to be the star of the show, the San Marino Grand Prix will be remembered as a pivotal race in both MotoGP’s present and future. While Fabio Quartararo demonstrated his world title credentials just behind Francesco Bagnaia’s flawless victory charge, a new threat emerged from the shadows
How Ducati’s Aragon MotoGP win harks to its past and its future
Duelling against Marc Marquez at the Aragon Grand Prix, Francesco Bagnaia came out on top to secure a long overdue MotoGP victory. As Marquez likened Bagnaia to a Ducati title contender of old, it appears the Italian rider could finally start to fight for wins on a more regular basis
