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Jonathan Rea (Honda HRC) is preparing for his MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship comeback at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve, where he will compete in factory Honda colours. The six-time Champion announced his retirement from full-time racing at the end of the 2025 season, but quickly signed as a test rider for Honda, and that has given him the opportunity to race in Round 2 of the 2026 season, the Pirelli Portuguese Round.

18 YEARS LATER: “It really is a full circle moment…”

It’s a full-circle moment for the six-time Champion, whose WorldSBK debut came at Portimao in 2008 when racing on Honda machinery for Hannspree Ten Kate Honda. He claimed eight rostrums at the Portuguese venue for Honda, including a win in Race 2 in 2014, before moving on to Kawasaki, where his unprecedented run of success really started. 18 years later, the #65 is preparing for his first race back on Honda machinery, and he spoke about how excited he was for the opportunity.

Discussing the story of restarting his Honda career 18 years on at the same venue, Rea said: “It’s a nice story! In 2008, I was able to be on the front row of the grid with Troy Bayliss, an icon of WorldSBK, in his last race, so that was a special day for me. I didn’t think about this concept or story so much when the deal came about, and speaking with HRC and Chris Pike, really, but it really is a full circle moment. It makes sense. I’m just happy to be back in Honda red and doing the best I can.”

REA’S THOUGHTS: “I’m very much still retired… I’m back to being in a really good way”

The Ulsterman was quick to make a joke about his short-lived retirement on social media when it was announced he would replace Dixon, posting a picture from winter testing with the caption “That ‘retirement’ lasted long”. Speaking ahead of the visit to Portimao, Rea explained that he’s ‘very much still retired’ and discussed how the opportunity came about to race just two rounds into his full-time retirement.

Rea stated: “I can very much assure you that was an Instagram post; I’m very much still retired! Unfortunately, it’s a replacement ride for Jake, so first and foremost, we send him all our best wishes. He’ll join us this weekend at the track. I hope he can return as fast as possible. When Honda HRC ask you to replace a rider, they’re not really asking you; it was kind of my job to come here. I thought, ‘Why not?’. It’s a good opportunity to get behind the lights again. I didn’t finish in the best way at Jerez. I’m enjoying this new challenge. I actually really enjoyed the bike during the winter. In the limited number of laps we did, I enjoyed it. It’s a track I know well, and I’m looking forward to the weekend, of course, trying my best for the Honda HRC team, but also to keep working on development on the bike.”

He also provided an update on his fitness, given he suffered a knee injury at Jerez last year: “To be honest, when I discussed this opportunity with HRC, I knew in the background there was going to be some wildcard appearances. We just had to select which ones during the season. I always knew there was that opportunity to race again. In the wintertime, I tried to recover from my injuries. I had two surgeries, one to repair the damage to my right knee at Jerez and secondly, just five weeks ago, to remove the metalwork in my left foot. Honestly, I’m back to being in a really good way. I couldn’t explain how much pain I was in last year to the media and my rivals, but last year after the crash at Phillip Island, I couldn’t walk without pain. Now this is gone, I feel so much better. I’ve been able to train better and much more lightly as well because I have no metal plates in my foot. Looking forward to this and seeing how we can really get on at a track that’s familiar.”

NO EXPECTATIONS: “I have no goals, just try to come out of here healthy and to work in a good way with the team”

Rea replaces Jake Dixon for the Portuguese Round as the #96 continues to recover from the fractures he sustained during the Official Test at Phillip Island. However, it will not be the first time Rea has jumped on the Honda CBR1000RR-R SP this year, having tested in the winter and recently at Portimao alongside Somkiat Chantra, who will be the Ulsterman’s teammate for this weekend.

Discussing his goals for his comeback, Rea said: “I don’t have results or goals in mind, because I’ve not done so many laps and definitely not competitive laps with the current grid. We’ll have to see how we are in Free Practice 1. Probably more of a conversation for the end of Friday. For me, I have no goals, just try to come out of here healthy and to work in a good way with the team, enjoy and keep moving the bike forward. If we can tick those boxes, it’ll be a successful weekend.”

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