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After calling time on his full-time racing career in 2025, six-time WorldSBK champion Jonathan Rea has officially been announced as Honda’s new test rider.
After retiring from full-time racing in 2025, Jonathan Rea, a six-time WorldSBK champion, has been officially named Honda’s new test rider. Rea leaves a legacy with six titles, 119 wins, and 264 podiums – all-time records in the series. Although receiving test ride offers from Yamaha and BMW, Rea chose Honda due to discussions about a possible factory team seat for the Suzuka 8 Hours in 2026. Returning to Honda after starting his career there, Rea joins MotoGP’s Somkiat Chantra and Moto2’s Jake Dixon in the new Honda lineup. Rea expresses excitement about contributing his experience to support the development of Honda’s CBR1000RR-R and HRC factory team, aiming for a positive future with his former crew chief. Honda HRC Team Manager Mori welcomes Rea’s return, emphasizing the value of his knowledge and experience in further developing Honda’s Superbike project.
