Jonathan Rea highlights the key areas Yamaha must improve
Today at 01:46 AM
Yamaha may have made a step but there is still more that they must do for Jonathan Rea.
After four days of pre-season testing, it has given Jonathan Rea a chance to evaluate his 2025 Yamaha R1. The Northern Irishman joined Yamaha at the start of the 2024 season and had a difficult first year in blue.
The 37-year-old needs a better second season with the Japanese manufacturer if he wants to sign an extension for 2026.
After two tests in Portimao and Jerez that were impacted by changing weather conditions, the six-time World Superbike Champion knows where he wants Yamaha to focus their development.
"It's been a solid test, we confirmed some new items both here and in Jerez that we were a bit unsure of for going to the first round so that's always a positive," Rea said after the Portimao Test.
"We didn't quite get down to any really meaningful race simulations or time attacks as the Portimão track was not in the best condition yesterday with a lot of rivers running through it at Turn 4 and Turn 14, but we could be fast enough to understand the bike and understand the feeling.
"We confirmed some development items and I could be quite fast on the race tyres. There are still some areas that we need to improve, I need a bit more stability and feeling on the front, and that's something we'll focus on during the Monday and Tuesday test at Phillip Island.
"This winter has been tough for the weather, but it's the same for everybody, we can be satisfied with the work we've done and now we move on to the first round. The target is to go to Australia and enjoy the bike, make no mistakes and score well in all three races."
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