Two top-five finishes on the Estoril World Superbike spherical left Jonathan Rea in a optimistic temper after the penultimate spherical of the 2024 season.
Rea was fourth in Race 2, a consequence which was his better of the season in a full-distance race.
The one poor consequence for Rea was his twenty second within the Superpole Race, which got here after a crash.
“About half distance I went into the chicane, and simply as I modified path I had some chatter and simply chattered off the sting of the tyre,” Rea advised WorldSBK.com.
“I used to be pushing, in fact, as properly, pushing on the restrict. I actually tried to put it aside.
“It prompted no harm to the bike or my leathers, it was fully on my elbow and my knee, and I attempted to really dig the entrance tyre in to hopefully decide me up, but it surely wasn’t coming round.
“Thankfully, there wasn’t anybody behind me or in my path.
“I used to be in a position to remount, and I really posted my quickest lap of the race after that and after I wasn’t in site visitors, in order that gave me some confidence that, not less than with the lengthy race and with the race tyre, that I might do a strong sufficient job.
“However the class is stacked proper now, so you must actually take good thing about observe place and do a extremely strong race simply to have one thing to shout about on the finish.”
Regardless of the crash, although, Rea mentioned that his Race 2 was barely sophisticated by his poor Superpole Race consequence as a result of his begin was so good.
“Sadly, simply didn’t begin my morning nice, in order that meant I began tenth,” he mentioned, “however that didn’t actually matter as a result of I made such a very good begin.
“That 0-200kph was good, and I discovered myself in good observe place for flip one.
“Iker [Lecuona] got here previous fairly early, so there was the entrance group, after which Loka [Andrea Locatelli], Iker, and me.
“The rhythm was very comparable, after which each these guys went down and out of the blue I discovered myself all alone and I used to be so nervous.
“From that time, I simply tried to do my rhythm — it felt like I’d been driving on the restrict, so I simply backed off that little bit, but it surely was an extended race, so it was nearly making an attempt to not make any errors.”
Rea took two top-five finishes from the races this weekend, leaving him feeling optimistic regardless of nonetheless important gaps to the leaders.
“5-4 for the weekend, it’s by far and away our greatest weekend, and one thing to construct on for positive,” he mentioned.
“The hole to the entrance continues to be fairly large, but when we neglect about that and have a look at the progress I’ve made and the crew’s made in these previous few rounds — getting back from harm in Aragon was a tricky one, so to rebound right here with some positivity, it’s been strong.”
It’s taken till spherical 11 of 12 for Rea to publish his greatest outcomes of 2024, one thing he says is right down to him persevering with to enhance his understanding of the Yamaha R1, particularly on new tyres.
“Our bike, we all know its weaknesses, however we all know it’s strengths, and it’s about making an attempt to use the most effective of the Yamaha R1,” he mentioned.
“Actually, I’m nonetheless getting there, understanding easy methods to get the most effective out of the bike with contemporary tyres. I believe slowly however absolutely we’re getting there.
“However, hopefully, if I’m there and capitalise and may begin trusting the bike on the restrict, I can get that observe place and be much less susceptible to passes.
“I wish to arrive tomorrow, but it surely actually is step-by-step, it’s taken loads longer than I anticipated to know all the pieces.
“I’ve purpose to be optimistic, we are able to’t quit on this. Particularly, on the finish of the season, we’re simply beginning to see some fruits of all our labour.”