34 Facts About Jonathan Rea

Jonathan Rea was born on 2 February 1987 and is a Northern Irish professional motorcycle racer.

Jonathan Rea competes in the Superbike World Championship and is a six-time champion in the series.

Jonathan Rea is the first to have won the Superbike World Championship six times: in 2015,2016,2017,2018,2019 and 2020.

Jonathan Rea owns the highest number of SBK race wins, fastest laps, podiums and total points.

Jonathan Rea was named Irish Motorcyclist of the Year in 2007,2008,2011 and 2016.

Jonathan Rea was nominated for the 2017 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award, finishing in second place.

Jonathan Rea was British 60cc motocross runner up in 1997, before moving up through the motocross classes.

Jonathan Rea was not originally keen to switch to circuit racing as he considered it to be boring, but he was persuaded to by friends Michael and Eugene Laverty, contesting the 2003 British 125cc Championship.

Jonathan Rea showed his potential by snatching a pole position from the established names, and finished 16th in the series despite missing two races, at Snetterton after a heavy testing crash, and at Oulton Park after the death of a junior teammate in the previous event.

Jonathan Rea started the 2006 season strongly, lying sixth in the British Superbike Championship after five meetings.

Jonathan Rea impressed at Mallory Park too, qualifying on the front row and running second until high-siding in race one, despite having no race engineer for the weekend.

Jonathan Rea ultimately took fourth in the championship, ahead of the factory Honda of Karl Harris.

Jonathan Rea took Harris' factory ride for 2007, alongside reigning champion Ryuichi Kiyonari of Japan.

Jonathan Rea ultimately finished as the series runner-up, 26 points behind Kiyonari and 20 ahead of Leon Haslam.

Jonathan Rea attended the 2007 World Superbike round at Brands Hatch, as he began to explore international options.

Jonathan Rea turned down the option of staying in British Superbikes with either HM Plant Honda or move to Rizla Suzuki, and turned down a World Superbike ride with the factory Xerox Ducati team.

Jonathan Rea did win for Ten Kate at the Donington Park British Supersport race, which the team entered as practice for the later WSS race there.

Jonathan Rea did remount to finish tenth in the race.

For 2009, Jonathan Rea rode for the Hannspree Ten Kate Honda team in World Superbikes.

Jonathan Rea made the switch before the end of 2008, meaning that he made his WSBK debut in the final 2008 round at Portimao.

Jonathan Rea missed several rounds in 2011 after sustained arm and collarbone injuries in a high-speed accident during warm-up for the Misano event.

Jonathan Rea missed the final four races of 2013 due to a broken femur.

Jonathan Rea added a further win in Germany to finish fifth overall and second best rookie behind top rookie, Ben Spies, who won the World Superbike championship that year.

Jonathan Rea remained with Ten Kate for 2010, and scored a double victory at the team's home round at Assen, however this was followed by two crashes at Monza.

Jonathan Rea scored only seven points at Misano, as he fell behind Carlos Checa in the battle for third place in the championship standings.

Jonathan Rea dominated the season and won his maiden World Superbike title, with 14 wins.

Jonathan Rea remained with Kawasaki in World Superbike championship until 2024.

Jonathan Rea retained the title in 2016,2017,2018,2019 and 2020 championship, becoming the first man ever to win six successive superbike world championships.

On 9 June 2018, Jonathan Rea won the first race at Brno to take his 60th career win and surpass the record of Carl Fogarty.

Jonathan Rea made his MotoGP debut in 2012, replacing the injured Casey Stoner for the Repsol Honda team.

Jonathan Rea finished 8th in the San Marino race, held at Misano in Italy, and 7th at Motorland Aragon in Spain, before returning to World Superbike duties.

Jonathan Rea married Tatiana Weston, an Australian known as 'Tarsh' at a 2012 ceremony in the Lake District.

In 2021, Jonathan Rea obtained his UK motorcycle licence for solo road machines by undertaking a course in his native Northern Ireland having passed with no minors and having the driving instructor pass him a laurel and bottle of champagne for his achievements.

Jonathan Rea was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 2017 Birthday Honours and Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 2022 New Year Honours, both for services to motorcycle racing.