Argentina WorldSBK: Toilet-hugging night fails to stop Rea

Even when he is ill, with a vomiting and diahorrhea bug he picked up on Saturday evening, WorldSBK champ Jonathan Rea has enough rider and bike package to win a race that he had to start from the third row, and on a track with one line that grips, and all other areas were relatively slippery.

He went from ninth place to the race win just as assuredly as ever on Sunday, even if it took longer to do it this time.

In a second Villicum race that was way hotter than the first, Rea and his team just got the winning job done again.

How?

By providing the four-time champion with a bike that allows Rea to ride to his natural style.

It has been said before, in sometimes-whispered tones, but the regulation meddling that cleaved a large chunk of the Kawasaki’s horsepower off the top end has made the 2018 Ninja – eventually, after some early season chassis set-up headaches – an incredibly rounded, torquey and easy to ride machine. A mid season test at Brno in the Czech Republic allowed Race and his team to get the bike truly sorted, and he has never looked back, winning every race since Laguna in June.

This more rounded bike set-up may be bad news for a rider like Tom Sykes, who wants to brake hard, throw it in, and stand it up on full power in the exits, but for Rea there may be some part of the 2018 rules, which many say were designed to keep him in check, that have actually made his engine more suited to his flowing, more relaxed riding style.

“I feel that it has really helped our tyre consumption, that is one thing,” said Rea, who always has some rubber left at the end, however fast he has gone towards the final sector of his races. “The bike is easier to ride, so you can put more rider input into the bike. But of course we have lost a lot of our potential, our top speed. Now it is really difficult to pass – although I passed a Yamaha today, really fast on the back straight! I did not see that coming!”

Rea is certain that he does not have the same top end as the Ducati twin or the Aprilia vee four. “We are not more or less at parity with everybody, no way,” he said. “We are far behind Aprilia and Ducati. When you see them guys on the straight it is almost impossible. I think we are quite similar to Yamaha with top power on the straights.” Now that power disadvantage you might think would really kick in at Villicum, with its long back straight?

No matter the track, for Rea it is most important to have a balanced and fast enough package. Power is used less often then a strong chassis set-up. “It is not about power on the straights, it is about lap time,” said Rea. “Like the regulations, different bikes make different speed in different areas. Now we are carrying much more corner speed than ever before. Our braking potential is much better than ever before. I feel our bike is one of the best total packages. It is not the fastest bike, it is not doing everything perfect, but overall in terms of race performance I think we have the best package.”

In race two Rea had another unknown to deal with, a 15°C hotter track temperature than race one. It had more of an effect on his rivals and the track surface, than it did on Rea, who won a record ten-in-row at the completing of race two. “There was a noticeable difference today, especially entering the corners” said Rea. “And, also the track is in a little bit worse condition, with the tarmac coming up. Some areas, getting close to the apex where you are pushing the front tyre in to finish the corner. The temperature change was a good 15°C more on yesterday.”