Jonathan Rea has admitted that if no 'competitive' options appear for 2026, he would be prepared to retire from racing.
After a difficult debut season with Yamaha and missing the start of the 2025 season with injury, Jonathan Rea has discussed his future in the World Superbike Championship.
Six-time World Superbike Champion replaced Toprak Razgatlioglu in the Yamaha factory team after spending nine years in the Kawasaki Racing Team.
However, after a disappointing year and a half with the Japanese manufacturer, Rea has admitted that he does not know what his options will be for 2026.
"I'm not involved in anything that's going on right now regarding the future and riders," Rea told SPEEDWEEK.com.
"Before Toprak left for BMW, in the ten or twelve years prior, I was always one of the first dominoes to fall. That's not the case anymore; I'm not a priority.
"What do I want? To regain my confidence in the Yamaha R1, like I had during the winter. I was competitive and felt I could fight for podium finishes. I haven't shown my full potential with this bike yet.
"Maybe the bike didn't allow me to, maybe I couldn't get the most out of it. I didn't have the perfect feeling, but it's there somewhere. I just need time, but we're already halfway through the season."
"I don't want to end my career on a low note," he continued.
"I want to be competitive. Toprak, Bulega, and Locatelli have taken their places, and now we're talking about second places. I don't know yet what my options will be.
"My idea is to make a decision after Donington. If nothing exciting comes up, I'm prepared to stay home. But I want to know beforehand how competitive I can be with this bike and my crew.
"For me, this is unfinished business. The road can go either way: First, I have to figure out if I'm interested in continuing as I am now. And Yamaha has to figure out if they want to keep me on board."
In recent weeks, there have been reports that Rea has been in contact with the ELF Marc VDS Racing Team squad over a ride for the 2026 season on the new Ducati Panigale V4 R.
