"We made a small step forward on the bike. I'm just gutted..."

The 2025 season could be a crucial year for Jonathan Rea and the Pata Maxus Yamaha Team. However, their World Superbike campaign has gotten off to a rocky start.

As it has been widely reported Rea will miss the opening round next weekend at Phillip Island. The Northern Irishman has fractured three bones in his left foot and was declared unfit after a crash on Day One of the Phillip Island Test.

During the second day of the test, Rea sat on the sidelines but provided an update to WorldSBK.com. The 38-year-old explained how his Yamaha caused his injuries and why he cannot undergo surgery immediately.

"Honestly it was going so well, no issues, good plan, started fast - top four or five," Rea said on Day Two of the Phillip Island Test.

"I was working through it and was just about to put my first fresh set of tyres in for the last 20 minutes and on my first flying lap I just lost the rear, and it gripped, traction control picked it up abruptly and kicked me up, then I landed on the bike, and it threw me over, that was fine, I landed fine, but the bike was cartwheeling and landed right on my foot and did quite a bit of damage.

"They can't operate right now as there is massive swelling, so I’m getting a few different opinions from different consultants, asking about surgery, not surgery, a timeframe, so I don't know much right now.

"We made a small step forward on the bike. I'm just gutted, it doesn’t take much in racing to just keep that snowball effect rolling. We had a good winter test; it’s undone with that. I just have to take my medicine with this one and come back stronger.

"Day by day really, I don't really have a target. It doesn’t take a surgeon to look through the CT scans to see the damage, a bit of hyperbaric chamber and recovery, but I’m gutted."