Jonathan Rea (Pata Maxus Yamaha) will take no further part in either the Official Test or the Australian Round after being declared unfit with multiple fractures to his left foot. The #65 crashed at Turn 2 during Free Practice 1 for the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship which brought out the red flags, while Rea was taken to the medical centre for a check-up. Following further evaluation and assessment, the Ulsterman was declared unfit for the remainder of the Official Test and the Australian Round which takes place next week.
Rea finished FP1 in 15th place although had been running on the fringes of the top ten before his crash and other riders finding time. His best time was a 1’30.885s and he’d completed 20 laps prior to his fall which has now ruled him out of the season-opener at Phillip Island at the weekend. Rea will undergo treatment on his return to Europe.
A statement from Yamaha said: “Jonathan Rea will miss the opening round of the 2025 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship after a crash on the first day of testing at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit. Rea fell on the exit of Turn 2 in the closing stages of Monday’s first two-hour test session. He was taken to the circuit medical centre, before being transferred to Cowes for further assessment where it was confirmed he had sustained multiple fractures to the left foot. He will take no further part in testing or the upcoming race weekend.”
Speaking after the day’s action concluded, Pata Maxus Yamaha Team Principal, Paul Denning, said: “It wasn’t an easy day on Jonathan’s side and a bitterly disappointing day for him and his crew and for everybody in the Yamaha WorldSBK project. We’ve had such a step over the winter with Jonathan and his confidence and comfort on the R1, and his ability to be consistent and smooth and get the best out of the bike. Everything was looking normal today, but Phillip Island has a habit of biting you quite hard sometimes. It’s a fast and very high grip circuit, but such a high grip circuit means when the grid releases… we’ve seen today many quite violent accidents, and Jonathan got unlucky with his left foot getting caught up in the bike and he’s broken some bones in the left foot. The next steps aren’t exactly clear, but the basic plan is to get back to the UK as quickly as possible and to have some surgery and start the recovery process.”
Denning also discussed whether Portimao was a realistic target for Rea’s return, saying: “At this stage, it’s difficult to say. I’d prefer not to say. He’s seeing a specialist here on Wednesday before he goes home to get, let’s say, a full initial report and understanding of the injury. After we have that and after surgery is planned, let’s see, but Portimao is not so far away so I think it’s going to be a big challenge.”
