Jonathan Rea & Xerox Ducati?

Quote from MCN

"We’ve heard Jonathan Rea has been offered British Superbikes again by Honda. He also has an offer to join Xerox Ducati but whether Rea would be happy being Troy Bayliss’s understudy for a year is another question. But it would put him in the hot seat for 2009 to lead the team when the Aussie retires."

I guess the only reason to stay is to win the BSB championship. If its something he has to do before moving on than so be it, but this is the sort of opportunity that most young superbike riders would kill for. It s a great chance to learn from a 2 time champion, learn the tracks and acclimatise to traveling and competing at a world level.

BSB is great, but it looks as though most of the top guys want to move on to a world championship level.

Leave and don't look back!

I disagree, he can learn to lead a team next year in BSB which will be valuable experience, and its worth hanging in Britain for one more year if he can get to motogp from there. The risk of going to world superbike is that he is accepting himself as a superbike rider and may never get a chance in the top ranks.

Thats a big 'if'. So he can either gain 'experience' riding an HRC kit bike within the same team or step up to a factory squad at a world championship level. How is staying in BSB teaching him anything he doesn't already know at that level?

Accepting a WSBK offer doesn't make him redundant as a rider, its a chance for him to ride at a step above BSB, on factory machinery with a manufacturer that is currently leading the MotoGP world championship. You make it sound as though his career is on the skids at 21 if he rides for Ducati.

Vermuelen, Toseland, Bayliss and Edwards all stepped up. I don't see how this opportunity is anything but positive for him. If he can't cut it at WSBK's with a factory squad then MotoGP should be out of his reach.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(vale4607 @ Aug 16 2007, 05:13 PM) [snapback]85034[/snapback]<div class='quotemain'>
1. Thats a big 'if'. So he can either gain 'experience' riding an HRC kit bike within the same team or step up to a factory squad at a world championship level. How is staying in BSB teaching him anything he doesn't already know at that level?

2. Accepting a WSBK offer doesn't make him redundant as a rider, its a chance for him to ride at a step above BSB, on factory machinery with a manufacturer that is currently leading the MotoGP world championship. You make it sound as though his career is on the skids at 21 if he rides for Ducati.

Vermuelen, Toseland, Bayliss and Edwards all stepped up. I don't see how this opportunity is anything but positive for him. If he can't cut it at WSBK's with a factory squad then MotoGP should be out of his reach.


1. He hasn't mastered BSB yet, there is still more to learn there. I also think experience at the forefront of a team, leading development and having to deal with being championship favorite are all things that would be good for him as a rider. Also there is no superbike more factory than an HM plant Honda, so moving to Ducati as a factory hold no advatnage.

2. I would imagine Ducati are looking for their next world superbike champion and as such will wanting to keep Rea in sperbike for the forseable future beyond Bayliss' retirement.

I would be disappointed if Rea took this ride because i think he will be ready to at least attempt motogp in the near future, world superbike will always be there if he fails. To me it seems like an unnecessary delay.

I agree with Tom, a championship is always good for you and the experience would be great for him. Like Tom said, he will obviously be championship favourite next year and that is good for him. I still think the oppurtunity will be there for him after next year, who knows, maybe even a Moto GP oppurtunity...