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Jonathan Rea at the 2018 WorldSBK Qatar round
NEWS

Discover the magic: ‘Green Lines’ video series dissects the unparalleled success of Rea and KRT

Feb 142019

“Racing is 100% about confidence…and my team go-to-town for me every single weekend. It’s an infectious atmosphere and one you cannot manufacture so I’m very lucky to have that.”

2015, 2016 and 2017. One, two, three FIM WorldSBK world championships in a row and people were ravenous for the secret that Jonathan Rea and his Kawasaki Racing Team hold in their unrelenting seize-and-guard of title success. By the end of 2018 - and No.4 - the chemistry between the Northern Irishman, his crew and the Ninja ZX-10RR had reaching ‘liquid-gold’ proportions.

Rea has been asked to explain his phenomenal rate of victories that have made his union with Kawasaki the most prolific of any FIM motorcycle racing series in the last half a decade. It’s probably one of the questions he is always asked in the hundreds of interviews conducted before, during and after a thirteen-round, twenty-six race WorldSBK season.

Wishing to visualise and explore the ‘magia’ of the Barcelona-based KRT squad we’re proud to prize away some of ‘the lid’ in a show-and-tell of KRT in the three-episode ‘Green Lines’ series.

The truth is that 2019 could be the first authentic stir of the Rea-Kawasaki mixture with a fresh ingredient thrown into the pot. The team have dealt with rule changes that have inverted starting grids for the second race in a weekend (normally a penalisation to the #1) and technical restrictions that have sliced engine potential away from the Ninja.

 

But a new ‘challenge’ comes a bit closer to home with the first rider roster switch since JR squeezed on the green leathers.

 

Although it's a friendly face coming into the garage, 2018 British Superbike Champion Leon Haslam brings a wealth of international experience and pedigree. He’s not ready to assume the mantle of No.2 “2019 is a big, big year for me,” he says on film. “This opportunity I’ve got with the full factory Kawasaki team is the best of my whole career. Jonathan has proven for the last four years that everything is there. The bike and the team: it’s all capable.”

 

Haslam and his family have a rich history in the sport of motorcycling, something that stretches nearly fifty years. ‘Green Lines’ also takes a journey back just as Leon looks to push on forwards.

 

Don’t miss episodes two and three as 2019 WorldSBK pins the throttle on a new season. The rest of the pack will be trying to go ‘green’ again…except this time without envy.

Jonathan Rea lifestyle shoot Jonathan Rea at the 2018 WorldSBK British round Jonathan Rea at the 2018 WorldSBK Argentina round

THIS ARTICLE FEATURES:

Clement Desalle in superbike action Jonathan Rea

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