WSB: Rea refutes Suzuki MotoGP talk

Jonathan Rea has refuted reports that there’s a plot that would see him slot into Suzuki’s MotoGP team for 2018 in place of the struggling Andrea Iannone.

Rumours emerged a few weeks back that there was an idea to replace Iannone with the reigning world champion, but Rea has rubbished such talk. While he admits some conversations between his management and Suzuki might have taken place when it looked like Iannone may move to Aprilia to replace Sam Lowes, any such deal is now dead in the water with the Italian planning to remain at Suzuki for the second year of his two-year contract.

Rea is also under contract with Kawasaki, and while he admits contracts can be broken, he says he has no desire to leave his current position at present.

 “I will go to MotoGP when Kawasaki to go MotoGP,” he told MCN’s WSB reporter. “Right now my contract is with Kawasaki for next year and there are no plans for them to go to MotoGP next year or in the future.

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“The Suzuki story is a little bit sensationalised, but there were some talks in the middle of the season when Iannone was touted to go to Aprilia to replace Sam Lowes. My manager was speaking to some people but in the end Iannone has a two-year-contract and I have a two-year contract.

“Contracts are contracts and they can all be broken, whether it is with financial penalty or breaches of contract or whatever, but I have no interest to leave my contract now. Nothing is remotely interesting enough to leave it. I am on top of the world with the best manufacturer in WSB, loving my life and if Suzuki came knocking, they would have to give me a pretty good incentive to leave. I feel my heart is in WSB, but the middle of next year is a different story. My contract ends at the end of 2018 – like most other riders in MotoGP and WSB. I feel I’m in the best moment of my career right now, so we will see what the future holds.” 

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