Jonathan Rea was practically perfect in the first race at Magny-Cours. Not only did he win, he dominated from the first to the last lap at a pace that was simply unbeatable for all of his rivals. A truly sensational performance by the Northern Irish, an appetizer for a sixth world title that is getting closer and closer for the Kawasaki rider.
“It was really difficult to stay ahead 21 laps – Rea commented – the race pace was incredible and I have to say that I had a really perfect set-up for the electronics of my bike. The guys in the garage did a great job Work and the Magny-Cours track have made a big leap forward with the new asphalt. To do 43 or 44 laps here means to drive hard, and in the wet we could do a lap in 1.48 minutes, which is amazing. I have to thank my team because when it rains you can never get the perfect set-up because the conditions change quickly. In some places you will find a lot of water, in others maybe not so much and the most important thing is the compromise. Today we had an excellent set-up, a nice compromise ”.
Today you were clearly superior in the wet. It depends what? Do you think you are the SBK’s most talented driver?
“I don’t know what my superiority depends on. Maybe it’s experience. The same bike, the same team, even the fact that I’m very calm in such different situations helps me. Sometimes it’s just adversely affected when the pressure is high. I always feel good under these circumstances, I don’t feel the pressure. I think it depends a lot on I’ve been here a long time. I don’t think it depends on my talent because I think there are other drivers on the grid who have a lot of talent but maybe they don’t have the right people around them, the right package, I can only care for the people looking forward to working in my corner of the garage. “
During your victorious run, did you think that the title was getting closer, did you feel any pressure?
“I don’t want to think about the sixth title. I’ll answer that question when and when he comes. Of course we did a great job for the championship today. This year, the most complicated thing compared to 2019 was the embargo periodbecause when it started I was fourth in the championship after Phillip Island. I worked hard on myself during the lockdown, then the team made good progress thanks to the tests over the summer. So when we got back into racing I was in really good shape and I knew I could be really strong. “
There are plenty of new rivals for you on the line. Did that make your plans difficult at times?
“It’s always difficult when you don’t fully understand your rivals. I drove very close to Rinaldi in Aragon and had to learn, for example, where he is strong compared to the other Ducati riders. But actually I always try to forget who I’m riding against and just try to do my best with my bike. “
But what happened in FP3?
“I was too confident. I was on hard tires and there was really a lot of water. The left side of the tire was colder than yesterday, but I didn’t feel the whole difference. It was just enough that I fell.” . It was a reminder for me to avoid doing anything stupid afterward. The idea in FP3 was to go back to the pits and then maybe do the start tests at the end. But that’s me, I like to drive and I’ve seen this once. Instead of waiting in the garage, I wanted to get out again and do a few good laps. So I immediately tried to go back to the pits, but a marshal pointed me in the wrong direction and I found myself at a point where I should have been back on track on the main straight. I thought if I cross the track they’ll give me a penalty or something. So I decided to stay there and wait. “
What will your festive t-shirt look like?
“I don’t know what the shirt will look like, I have no idea (laughs, Ed.)! I haven’t had a conversation with the team about the jersey. The first time I thought I could win the title.” here I was on the plane and thought, ‘Damn it, I could win the title this weekend.’ I was only talking about the color, not the graphics or the details. I don’t want to get too upset about it because there is still a lot to do. “
Audio recording by Riccardo Guglielmetti in Magny-Cours.