Consistency Pushes Rea To Win Number Four

Pata Honda’s Jonathan Rea claims consistency was the key when it came to taking home maximum points in the second World Superbike race at Portimao this afternoon. 

The Northern Irishman kept his lap times within the 1’55’s and 1’56’s throughout the 18-lapper, leading him to eventually take the victory. But he did benefit from the crashing Aprilia duo of Sylvain Guintoli and Marco Melandri who collided into each other coming out of turn five. Rea believes that the pair would have overtaken him to take the win - if they stayed on their bikes. 

“I knew that if I could do my pace then what would be would be. It is very easy in the wet to try too hard and make a mistake. I knew it was important to gather points after an average race one result,” said Rea, speaking to bikesportnews.com at the track. 

“The tracks were drying a lot mid distance. I knew the Aprilia guys were catching me so fast and as a sitting duck as there was nothing I could do about it, and I was happy that there were only two riders behind me, then I heard some scrapping on track and I knew that something happened. 

“Days like this – I cant get too excited about it as it's  a wet weather win, and would have been nicer in the dry, but it is credit to the guys that they gave me a good bike, and I was confident in the conditions. I was able to make up for the disadvantages when it is dry. 

“I was paying attention to where the Aprilia’s were on track and I checked in turn 8 over my shoulder and I saw by my pit board that they were out, and I am sure they would have got ahead of me if they were more patient as I had no chance at the rate they were catching me. 

“We had a wet setup where we changed a lot of the bike so it is completely different to the dry. I am not thinking of the championship, but I will never give up but you have to be realistic about these things. But I am now looking forward to the next round.”