Jonathan Rea admitted he was “not prepared” for Portugal’s WorldSBK spherical after lacking out on a top-10 end in all three races.
Rea, who retired from full-time racing on the finish of final season, makes his debut with Honda since becoming a member of the manufacturing facility as a World Superbike check rider on the finish of 2025, changing Jake Dixon, who was unable to experience as a consequence of damage.
The Northern Irishman has received 13 races at Portimao, so it appeared like the proper place to start out as a alternative for HRC.
Nevertheless, as a consequence of a number of surgical procedures over the winter on a knee injured within the closing spherical of Jerez in 2025 and a foot injured in 2024, Rei was solely in a position to cowl the restricted quantity of testing he was in a position to do over the winter, in addition to the quick distances within the two-day WorldSBK check in Portimao on March ninth and tenth.
This meant that Rea had not lined any race distance on the Honda earlier than race certainly one of Saturday’s Portugal spherical, which triggered a “shock” to his physique.
“It was a horrible solution to finish the weekend as a result of I completed the race weekend within the medical heart in Jerez,” Rea instructed WorldSBK.com after race two in Portimao.
“So I wish to thank HRC Honda for giving me the chance to come back right here and really feel just a little bit higher.
“However trying again on the weekend, it was more durable than we anticipated, particularly by way of outcomes.
“Bodily I wasn’t prepared.
“I’ve had two surgical procedures because the offseason and I have been recovering. 20 laps was a shock to my system as a result of I had accomplished 5 or 6 laps in testing and nothing had ready me for it.”
“If I do that job, I will have just a little extra alternative to race throughout the season, and I will be a lot better ready for the races than I’m right here.”
The Dutch spherical in Assen can be held three weeks later from April seventeenth to nineteenth. Whether or not Dixon is match for that spherical will decide whether or not Ray races there or not.
