With 12 wins and podium finishes in the opening 20 races, Jonathan Rea went into the Spanish round of the 2015 Superbike World Championship with a massive 144-point lead. He needed only to finish in the top nine to be sure of the title. And he did it. The Kawasaki factory rider secured his first Superbike World Championship at Jerez, after finishing fourth in both races this past weekend. With this crown, Rea becomes Northern Ireland’s first motorcycling world champion since Joey Dunlop and Brian Reid, the two legends he paid homage to in an honor lap. Cycle World: Congratulations! How do you feel to be a world champion? JR: “It’s a strange feeling. I have been dreaming of this moment since I was a kid. I cannot quite believe it. It’s fantastic! I started in motocross when I was 6. I grew up in a racing environment and I have always dreamed of being word champion to the point where I was racing on a bicycle when I was seven or eight and I was commentating on my racing, pretending that I was world champion. This title is the result of hard work, sacrifice and dedication. I was only 6 years old, when I started in motocross. We used to take the boat on the weekend to race in the UK. This was a massive sacrifice in terms of time and money for my family.” CW: When did you realize you could actually win the title? JR: “Honestly, the moment I realized I could win the title was last November. We did a test at Aragon and after four or five laps I entered the pits with a big smile. We had such a competitive package: My bike was stable and very easy to ride.” 
CW: During the celebration lap you wore two special helmets. Was this a tribute to your country? JR: “I come from a very small island in Northern Ireland. The last Northern Ireland’s world champions were Brian Reid and Joey Dunlop in 1986. When I grew up racing, Joey was an inspiration to me. Also, my grandfather was involved in his career. I wanted to pay respect to these two champions and to my country. I’d like to thank Brian Reid for giving me the helmet and the Dunlop family for finding the actual helmet of 1986. It was an honor to wear those helmets.” CW: How was your race? JR: “After qualifying, I expected to win, but in the race the bike felt differently. I did the lap record in the second lap, but then I felt I had a problem with the front tire. I had many warnings. The bike was sliding and understeering in any corners. At lap six, I was really worried I couldn’t keep the pace. Lap after lap I was only thinking of the championship. ‘Just be smart,’ I kept repeating to myself. We didn’t change anything for race 2, but I had the same problem.” CW: Did you expect to lead the championship right from the first round with a new machine and a new team? JR: “I expected to be fast, but being this strong was beyond my wildest dreams. It was like I was going to wake up and find the dream finished. Kawasaki gave me the tools to do a good job and we worked hard throughout the whole season. Dominating as we did [20 podium finishes and 12 victories] shows that I was strong, but the team was too. We got the worst results of the season this Sunday at Jerez with two fourth places.” 
CW: You switched to Kawasaki after six seasons with Honda. Any regrets? JR: “No regrets, because the Honda opportunity was always the best for me. The contracts they offered me have always been very good for me and my career. I learned a lot from working for so many years in a private team with a lot of support from Honda Europe. It was not an easy decision. Life was comfortable with Honda. I did my best and if I finished sixth, people respected me because the machine was not so competitive. Now that I am part of a factory team, I understand even better the efforts made by a factory and I feel proud of the work done in the last years with Honda. It taught me a lot about riding techniques and about being a consistent rider.” CW: How was joining Kawasaki and Tom Sykes? JR: “Sykes was clearly the number one rider when I joined Kawasaki. I had a lot of pressure; if I was beaten, I had no option. In the beginning, I felt like the number two. Also, from the management side, I felt like I was the back-up plan. I believed in my ability to do a good job, and race after race the situation became more even. I could show my potential and I started to feel more comfortable.” CW: Are you already thinking of your next challenge? JR: “Winning the world championship is one of the most difficult things I have ever done. Reconfirming myself will be even more difficult. But I’m really excited. On October 8, we will launch the new bike in Barcelona. I’m proud to be part of this new project. It gives me a new motivation for this winter. We want to make the bike even better.” 
CW:Kawasaki is not planning a return to MotoGP. Will you remain in Superbike or do you have MotoGP in mind? JR: “I have one more year on my contract with Kawasaki in World Superbike, and I don’t want to think too far ahead. Honestly, I feel I missed the chance to move to MotoGP. I believe in my ability, but I’m 28. I raced in MotoGP twice to replace Casey Stoner in 2012, so I understand the level of the machines and the riders. The level is so high that you have to go with the best equipment. Otherwise, it’s better to remain in Superbike with a competitive machine. I’m really enjoying my life in Superbike and I think I will continue here.” CW: How do you compare the Superbike paddock to MotoGP’s? JR: “I never understood MotoGP. I love bikes and I love racing, and for sure people are happy to race there, but if you look at most of the faces in MotoGP, they are serious and they don’t seem to be enjoying it. My philosophy is to enjoy. I have been in the Superbike paddock for so many years and I’m relaxed. I like the spirit of Superbike, which is so close to the heart of the people. The paddock is open and theoretically the fans can buy the same bikes. MotoGP is the pinnacle of racing, but everything is scheduled and the fans don’t have the chance to see the riders. The SBK paddock is full of families and riders with kids. I also have one and when it’s possible my wife and my kid join me. I like this; otherwise, racing is a lonely sport. If you do it by yourself, it is a lot of lonely hotel rooms and living out of the suitcase. I am lucky to travel with my family.” 
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