Jonathan Rea on 'new Yamaha challenge after pondering retirement'

Six-time World Superbike champion Jonathan Rea says that he "pondered retiring" at the end of this season but that the opportunity to sign Yamaha "lit some fires" again.

Rea won six successive world titles with Kawasaki between 2015 and 2020 but has faced a particular struggle to remain competitive this year as defending champion Alvaro Bautista has again dominated the series with Toprak Razgatlioglu, his only real challenger.

"It needed something new or that (retirement) was a real option," admitted the 36-year-old Northern Irishman, who will replacing the departing Razgatlioglu in the Yamaha team.

"I'm still one of or the best rider in the world right now and to walk away from that would be a crying shame just because things aren't going right."