Six-time World Superbike Champion Jonathan Rea has announced that he will retire from full-time motorcycle racing at the end of the 2025 season.

“JR” who is 38 years old and hails from North Ireland posted a video on his Instagram page announcing the news while also explaining the reasoning behind his decision. He had also hinted that he would be involved with racing in a different way. Given that Rea stated he was retiring from ‘full-time’ racing, this could mean that a test rider role could be on the horizon.

Rea is the most successful WorldSBK rider of all time after winning six consecutive titles between 2015 and 2020 for Kawasaki, while having the distinction of owning 119 victories throughout his WorldSBK career. He also has the the most podium finishes – a whopping 264 of them.

Unfortunately, the last two seasons have been tough after switching to Yamaha. Rea stood on the podium once in 2024, before suffering an injury during pre-season testing this year. He sustained multiple fractures to his left foot and missed the opening three rounds.

“I’ve been thinking about this day for a long time and very I’ve decided to step away from full-time racing and retire,” Rea said on social media. “This sport has been everything to me from growing up as a child in Northern Ireland dreaming of racing bikes, to standing on the top step of the WorldSBK Championship, winning races and world championships.

“Throughout my career I’ve only ever had one goal, and that was to win. That mentality defined who I was. I never raced to make up the numbers, I raced to be the best. But the time has come to listen to my body, my mind, and most importantly, my instinct.

“If I can’t race to win, then it’s time to step away. I have the same love for the sport that I had on day one, to right now in this present day. I’m incredibly proud of what I’ve achieved during my lengthy career; six world championships, more than 100 race wins and so many other accolades along the way.

“These are some records that I never imagined could be possible, but it’s not the records, the trophies, or the race wins, it’s the people and the memories that I take with me forever. I’ve had the honour of working with some incredible teams, sponsors and engineers during my career. You’ve all been part of this journey and I’m incredibly grateful that you’ve let me live my dream.”

“To my family, mum and dad, brothers and sisters, thank you so much for all your sacrifice during the early days of my career. To my wife Tatia and our kids, Jake and Tyler, thank you so much for being my anchor and my rock during the good and all the tougher times,” Rea continued.

“To all my rivals and competitors during my career, thanks for making me dig deep. I was such a better rider because of you guys. To all my fans, thanks for you unbelievable support and loyalty. All the support during good times and bad times have really helped me through and gave me the career that I dreamed of.

“Whilst I’m stepping away from full-time racing, this isn’t goodbye. I’ll always be a part of this sport, just in a different way. So, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for everything. It’s been one hell of a ride. I’ll see you in the paddock.”