Jonathan Rea: Retiring six-time World Superbike champion to miss final race

Jonathan Rea’s World Superbike career has ended a race earlier than planned after he crashed out of the Superpole race at Jerez.

The six-time champion had planned to retire after the final event of the season in Spain.

However, an injury sustained in the Superpole sprint race on Sunday morning has ruled him out of taking the start of his final race.

Rea came together with Australia’s Remy Gardner on early on the opening lap and was carried out of the gravel on a stretcher.

A statement from his Yamaha team said the 38-year-old has sustained a “right knee sprain and contusion with functional impairment” and was ruled out of his final race.

It is a sad end to the racing career of the most decorated World Superbike rider of all time.

The Northern Ireland rider won six titles in a row from his first championship in 2015 to his final triumph in 2020.

He won a record 119 race wins and secured 264 podiums in his World Superbikes career.

Rea also crashed out of Saturday’s feature race in Spain and his second incident of the weekend has brought a glittering career to a close.