British riders Jonathan Rea and Leon Haslam ensured the security of their 2012 seasons by renewing contracts with their respective World Superbike teams. Haslam re-upped with the factory BMW Motorrad team, while Rea comes back for another year with the Castrol Honda squad. Earlier in the season both riders’ futures seemed to be in flux, with the frustration of struggling to be competitive with the front-runners evident with both Rea and Haslam.
Rea was an early contender in 2010, winning four races including a double victory at Assen, but inopportune crashes blunted his title charge at the end, leaving him a distant fourth overall at season's end. He and the Castrol Honda team were expected to come out this year with all guns blazing, but a nasty high-speed crash during pre-season testing at Phillip Island set Rea back from the start. He managed to win the first race at the team’s home race at Assen once again, but a wrist injury suffered in morning warmup at Misano caused him to miss a good portion of the season in order to let it heal properly and avoid a career-threatening complication (such as the one which forced two-time WSBK champion James Toseland to retire).
Jonathan Rea (4) has decided...
Jonathan Rea (4) has decided to continue with Castrol Honda for the 2012 World Superbike Championship season.
“We started talking quite early this season and it was clear to me that everyone was aware that we were struggling with the bike in some areas,” admitted Rea. “After four years with this team, and even more with Honda, it was refreshing and inspiring to see how intent everyone was on addressing the problems. These are difficult economic times everywhere, but Honda and the team have increased their commitment and ticked all the boxes for me, so I’m really, really happy. There’s no championship left to fight for this season, but that won’t stop us trying as hard as ever for race wins. And the fact that we’re not battling for a title means that we can also continue our development work for next year. I’d like to thank Honda for the continued support and the team for everything they do for me. Together, we all have unfinished business in the World Superbike championship.”
Team manager Ronald Ten Kate knows how tough it’s been for Rea this year. “We are really happy to have Jonathan with us for a fifth year, especially after all his time on Honda machinery,” said Ten Kate. “We don’t need to explain how this year did not bring what we all hoped for, but, for both rider and team, there is a very big ambition for 2012. With ongoing and new development on the bike and a new drive within the team, we are totally committed to repaying Jonathan’s unwavering loyalty to us and Honda in the best way possible.”
Despite the team's struggles...
Despite the team's struggles during 2011, Leon Haslam has committed to the BMW Motorrad squad for 2012.
After finishing second overall in 2010, Haslam took on the considerable responsibility of joining the BMW factory team, who were still struggling with development of the firm’s new S 1000 RR superbike—specifically the electronics, which were manufactured in-house instead of the tried-and-true Marelli ECU that nearly all the other teams use. Haslam has scored a couple of podiums this year, but they’ve been the only bright spots in what has definitely been a tough season for the 28-year-old, as he and veteran teammate Troy Corser continue to fight an uphill battle of using races as development sessions. While some weariness of the project’s frustratingly slow progress could be detected in some recent interviews with Haslam, he also voiced the opinion that he’d like to see the BMW become a winner under his watch, rather than be left with a horde of “what ifs” should he move to greener pastures.
“I am really happy to continue the relationship with BMW Motorrad,” said Haslam in the team press release, “and I have full faith in the project. I cannot wait for the next year to start and to fight for the World Championship again. Now I can fully focus on the final three rounds of the 2011 season. I am optimistic to finish the year on a high.”