Jonathan Rea Ruled Out Of Inaugural Cremona WorldSBK After Last Crash Led To Surgery

Jonathan Rea will miss this weekend’s World Superbike (WorldSBK) round at Cremona as he recovers from injuries sustained during the previous race in Magny-Cours, France.

Jul 5, 2017; Oakland, CA, USA; Professional motorcycle racer and superbike world champion Jonathan Rea walks onto the field before the game between the Oakland Athletics and the Chicago White Sox at Oakland Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Stan Szeto-Imagn Images / Stan Szeto-Imagn Images

Jonathan Rea will miss this weekend’s World Superbike (WorldSBK) round at Cremona as he recovers from injuries sustained during the previous race in Magny-Cours, France. Rea suffered a deep wound and a bone fracture in his right thumb after crashing on the first lap of Race 1 on September 7. Following the crash, Rea underwent specialist surgery on Saturday evening, which ruled him out of both the Superpole Race and Race 2 the next day. His recovery will keep him from competing in the upcoming round.

"Based on current medical advice, both from his surgeon in France and local medical team in Northern Ireland, Jonathan Rea will miss the Italian Round in order to allow the skin graft and internal repairs to his right thumb to fully heal," the Pata Yamaha team says. 

A return at the Aragon Round, which is scheduled for next weekend (27-29 September) remains a possibility.

Niccolò Canepa, Yamaha's official WorldSBK test rider, will replace Jonathan Rea at the Cremona round according to Crash.net. This comes just after Canepa announced his retirement from racing last week ahead of the Bol d'Or, a 24-hour endurance race. Despite facing a tire failure during the first stint, Canepa and the YART Yamaha team managed to finish in third place. Following his retirement after the race on Sunday, Canepa is now back in action just a day later, stepping in for Rea after a brief one-day break.

“The news may come as a bit of a surprise since I announced my retirement a couple of weeks ago," Canepa admitted. "But, to be honest, I am really proud to do one more race weekend – especially with this team, Pata Prometeon Yamaha, Crescent and Yamaha’s official R1 WorldSBK with this crew.

"I am really sorry for what happened with Jonathan and I wish him a speedy recovery. On the other side I am thankful to Yamaha for this opportunity. It’s always great to race for this team and to race for Yamaha in WorldSBK.

"Cremona is a track that I don’t know so well, I just did a few laps one day with the Yamaha R7 for the WorldWCR shakedown and I am aware that it is going to be a challenging weekend in terms of performance.

"For my job as the WorldSBK test rider, we may have something to test and if I can give feedback to help the other Yamaha riders on track then it will be 'mission accomplished'. I am really happy and looking forward to the 'very last' race weekend of my career now.”

Canepa's presence in Cremona means the Pata Yamaha team will field an all-Italian line-up at the Cisalpine venue, with Andrea Locatelli on the other side of the garage.

“I’m excited to be back on track," Locatelli said. "Especially in Cremona because at the test we did a really good job. I hope that we can find immediately a good feeling on the bike and on track."

Locatelli is heading into his home round at Cremona with a heavy heart, following the tragic death of fellow Italian racer Luca Salvadori last weekend. Salvadori, a beloved figure in the racing community, passed away in a motorcycle accident, and his loss has deeply affected many, including Locatelli. Heading into the Cremona round, Locatelli will likely be carrying the memory of his compatriot, adding an emotional element to his performance.

"Honestly, this week I think the Italian riders especially will race for Luca Salvadori," he said. "Luca was a special guy, a well-liked YouTuber and rider with the same passion as us – I am so sorry about what happened to him and the news of his passing was a shock to everyone, so for sure this week we will give something more also for this reason.

"Cremona is our closest 'home race' and I think we will see a lot of warmth from the fans for this event."