‘I count my blessings it was just a foot’ – Rea on horror crash

Jonathan Rea feels fortunate that the injuries he sustained in a speeding collision in February during testing at the Phillip Island circuit weren’t more severe.

The six-time World Superbike champion was disqualified from Australia’s opening season of 2025, and he will miss this weekend’s second round of the championship in Portimao, Portugal, after breaking several bones in his left foot in the “horrible” collision.

The Northern Ireland rider is recovering at home after having successful surgery in Belfast.

“I have horrible crash footage,” I said. I suddenly felt like I hit a wall or something after what appeared to be a small, minor crash. In an interview with BBC Sport NI, the 37-year-old claimed that her bike had picked up momentum and had started flipping in the air. It then came down and struck my foot quite forcefully.

You’re also very unlucky because it’s on fine margins, even if that had been an upper limb, a chest, or worse.

Rea explained that during the initial weeks following the accident, he experienced significant pain and found that time mentally challenging.

I have three plates and six screws, which made the initial weeks very painful. Additionally, it was mentally difficult.

I’m feeling good about myself and have resumed some sort of training regimen, but my foot fracture was much more complicated than I had anticipated.

Rea claims that the ongoing healing process is now “a waiting game,” which could also result in him missing the series’ third round on April 11 to April in Assen, Netherlands.

“It’s just going to take some time,” he said. Next week will be when I’ll be able to determine whether or not the previous five weeks have been productive.

“My home has been a workaholic.” I immediately went out and purchased a hyperbaric chamber, checked this morning, and have spent 63 hours working since the accident, which is typically just a few hours per day.

My diet has completely changed, and I’ve got an ice compression machine in which I’m constantly using, just doing everything I can. There are bone-healing ultrasound machines, acupuncture, physio, and acupuncture. The bone needs to heal, but this gives it the best chance possible.

Rea says he won’t be too hasty despite his obvious desire to return to the track as soon as possible.

“I’m now back to a good level of training, and I’m waiting for the bones to knit,” he said. We’ll get some good pictures of that the next week.

The doctor advises giving it some time. I love the song Assen, but it’s only two weeks away and it’s fast approaching.

Rea’s first season in the Pata Yamaha squad ended up being disappointing because he only managed one podium and a lowly 13th place in the final standings following a smashing partnership with Kawasaki, which led to those six world titles.

He said, “Last season was one of the roughest in my career, there were times when we were manufacturing optimism, but this year there was real optimism.”

“Winter went well, I felt good on the bike, things were going well together within the team, and then there was a massive curveball the first day of the pre-test round one.” It couldn’t have arrived at a worse time, evaded.