Neil Hodgson predicts what Jonathan Rea would have achieved if he’d moved to MotoGP

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Jonathan Rea is ‘the GOAT of World Superbikes by miles’, in the words of Neil Hodgson. But he also remains one of MotoGP’s biggest ‘what-might-have-beens’.

Rea has won six world championships in the series, two more than nearest challenger Carl Fogarty. With 120 wins, he’s 42 clear of Toprak Razgatlioglu, MotoGP-bound next season with Pramac.

The Northern Irishman made two appearances for Honda in the premier class during the 2012 season after Casey Stoner suffered an injury. He delivered top-eight finishes in both races.

But as the retiring 38-year-old revealed in a recent interview with BBC Sport, he never received a satisfactory offer from the Grand Prix paddock. The best he got was a proposal from Honda to ride a ‘B-class’ bike in ‘the early days’, but he turned it down.

Jonathan Rea could have fought for a world title in MotoGP, Neil Hodgson says

Speaking during TNT Sports‘ coverage of Catalan Grand Prix practice in September, Suzi Perry admitted she was ‘still irked’ that Rea only dabbled in MotoGP.

Colleague Hodgson believes Rea could have fought for ‘regular’ podiums, which would have put him in the world championship picture.

Razgatlioglu is the only rider, he says, who could have challenged Rea’s WSBK records, but he got the MotoGP opportunity that never materialised for the Kawasaki legend.

“I’m still irked that we never saw Jonathan Rea in this paddock,” said Perry. “I would have loved to have seen him on a full-time ride.”

Hodgson replied: “In his prime – I’m not going out on a limb in saying that – Jonathan would have battled on the podium on a regular basis, and if you’re battling there on a regular basis, you have a chance to fight for a world championship.

“He was at that level in his absolute prime. You look at the stats – he’s absolutely obliterated every World Superbikes record. Victories, world titles, he is the GOAT of World Superbikes by miles.

“There’s no-one coming up that would have beaten him. If Toprak would have stayed, you could have said Toprak’s got a chance. That tally, that record that he’s got is going to stand for a very long time.”

Toprak Razgatlioglu already has one excuse if MotoGP move fails

Razgatlioglu nearly missed out on a MotoGP move himself because former Yamaha boss Lin Jarvis wasn’t keen on signing him. But his successor, Paolo Pavesio, was determined to give the BMW rider a shot.

Julian Ryder thinks Razgatlioglu can score a podium as a rookie, though he’ll need a ‘wacky’ race to do it. He’ll be racing with unfamiliar Michelin tyres next year.

Razgatlioglu thinks he can achieve ‘special’ things from 2027, when the sport switches to Pirelli rubber. All of a sudden, he’ll have the advantage when it comes to tyres.

In an early blow to the Turkish rider, Phil Marron will become Brad Binder’s crew chief instead, depriving him of one of his most trusted allies.