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

Jonathan Rea feels fortunate the injuries he sustained in a high-speed crash during testing at the Phillip Island circuit in February were not more serious.

The six-time World Superbike champion was ruled out of the 2025 season opener in Australia and will also sit out this weekend’s second round of the championship at Portimao in Portugal after sustaining multiple fractures to his left foot in the “horrible” crash.

The Northern Ireland rider subsequently had successful surgery in Belfast and is continuing his recovery at home.

“I have footage of the crash and it’s horrible. What seemed like a small little crash, all of a sudden I felt like I hit a wall or something. My bike had picked up momentum and had started flipping in the air and it came down and hit my foot quite aggressively,” said the 37-year-old in an interview with BBC Sport NI.

“If that had been an upper limb or a chest or worse, I count my blessings that it was just a foot but you’re also very unlucky as well because it’s fine margins.”

Rea explained that he had considerable pain in the first couple of weeks after the crash and also found that period mentally challenging.

“It was really painful in the first couple of weeks, I have three plates, six screws. It was mentally tough too.

“I’ve got back to some sort of training regime, feeling good in myself but unfortunately the fracture to my foot was a lot more complicated than I thought.

“Displaced fractures, a ligament graft as well, and with it being a load-bearing part of your body it just needs time to heal, so I’m doing everything in my power to massage that healing process.”