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Jonathan Rea has fond memories of Magny-Cours, and in 2020 he could create some new ones. The first day of practice on the French track was positive for the reigning World Champion, who finished second in the combined standings. Nothing new for Johnny, whose first goal is to think about himself, without worrying about his rival Scott Redding. “I haven't talked to the team yet to be honest - said Johnny - but I don't want to know Scott's position during the race”.
Speaking about today, the Northern Irishman already went amazingly well in FP1, in which he put more than a second between himself and the first of his pursuers. “I don't exactly know how I managed to be so fast: in some corners I found the limit earlier than the others, and certainly my experience on this bike helped me”.
Another important factor linked to Rea's day (but not only his) is the resurfacing of the track, judged positively by the Kawasaki rider.
“They did a good job with the resurfacing. The grip level has risen even if in some areas it could be more, there are still some very bumpy areas, which caused a few crashes. The times have dropped compared to the past, which is a good sign, and I think these improvements can also be found in dry conditions. "
One sore point however of the track concerns Turn 5, one of the most famous of the French circuit, today characterized by some difficult moments for the riders.
“That corner could cause problems, as you arrive very fast and you are naturally inclined to move to the left, where however there are several dips, which means you have to take a different line. In the race, all this can be a risk factor, but we'll see. In general, there were some strange crashes today, for example that of Caricasulo, who lost the front very early and in a strange way ".
In conclusion, Johnny set the goal (as predictable as possible) for tomorrow and had a few encouraging words for the latest generation of talented youngsters like Gerloff and Rinaldi.
"These conditions force you to stay even more focused than usual, but the goal remains the same: to win, which is easy to think about but difficult to achieve. As for Michael and Garrett, they are doing a great job, and it is both good and useful for the championship that young riders are emerging. Another point in favour of Superbike is the fact that there are three different manufacturers in the front, a sign that some of the manufacturers are doing a good job ”.
