WorldSBK champion Jonathan Rea is rumoured to be in talks with Petronas Yamaha SRT for MotoGP 2022

When it comes to the Greatest of All Time (GOAT) in WorldSBK, it's hard to deny that Kawasaki Racing Team's Jonathan Rea should be at the very top of that list. The six-time WorldSBK champion (which he won back-to-back since 2015) is also reigning dominance for the 2021 season, but will this be his final year in the FIM Superbike World Championship?

According to some folks, the 34-year-old Irish rider is in talks for a possible move into MotoGP in 2022. Well, it's been like that for several years now when talking about Jonathan Rea, but his main reasons for always maintaining his stance in WorldSBK are the package Kawasaki is offering him right now, and what he's looking at in order to move up to MotoGP.

He's adamant that only a perfect package that involves a seat on a factory-spec bike will get him to move, which is why the rumour of him moving up to MotoGP 2022 is stronger than ever. Looking at the fact that Yamaha will go through a major shift with Maverick Vinales leaving, Valentino Rossi possibly retiring, and Franco Morbidelli moving up to the factory squad, Yamaha is looking into filling up two of its possible vacant seats.

The Petronas Yamaha SRT squad is currently in talks with a few folks, but their goal has always been to develop young, up-and-coming riders. With a few options diminishing away (Garrett Gerloff and Toprak Razgatlıoğlu choosing to stay with Yamaha in WorldSBK 2022), some Moto2 riders are currently in the picture alongside Jonathan Rea.

It would take a very lucrative offer to lure Jonathan Rea away from Kawasaki, but like every rider, the idea of dominating MotoGP is always in the mind. When asked about the whole situation, Rea's strongest comment was "There’s always the opportunity and it’s always in my mind. I feel like I’m riding the best I’ve ever ridden and that I’m really in the peak of my life balance, so you know, never say never."