Rea: Weight limit is ‘going to happen’ in WorldSBK, will it cost Bautista most?

Rea is not the first rider to discuss implementing weight limits between rider and bike over the last couple of seasons, as Scott Redding has also been an advocate for such rules in WorldSBK.

While Rea is shorter and weighs less than the likes of Redding, Loris Baz and the incoming Danilo Petrucci, the Kawasaki star is heavier than Bautista who had a clear advantage on the straights in 2022.

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Not all of that is down to Bautista’s slim frame because the Ducati is a quicker bike than the Kawasaki and Yamaha, for example, however, it’s clear that his weight gave him an advantage over title rivals Rea and Toprak Razgatlioglu.

Bautista’s team-mate Michael Ruben Rinaldi and Motocorsa’s Axel Bassani also appeared to be quicker on the straights when racing the likes of Rea and Razgatlioglu, although their ability to stretch out a considerable advantage was visibly less than Bautista. 

Speaking to bikesportnews.com, Rea said: "With the racing this year and Alvaro, who’s basically been able to push to pass on the straight, everyone was wanting that accelerator because he’s the only guy who is able to do that.

"I have to be fair and while Rinaldi is faster than me on the straight, I can still stick in his slipstream and not lose too much. 

"But Alvaro is another 10kg lighter than Rinaldi. He has no say in that and I’m sure he has his disadvantages from being that size, but to be consistent through all the classes it’s something that’s going to happen in the future and the sooner the better.”

"Scott [Redding] is carrying no body fat whatsoever but he’s a big strong lad, as is Loris Baz who is as lean as I’ve ever seen him. I think they'll be getting close to 100kg with all their kit on and they start the race with a huge disadvantage. 

"Their weight when accelerating, decelerating and changing direction is slower. Also, the energy they put through the bike and the tyres, but where do you stop."

Weight limits are already in place across WorldSSP and Supersport300, while the Grand Prix paddock also has such rules for Moto2 and Moto3.

However, Rea has confirmed that a weight limit in WorldSBK could come into effect by the 2024 season.  

Rea continued: "It’s not a pure athlete sport either and it's a production based championship. I’m not sure who introduced the conversation about weight limits but it’s working very well in other production championships, for example in Moto2, Moto3, Supersport World Championship and Supersport 300. It's a natural progression and from what’s been said it's going to happen in 2024."

While a weight limit could affect Bautista, the Spaniard showed in 2022 that he could win races at circuits that weren’t dominated by straights and were instead thought of as venues that would suit Rea and Razgatlioglu. Misano and Portimao are two examples, as is Magny-Cours.