Jonathan Leah’s podium fight and top six finish at the French Worldsub made it one of the best rounds for the Yamaha Riders of the 2025 season.
The French round was the first since the announcement of a summer rarer that he would retire from full-time races on world superbikes at the end of the season.
His fight in Race 2, which concludes in the top six, proved that he still has a desire to compete.
“If you think I’m quietly away, you’re wrong! I have a fiery passion for competition,” Jonathan Lea told worldsbk.com after Race 2 in France.
“Of course, it’s good to compete for the podium. It’s given us a little fight and we can be very pleased with the job. But I want to fight head on.
“But I had a bike that allowed me to do that first. I was able to feel better with the Yamaha R1 until I lost the traction in the front.”
The positive results for Race 2 came from the Super Pole Race on Sunday morning. There, REA was able to make itself the starting position of the previous three times.
“When I finished seventh, it was a great opportunity to see what my rhythm really was like this weekend, as (A) was off to a good start and because the Super Pole wasn’t very good for us. I found a good feeling on the bike, but we couldn’t exploit it,” Lea said.
“I found myself in a fight with Alex (Laws) and Petrucci.
“I think I just got a little arrested behind Danilo because my pace felt better, but perhaps naively, I started fighting Alex for the podium.
“When I went through it, I started to get very excited and didn’t make any mistakes, but there was no rhythm.
“It actually left us with time in the group behind us and allowed Mickey (van der Mark) and Alvaro (Bautista) to join the group as he went through.
“So, to be honest, it was a good fight until the end.”
I was also pleased with the REA results because of the way he rode and how he struggled in the past with the Yamaha R1.
“The P6 is really positive for us,” he said.
“It comes from what we have at the start of the season with injuries, disappointments, tough races, but I feel like I’m starting to get to bike as it’s being called for.
“I enjoyed the track here at Magny Cours, but it didn’t start as much as I expected, but it ended strong and gives me the confidence to go to Aragon and finish the year strong.”