Yamaha's Road Racing manager Andrea Dosoli says Jonathan Rea 'deserves to be' closer to the front

The six-time champion is 14th in the standings after the first four rounds, with Rea enduring further struggles at Misano in Italy last time out.

The 37-year-old crashed out of the opening race before finishing eighth in the Superpole race and 10th in Race 2.

Rea, 148 points behind title pacesetter Toprak Razgatlioglu, was left frustrated by his results as he searches for a breakthrough that will allow him to fulfil his full potential on the Pata Prometeon Yamaha R1.

Pata Prometeon Yamaha World Superbike rider Jonathan Rea

His team-mate, Andrea Locatelli, and Australian Remy Gardner on the independent GRT Yamaha have underlined the capabilities of the Yamaha but Rea has fallen below his own lofty standards since making the switch to Yamaha after nine seasons with Kawasaki.

The Ulster rider will now be hoping Donington Park represents a turning point when the Leicestershire circuit hosts round five from July 12-14.

Yamaha’s Dosoli admits that the situation is ‘difficult’ but has resolved to continue working to provide Rea with a package that allows him to challenge for the podium again.

“We arrived to Misano with Jonathan Rea with high expectations after a positive test last month, but the different track conditions did not help,” said Dosoli, referring to the higher temperatures for the race weekend.

“The team did not succeed in improving Jonathan’s feeling, meaning he could not improve on his lap time from the test.

“We clearly did not give Jonathan what he was looking for and as a result of this he qualified badly, worsened by the fact his quickest lap was cancelled.

“He made a good start in Race 1, improving a few positions in the first corners, but then he had a huge crash at the end of the first lap on one of the fastest corners on the track.

“Luckily he was not seriously injured, but the consequences of the crash did not help improve the feeling for Sunday, so the race results were not what any of us deserve as a group, the rider, the team or Yamaha.”

Dosoli added that Rea and his factory Yamaha team ‘deserve to be closer to the front’.

“This situation is difficult for all of us, and it is understandably becoming frustrating, especially for Jonathan,” he said.

“We are all working hard to understand what he needs in order to be able to progress and improve.

“As we have seen from Gardner and Locatelli, the potential of the R1 is there, we just need to find a way Jonathan can extract this potential, making him more comfortable and closer to the front where we all deserve to be.”

Turkey’s Razgatlioglu sealed a brilliant treble at Misano on the factory BMW M1000RR and now leads the championship by 21 points from Aruba.it Ducati’s Nicolo Bulega – last year’s Supersport title winner – with reigning champion Alvaro Bautista three points further back in third position.