After race two at Donington, when asked if there was anything new with regard to his plans for 2019, three-times World Champion Jonathan Rea said that there was.

“Yes. Right now I am discussing with my team in Superbike, to extend my contract, which I am excited about,” he stated. “We are also evaluating some interest and offer from the MotoGP side. I am sure before Brno, I will know exactly what I am doing and at that point you guys will know as well. That all there is to say.”

Rea has said in the past that MotoGP would only be interesting for him – or any other rider in WorldSBK in reality – if you have a top bike and could fight for the top positions. When asked of he was talking to some of the factory teams Rea simply said, “yeah.”

Before it was made public today that Toprak Razgatlioglu has re-signed with his Kawasaki Puccetti Racing team, Rea heaped praise on the up and coming talent of the young Turk, at that stage a possible team-mate for 2019.

But even on Sunday evening at Donington, Rea felt that if he stayed put Tom Sykes would most probably be his team-mate again.

“I guess Tom is going to be my team-mate. You guys know more than me.”

With a million possible 2019 rider permutations, often utterly contradictory, flying around at Donington, what is said and what is known were frequently different. But with Razgatlioglu signed again with Puccetti that is one rider at least out of the running for a KRT seat next year.

Rea staying put in KRT seems to be the most credible outcome after a weekend of endless rumour and counter-rumour.