Jonathan Rea will remain with Ten Kate Honda for the 2011 WSBK season.

The Hannspree Ten Kate Honda team has confirmed that its Jonathan Rea will remain with the Dutch team for the 2011 Superbike World Championship season.

Rea joined the team in 2008 for the World Supersport championship and finished as runner up to his teammate Andrew Pitt.

He is currently in the second year of a three-year contract with the team and lies in third place in the 2010 World Superbike championship standings with four wins so far this year.

“I’m really happy to be staying with this fantastic team for another season,” Rea commented. “We’re all pulling in the same direction and we’re all really excited about the prospects for the Honda CBR1000RR.

“Even though I’m still only 23, the team has taught me an enormous amount about world championship racing, both on the track and off it and I’ve become a regular race winner. To become a championship winner, I recognise that I need continuity and that’s what I’ve got now.

“It’s no secret that my ultimate ambition is to compete in GPs but I’ll still only be 24 next season so I’m really happy to aim for the World Superbike title in 2011 and then hopefully take the next step forward after that within the Honda family.”

The 23-year-old, originally from Northern Ireland but now living on the Isle of Man, has displayed an impressive level of maturity and consistency in his first two seasons of World Superbike competition that has resulted in a total of six race victories and 18 podium finishes.

“It’s good to see a rider of Jonathan’s calibre spend his entire career to date with the Honda family,” team manager Ronald ten Kate said. “At the beginning of this agreement, it was always the intention of the rider, the team and Honda to stay together and we are very happy to see that realised now.

“Jonathan joined us in Supersport ranks in 2008 and his raw talent has combined with a great attitude and personality to turn him into a race winner. Next year, our only aim will be to turn that race winner into a championship winner.”