By Richard Petrie BBC Sport

Ballyclare rider Jonathan Rea steps onto the global stage when he competes in the first round of the World Supersport Championship in Qatar on Saturday.

Rea was runner-up in last year's British Superbike Series

And the 21-year-old, who finished second in last year's British Superbike championship, is not going just to make up the numbers as he rides for the HANNSpree Ten Kate Honda team which has claimed the title for each of the last six seasons.

Rea is not short of confidence and carries a heavy burden of expectation after his impressive displays on the British domestic racing scene in recent years.

"Some people have criticised the direction I have taken but I know what I am capable of and am determined to prove people wrong.

"I could stay in my comfort zone and compete in the British series but my aim is to win a world championship.

"It is a big challenge for me but I have trained really hard and have loads of motivation to win for the team and then move on to World Superbikes.

"There are five or six guys who can win the championship and I'm one of them so I want to stay injury-free, be consistent, not crash and finish every race strong.

"There is a bit of pressure but I know I am moving to a good team with a good chance of winning.

"I didn't want to go to a second rate grand prix team or World Superbike team and if I had stayed in Britain, I would have been one of the favourites for the championship, but a comfort zone does not interest me," emphasised Rea.

The former Red Bull Rookie has worked hard to overcome a knee injury and has been training hard for his debut in the competitive 600cc-based series.

"One week after my operation, I contracted an infection and had to spend another two weeks in hospital.

Jonathan Rea rode for HM Plant Honda last year

"This was followed by an intensive period of rehabilitation with one of the country's top physiotherapists under the supervision of one of the top knee surgeons in the country.

"Since then I have been doing a lot of swimming and cycling and have dropped from weighing 75 kilograms last year to 69 kilograms now.

"The key to doing well in this class is being light as you are dealing with a 140bhp bike rather than a 200bhp Superbike.

"I feel strong and well conditioned in the right areas, with two weeks of warm weather training at the start of the year under my belt."

Rea, whose father won the 1989 Junior TT on the Isle of Man, has settled into his new team straight away and feels very much at home.

"I am with a new team, with new tyres and a new bike so moving into the world championship is a big step.

"With the team having enjoyed so much success over the years, there is a wee bit of pressure on me but with a competitive machine, I have the tool for the job and want to keep up that record of good results.

"Already I have a great working relationship with the whole team and it really feels like a family situation.

"They all have the same passion to win that I have, from those involved in hospitality to the team managers.

"There is a very relaxed, working and friendly atmosphere about the whole set-up. Nobody is on your back and I felt wanted straight away. The mechanics are all excited about working with me too."

The team has loads of data from previous years and they can help me out if I'm struggling anywhere Jonathan Rea

The Ballyclare lad took part in a test session on a standard Honda Fireblade in Qatar at the end of last year and then was second fastest behind Australian Brock Parkes in a three-day test at Phillip Island, Australia, in January.

"It was good to go quick straight away but they were unofficial times with a stopwatch, rather than official transponder times so I will not get carried away.

"The first time I got on the bike it felt really slow after riding the Superbike for the past few years but then I got going and made good use of the extra corner speed."

Rea already has knowledge of some of the circuits on the calendar but says he will be grateful for the team's input at others.

"The team has loads of data from previous years and they can help me out if I'm struggling anywhere.

"I know Qatar and Philip Island well and there are three new circuits where I will be at no disadvantage, namely Portugal, Indonesia and the Nurburgring.

"There are only five tracks which I will have to learn and I will be concentrating on that, with backup from the team."

Rea will be joined on the grid by fellow British riders Craig Jones, Tommy Hill, Chris Walker and Graeme Gowland and is raring to go.

"I have got the motorhome sorted and I'm really motivated and looking forward to the travelling and seeing a bit of the world in between training and racing.

"I feel I can hit the ground running in the first three races and gain some momentum.

"There will be other circuits coming up that I don't know so well so I want to get some early points on the board."