Rea began his competitive career in motocross and supermoto before transitioning to circuit racing in 2007. He progressed through the European Superstock 600 series, demonstrating the adaptability across categories that would define his entire career.
Rea competed in the European Superstock 600 series for three seasons. In his first year he finished 12th overall with a podium at Valencia. By 2008 he had improved to third in the championship, winning at Portimão and taking four more podiums. In 2009 he claimed the title — winning it by a single point at the final round in Portimão — becoming the 2009 European Superstock 600 Champion across 32 races, including 12 podiums.
Rea moved into the World Supersport Championship in 2010, making steady progress with top-ten finishes before taking his first podium at Silverstone and a close second at the Nürburgring, though he was excluded from the latter result for a technical infringement.
In 2011, despite numerous mechanical retirements, Rea claimed his first World Championship victory at Brno ahead of Fabien Foret and Chaz Davies. He returned to World Supersport across several subsequent seasons, adding podiums including three on a MV Agusta with GRT Racing in 2016, before a hand injury in the final two rounds dropped him to seventh in the standings.
Rea tested for the Gresini Moto2 team at Valencia in late 2011, setting the fastest time to earn a race seat for 2012. He took a podium at Sepang that year when a red flag reversed results, placing him second. Financial difficulties left him without a seat for 2013, prompting him to self-fund participation at selected wildcard rounds before forming the Gino Rea Montaze Broz Racing Team for the remaining European rounds. For 2014 he secured backing to run a full season as AGT REA Racing, finishing the year with a best result of 14th at Motegi despite racing the finale with three broken metatarsals sustained at Sepang.
Rea made his British Superbike Championship debut in 2018 with OMG Racing UK Suzuki. He returned to BSB in 2020 as a substitute with Buildbase Suzuki, topping free practice at Silverstone and leading a race at Donington Park before signing permanently with the team for 2021. That season he claimed his first BSB podium and then a double race victory at Donington Park.
Rea joined Polish outfit Wójcik Racing Team for the FIM Endurance World Championship in 2019, helping guide the team to their first podium in the series at the Bol d'Or and a second podium at Estoril, finishing the season fourth in the standings. He then joined F.C.C TSR Honda and, racing alongside his teammates, became the 2022 FIM Endurance World Champion.
During practice for the Suzuka 8 Hours in August 2022, Rea suffered a catastrophic crash. Emergency treatment included an induced coma, and after a month he was airlifted from Japan to London. He sustained brain damage, two broken neck vertebrae, a broken collarbone, and a broken rib. After a lengthy rehabilitation he was invited to ride a parade lap at the Le Mans 24 Hours EWC round in April 2023, and in April 2024 he returned to competitive racing in the Superstock class at Le Mans — his first race start in nearly two years.
Rea's career is defined by both breadth of achievement across multiple racing disciplines and exceptional resilience in the face of adversity. His self-funded Moto2 effort, his BSB race wins, his endurance world title, and his recovery from life-threatening injuries together form a career narrative that extends well beyond results alone.