WorldSBK Jerez Test

Day Two – January 25, 2024

2023 World Supersport Champion Nicolo Bulega continued to set the pace on the second day of testing at Jerez with his 1m37.809 more than half-a-second quicker than Jonathan Rea on the Pata Yamaha. The time was also four-tenths quicker than the race lap record set at Jerez by Jonathan Rea on a Kawasaki in 2019, and is also the fastest-ever time set by a WorldSBK rider at the circuit.  Not all riders put in a qualifying tyre for a time-attack, but nevertheless Bulega has certainly proven his pace and potential.

Nicolò Bulega

“I am happy because we took another step forward, even compared to yesterday, and the feeling has grown steadily. We worked well on the time attack and that means I was also able to improve on the qualifying tires. I think it was an important test and now we go to Portimao to continue on this path. Today’s lap time? It doesn’t change anything: I remain a rookie and my objectives are different to the top riders“.

On the other side of the Aruba.it garage the struggles continued with Alvaro Bautista still suffering with the neck issues and lack of strength in his arm that are a result of a crash during testing last year, which resulted in a later diagnosis of spinal trauma consisting of a C6-C7 hernia and C5-C6 disc protrusions. Problems from that lack of strength were compounded by the extra weight added to his World Championship winning machine as a result of the new parity measures coming into force this season.  Bautista was the 16th quickest WorldSBK rider at Jerez this week with a 1m39.583 but despite the difficulties he put in plenty of laps, 149 laps across the two days.

Alvaro Bautista

“I am satisfied because on Day 1, due to some pain, I didn’t get the best feeling; today things went better and this is undoubtedly a good sign. I can say that my condition has even improved. We worked a lot on the set-up, especially in light of the new regulations, and we got some important indications. We haven’t tried a time attack but that wasn’t the priority of this testing. I am looking forward to being at Portimao to continue on this path and to get further feedback on my condition“.

Ducati showcased strength across the board with Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) securing fifth place while Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) also delivered a solid performance, finishing seventh.

Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) claimed ninth while Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team Motocorsa Racing) was 15th after his sole day of testing.

Danilo Petrucci

“For me, it wasn’t an excellent test. I’m happy, but I wanted to do a bit more. We have the same issues as last year: I’m fast but can’t make the difference that others do with the new tire and soft tyres. I need to work to understand what it takes while trying to go fast at the same time. Both yesterday and today, in terms of lap times and race pace, the gaps were small. We’re not far from the others, but I certainly wanted to be higher in the standings at the end of these two days. In Portimao, we will surely have a lot of work to do.”

Six-time world champion Jonathan Rea completed an impressive 150 laps over the course of the two days as he continued to familiarise himself with the Yamaha R1. Working through various set-up changes and test items, Rea was able to make consistent progress culminating in both a strong race run and outright pace, with his quickest lap of 1’38.345 placing him second on the timesheets at the end of the two days.

Jonathan Rea

“It’s been a really busy test, so first and foremost I want to thank the entire crew as they worked tirelessly from the very first day. It’s normal to make lots of changes when in these early stages of learning a new bike, not just to make things better but to also understand my feedback as I adapt to these changes and so the crew can better understand what I like and don’t like. Day one was frustrating at some points as it didn’t feel like we were making progress fast enough, but it was all really good data and the guys put their heads together overnight and this morning we were able to put a package together which I felt more comfortable with. We were able to work through some performance items quite fast and after that we did a race simulation before ticking off the remaining test items. I felt we could finish with a strong rhythm, our out and out pace was satisfactory, our race simulation was good so we can be content with the work we’ve done.”

Rea’s team-mate Andrea Locatelli was joined for the first time by new crew chief Tom O’Kane, who joins the team from Yamaha MotoGP. The test provided an opportunity for rider and crew chief to get to know each other, with ‘Loka’ completing 145 laps over the course of the two days. His quickest time of 1’38.943 saw him tenth overall.

Andrea Locatelli

“It was nice to get back on the bike for two days of testing in Jerez, we tried a lot of things and for sure, it’s always a bit tricky as during testing you do not know what everyone is doing! But when we found something good the feeling was positive. It was my first two days working with my new crew chief Tom, so it was good to work with him and it was also important for him too so he can start to understand the bike. In the end we were in a good place and we have another two days in Portimao. We have a strong base set-up already and can work more with the data we have, I have confidence so let’s see what we can do in Portimao.”

Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) secured eighth place after clocking 159 laps in total throughout the test sessions.

Remy Gardner

“Overall it’s been a positive two-days of testing, it’s definitely good to be back on the bike. I had good feelings and we made a lot of laps, almost 160 in total. On the second day our focus was on testing new solutions and we’ll now checking the data to put the pieces together. I cannot wait to be back testing in Portimao, it’ll be another good test session to increase our performance ahead of the opening round of the season.”

Gardner’s team-mate Dominique Aegerter was forced to sit out the first test of the 2024 season in Jerez after being diagnosed with a viral infection on arrival in Spain. Aegerter will also miss the two-day Portimao test next week, instead following medical advice to return home to Switzerland and focus fully on his recovery ahead of the opening race in Australia, which takes place one month from now.

Scott Redding put in a quick one at the end of the day to take top BMW honours from Toprak Razgatlioglu. The pair third and fourth on the time-sheets ahead of Stefan Bradl on the HRC MotoGP machine.  Bradl’s MotoGP bike 15 km/h faster through the speed trap than any of the World Superbikes.

Scott Redding

“So, the first two days of testing this year are completed. On day one I was feeling pretty sick. It has been difficult but we have been able to do some laps and find some feeling with the bike. It was just about settling with the new team and blowing the cobwebs away. Coming into day two I felt a lot better and then we worked a lot with the bike to get my confidence and my feeling. We played a little bit with the set-up and tested a few new parts from BMW and I was reasonably happy with the steps that we made for my confidence on the bike. I am looking forward to Portimão next and see if the set-up also works on another circuit.”

Toprak Razgatlioglu

“These two days of testing have been very positive for me, especially as I am still learning the bike on every lap and I am improving. Especially on these two days we have learnt a lot and we improved some things. We tried many new parts. Sometimes they worked well, sometimes not, but this is normal. We just try to find a good set-up and good parts. In general, it has been a very positive test. I did not expect to ride a 1:38 lap time. I’m very surprised because for me the bike is still new, I am still learning and usually my plan is to do a mid 1:39 maybe, but yesterday I started straight away with a 1:39 and I believe that I also could have made a 1:38 yesterday. Today I finally made it and I am very happy about it because I see the potential of the bike and this is very good for me. Now we keep working hard and we just need to find my set-up. And after that we will start fighting.”

Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) performed well, securing sixth place. Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) finished 13th with a best time of 1’39.224s, overall a positive result for BMW heading into season 2024.

Garrett Gerloff

“Overall, it was a good test. We were able to sort out a few problems that we had which is good. All in all it was just really nice to get on the bike again after two months of not riding and to finally do some laps. I am really excited to head to Portimão and keep trying to get faster. I feel like we have an idea of what we want to try and change at Portimão and then we should be good to go for the season. I am happy with this test, happy to reunite with my team and looking forward to riding again in a few days.”

Michael van der Mark

“It has been a busy test; two perfect days with amazing weather, so it was great for testing and I really enjoyed riding again. We’ve been trying to test a lot of different set-ups and different parts on the bike. They have been quite busy days but I really enjoyed it. We are still trying to improve the bike, and are getting better and better. Also myself, my riding has improved so I am quite happy with it. We learnt a lot and I’m looking forward to Portimão. It’s one of my favourite tracks so I can’t wait to go out there and keep working.”

Alex Lowes had a tough opening day on track after suffering with a stomach bug but he recovered well enough to post 82 laps on the final day, with a best lap time of 1’38.989.

Alex Lowes

“We had a good day of work today. We are trying to make the bike easier on used tyres, and that was our main focus. We lost a bit of performance on fresh tyres, but I think that’s what we need to do with our bike because we have always been really fast at qualifying and Superpole races, but we lack a bit when it comes to race distance. So we are trying to make the bike a bit easier. Honestly, it felt quite good today and because the conditions were consistent, everyone was fast. You always want to go better but after being sick yesterday, 82 laps was a decent day’s work. I am happy enough.”

Pere Riba – Crew Chief for Alex Lowes

“The test was very positive. I am happy with the result and happy with Alex. We have already done 1500km or so this winter and no one crashed, so we got very good information. We tested a lot of things and worked in many different areas, including the chassis and electronics. I am happy with the step we made in electronics. Most importantly we focused 100% with lap time stability to make the same lap time in the first lap and the last one. This is the target as this was our weakest point, and we made a good step. Alex is working very well and I am pleased. Now we go to Portimao and we will keep working.”

Newcomer to KRT this year, Axel Bassani, is still learning the finer points of his Ninja ZX-10RR as he grows into his role as a factory rider for the first time in his WorldSBK career. Axel and his pit drew found improvements in ergonomics and overall set-up at this test, and gained valuable data in dry track conditions. He was 15th overall, with a best single lap time of 1’39.419.

Axel Bassani

“We tried a lot of things, a lot of set-up things and different tyres. We did a lot of jobs, and we started to understand what I needed to change and what I need to change in my riding style. The last part of today was good, and we began to improve. I think we did a good job, had a good test, and now we have a lot of data to help us go better at Portimao.”

Marcel Duinker – Crew Chief for Axel Bassani

“It was good at this test, and I think everybody was ready to get back into action after an eight week break, which felt way too long this time. We had really nice weather in this test and after two tests in November, we had gathered a lot of information. The targets were very clear for his first January test. We ticked off all the items and we made some improvements on Axel’s riding position on the bike, and some changes on the geometry of the bike. We improved literally in every area. Alex Lowes is, of course, the reference on this bike. Our target is, at every single test, to come closer and closer and we reached that target at this test. We have a little bit of data to analyse at home and I am looking forward to Portimao.”

As well as the official KRT riders, Tito Rabat (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was out on a KRT supplied Ninja ZX-10RR at this first 2024 test. The Spanish rider set a best lap of 1’40.100, which placed him 19th overall.

Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) and team-mate Iker Lecuona focused on identifying a solid base-setup for the new CBR1000RR-R. This involved testing a series of upgrades made to different areas of the machine, and building on the work completed in November when the bike made its debut outing at Jerez. The Honda men are still struggling for speed and despite the new bike, still report drive grip as a primary issue of concern.

Xavi Vierge

“I’m happy to be back working with my squad and all the members of my team. We’ve had two days of ideal weather conditions here in Jerez, which has allowed us to complete a lot of laps and get through a significant amount of work. It’s true that we’ve had a little more difficulty than expected, especially during the traction phase, so one of our main goals here was to improve traction and grip. The overall feeling on the bike is quite good, but as soon as we close the throttle, we cannot exploit the power and have too much spin. We’ve made a number of adjustments to the bike setup and electronics, and now it will be crucial for the engineers to analyze all the data and come up with a solid plan for Portimão, so that we can quickly make progress.”

Iker Lecuona

“Over the winter I had a small surgery on my left hand, as I’d been having some issues last season, an after-effect of having broken my hand back in 2021. Although I’ve had to scale back my gym work a little, I’m almost 100% and am now training properly again; I feel strong physically but also mentally and was looking forward to getting on the bike yesterday. I see 2024 as being an important year for me, and so I want to do my best to be ready for it. I feel we’ve taken a step with the aero package, and the bike overall seems to work in a different way, thanks to updated electronics and the like, which helps us to improve in certain areas. Having said that, the bike is new, and we’re still struggling with certain aspects. I wanted to find better front feeling this week, and we worked hard to achieve that but are not there yet. The next two days of testing at Portimão will be important, giving us the chance to understand how the bike feels at a completely different track and to establish the best possible base before we head to Phillip Island.”

2023 WorldSSP runner-up Stefano Manzi (Pata Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) took top spot in the World Supersport field with a 1’41.338s, completing 64 laps. He was three-tenths clear of Can Oncu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) in second as he continues his comeback from arm surgery, while Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) took P3.

Bahattin Sofuoglu (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) was fourth, making it four different manufacturers in the top four at the end of Day 2 in the World Supersport rankings.

Jerez WorldSBK Test Times

Top Speeds

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WorldSBK 2024

The 2024 WorldSBK season itself will get underway proper with official tests for all on the 19th and 20th of February at the first venue of the year, Phillip Island. Before then, many teams will also test at Portimao, to make their final preparations before the bikes and equipment are flown out to Australia.

The Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit will raise the curtain once again for the new WorldSBK and WorldSSP season with the Australian Round on the weekend of February 25.

Tickets for the 2024 season opener are on sale now, check out your options at www.worldsbk.com.au

2024 WorldSBK Dates

Source: MCNews.com.au