The PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team will continue with Tarran Mackenzie and Adam Norrodin heading into 2024, with the pair stepping up to the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship. They have been teammates this year in what’s been a challenging season and that relationship will continue into next season as they jump onboard the Honda CBR1000RR-R for Midori Moriwaki’s team.

A RETURN TO SUPERBIKE MACHINERY: Mackenzie back on a big bike

It was announced on Sunday that Hafizh Syahrin and Eric Granado would depart the team and their replacements are now known. Mackenzie, who has tested the team’s bike on a couple of occasions this season, will be at the team alongside Malaysian rider Norrodin. For Mackenzie, it marks a return to Superbike machinery having raced in the British championship. He took 16 wins in his native Britain between 2018 and 2022, and won the 2021 title. He made his WorldSBK debut last year at Donington Park as a wildcard, finishing in the points, before a switch to WorldSSP this season. Despite often finishing outside the points, the #95 was a race winner as he won a mixed conditions race at the Autodrom Most to give Honda their first win since 2016.

MACKENZIE SAYS: “it’s been a dream of mine for a long time”

Mackenzie’s desire to race in WorldSBK has been no secret and in 2024 he will get his chance. Explaining his thoughts on the move, he said: “I’m very happy to step up to World Superbike, as it’s been a dream of mine for a long time. I’ve got a lot of experience in the British Superbike championship, albeit with a different manufacturer, and it’s been good to test the MIE Superbike already this year at Misano. I also completed two tests with HRC at Suzuka to better understand the CBR1000RR-R, and then doing the Suzuka race on another Honda was also very important of course. So, it’s good to have already had a taste of the Honda Superbike and it’s great that the agreement for next season is now in place. I’m really looking forward to this new challenge and thank both PETRONAS and the PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team.”

NORRODIN’S CHANCE: Malaysian star steps up to WorldSBK

Norrodin, like Mackenzie, started with the MIE Honda outfit this season and will move in to WorldSBK next year. It will be a return to Superbike machinery for the 25-year-old too after he raced in the Asian Superbike championship in 2022, taking two podiums on the BMW S1000RR. Before this, he raced in Moto2™ and Moto3™, scoring 0 points in the former but taking 102 across three seasons in the latter. Even earlier in his career, he competed in the Asia Talent Cup and within what is now the JuniorGP™ paddock, taking fifth in Moto2™ in 2021.

NORRODIN’S THOUGHTS: “it will be a big challenge, but I also know that I’ll be able to learn”

Discussing his step up to WorldSBK, Norrodin said: “First of all, I want to say a big thank you to Midori Moriwaki, to PETRONAS and to Honda. It’s a big decision to jump to World Superbike but it’s a great opportunity for me and something I’ve wanted for a long time. We know that the Championship will be even more competitive next season and so it will be a big challenge, but I also know that I’ll be able to learn and develop so much by taking part. To represent PETRONAS and my country, Malaysia, is a real honour, and I’m truly grateful for this chance. I’ll now focus on training harder than ever to prepare for what I know will be a tough but very stimulating year. I’m very happy and excited for the future.”

THE TEAM’S VIEW: “they will undoubtedly provide a boost to our WorldSBK project”

Explaining the decision to bring in Mackenzie and Norrodin to WorldSBK, Team Owner Midori Moriwaki said: “I’m very happy to be able to announce that both Adam Norrodin and Tarran Mackenzie will remain part of the PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team family and will step up to the WorldSBK category, in line with our project to help young riders develop on the international racing stage. Two very fast and talented young riders, they are committed to the task and ready to fight on every occasion. They have already demonstrated this in WorldSSP, with Tarran scoring the team its first win and Adam always battling hard to achieve the strongest possible results, with a best of P5, in what is a very competitive championship. They will undoubtedly provide a boost to our WorldSBK project.”

Watch the 2024 season unfold in style using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) returned to the track as some of the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship paddock remained at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto for two days of testing. The #29 was one of these and he enjoyed a strong day two in Spain, running inside the top three on occasions on Wednesday and finishing the day in an impressive fifth place after getting to try Pirelli’s SCQ tyre as well as being able to complete a solid six hours of testing.

STRONG SECOND DAY: running in the top three, finishing P5

‘The Maniac’ was one of the first to venture onto the track when the green flags waved at 10am Local Time, but, with wet patches still on the circuit from rain on Tuesday, completed just an in and out lap. His action really got underway at around midday, as it did for the rest of the competitors, with the sun shining and the track getting drier as the day progressed. In the end, Iannone put in a 1’39.335s to claim fifth, although he was in the top three a couple of times on Wednesday.

Discussing his day, where he completed 69 laps, the Italian admitted he was a bit surprised about his performance: “It was really fun, I enjoyed today a lot. My feeling with the bike improved exit by exit and run by run. It’s really interesting because I’m a little bit surprised about the result, also the feeling with the tyre and everything. We have a lot of work in front of us, but we start from a really good point. It’s good.”

THE GOALS FOR 2024: “we have really big ambitions…”

The 2024 season will mark Iannone’s return to competition after four years away and, after Wednesday’s running concluded, discussed his and the Team GoEleven’s potential for next season as well as where he wants to be in the pecking order. He also expanded on what’s impressed him so far in his two days on the Panigale V4 R and using Pirelli tyres as he looks to be in the best possible shape ahead of his racing return next year.

Discussing ambitions, potential and pleasant surprises, ‘The Maniac’ said: “We have really big ambitions. I want to comeback, but I want to try to comeback at a high level. I want to achieve these results and I want to try to arrive at the top. In any case, I know it’s really difficult because the level is really high. Everybody is close but, I think, for us and the first test, it’s difficult to achieve a little bit more. The bike impressed me on the positive side, and also the tyres. They’re friendly. You felt where the limits of the tyres are and the bike and I think this is a good point.”

Catch up on all the action from day two HERE and watch highlights and interviews from Jerez using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) was one of the stars of testing at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto as he put in a sensational lap on Pirelli’s SCQ tyre to claim second spot on day two of the test, only his second day inside the factory Ducati team and alongside Alvaro Bautista. The #11 does have experience of the Panigale V4 R from tests throughout 2023 but he still put it altogether for a stunning P2 on day two at Jerez during his first days with the team.

Bulega stormed to the top of the timesheets with around two hours to go on day two as one of the first riders to use the SCQ tyre. He set a few laps in the 1’39s bracket before becoming the first rider to hit the 1’38s. He set a 1’38.903s before he improved again in the closing stages to a 1’38.726s, lapping three tenths away from pacesetter Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team), who overhauled him shortly after Bulega set his lap, and only around a tenth slower than teammate Alvaro Bautista’s pole time from last weekend’s Spanish Round.

It marked a strong start to the 2023 WorldSSP Champion’s time at the factory Ducati team, but these two days were not the first time he’s been on the Panigale V4 R. He’s had several tests with the race bike before, but this was the first time working with Bautista in the box as he got up to speed ahead of his WorldSBK debut in 2024.

Reflecting on his first test with the team, Bulega said: “It was a very good test but unfortunately, we didn’t ride a lot during these two days. On day one, we only did 20 laps and today only half a day. I’m happy because I didn’t ride a lot, but I was already fast. This was important. I’m happy because I was fast, but I was only at 85%. I’m learning the bike, learning how to speak with my new team so it’s important for me to ride a lot of kilometres with this bike.”

In WorldSSP, the softest tyre riders are able to use is the SCX which is also available in WorldSBK. However, unlike WorldSSP, World Superbike riders can use the SCQ tyre when it is in the tyre supplier’s allocation. With the tyre at Jerez, the reigning WorldSSP Champion was able to get his hands on it and try it for the first time. He was full of praise for the work Pirelli do but admitted he still had some work to do to understand that tyre.

Discussing the SCQ tyre, Bulega said: “Honestly, like always, Pirelli are doing an incredible job with the tyres. I tried the SCQ, and I felt good. A bit difficult to understand because with a lot of horsepower, you have to understand the character of the tyre. Anyway, I’m happy because I was fast. We can improve, obviously, but it’s a good starting point.”

Catch up on all the action HERE and watch highlights and interviews from the test using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) was the fastest rider over the course of the two-day test at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto, setting the quickest time on both days. On the second day, the Australian put in a lap that was under than the pole time from the recent Prometeon Spanish Round to claim top spot and, speaking after the day’s action concluded, the #87 revealed that “there was a bit more I could’ve done” despite being almost three tenths clear.

On the opening day of action, the 2021 Moto2™ Champion set a 1’39.837s to claim top spot but he improved on this massively on day two. Using Pirelli’s SCQ tyre, Gardner put in a barnstorming lap of 1’38.448s to finish in P1, almost three tenths clear of Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati). The Yamaha rider’s time would’ve put him on pole position at Jerez last weekend by two tenths, to show how rapid his speed was during the test.

Despite his strong pace, Gardner believed there was more to come from him after a few mistakes on his fastest lap cost him time. Despite this, it continued his run of strong form over after enjoying one of his best weekends of his rookie season at Jerez. He was P4 in Race 2, equalling his best result, as he ended 2023 on a high.

Looking back on the test, Gardner said: “It’s been a positive test. The pace has been really good over the two days, with the race tyre and obviously today, at the end, we put in two SCQs and did a really great lap time. There was a little bit more I could’ve done. I made a few mistakes on that lap but quite happy with the two days went. It wasn’t a perfect lap, but it wasn’t bad. More than the lap, I’m happy with the improvements we’ve made over the two days with what Yamaha have brought.”

Yamaha lost Toprak Razgatlioglu for 2024 but replaced one Champion with another as Jonathan Rea joined the Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK team. Although not in the same team, Gardner was keen to learn from the six-time Champion as well as see what the Northern Irishman can bring to the manufacturer, as they look to win back the title they last won in 2021.

Discussing Rea’s arrival, Gardner said: “Jonny surprised me with how fast he got on with the bike. That shows the experience he has. I’m really excited to see what Jonny can bring to the table and help develop the bike, and also for me to learn off Jonny. With so much experience, you can always learn something. Really great to have Jonny with Yamaha.”

Catch up on all the day two action HERE and watch interviews and highlights from the test using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

After a disrupted day on Tuesday things were more of the same on Wednesday morning until around midday local time, when the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship riders took advantage of a drier track to complete, for the most part, around six hours of valuable running time at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto. Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) was again the quickest rider as he used an SCQ tyre to full effect, while Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) put in their own impressive times on day two.

GARDNER LEADS THE WAY: #87 goes quickest again, Rea P5

Yamaha had enjoyed a strong showing at the Spanish Round last weekend and that’s continued into day two of testing. Once again, Gardner was the lead rider on the YZF-R1 machine, and the fastest of everyone. His time of a 1’38.448s was two tenths away from the all-time lap record and under Bautista’s pole time from Saturday as he led the field by 0.278s. Teammate Dominique Aegerter was in tenth place despite his strong pace on day one, with the #77 having a Turn 1 crash. It provided a small disruption to his day, but he was able to return to track action on his second bike. Jonathan Rea (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) had another fruitful day on his first appearance with Yamaha, finishing in third place and lapping in 1’39.179s with his last lap of the day as he continued adjusting to the R1. Brad Ray (GMT94 Yamaha) had a quietly strong day as he finished inside the top ten, setting a best time of 1’40.007s and lapping the Jerez venue 59 times. Valentin Debise (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Yamaha Team) was second in the WorldSSP field, joining Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) and finishing six tenths back.

ROOKIES LEADS DUCATI’S CHARGE: Bulega impresses, Iannone shines

Bulega was one of the stars on Wednesday as the #11, on only his second day as a factory Ducati rider, posted a 1’38.726s using Pirelli’s SCQ tyre. His time was only a tenth down on teammate Alvaro Bautista’s pole lap from just a few days ago. Both riders tested from 14:00 (Local Time, GMT+1) onwards to use half-a-day of their allocation. In total, Bulega completed 52 laps while Bautista, who had a focus on the 2024 ruleset, was in seventh place with a best time of 1’39.962s, which included a long run on the SCX tyres as he racked up 48 laps. Elsewhere, Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) was fifth on his Panigale V4 R. Lapping in 1’39.335s, the #29 had been as high as third on a couple of occasions before other riders usurped him as he completed 70 laps. ‘The Maniac’ was one of the first to take to the track in the morning but his meaningful running came in the afternoon. Michael Ruben Rinaldi’s (Motocorsa Racing) life back at an Independent Ducati continued with sixth on Wednesday as he lapped 1.359s down on Gardner’s best time, completing 69 laps. In WorldSSP, Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) was the fastest of two competitors. He completed 77 laps as he set a 1’42.470s.

LOWES ON TOP AT KRT: the Brit’s inside the top four

Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) continued to be the lead KRT rider at the test as he finished in fourth with a 1’39.211s. The #22 had some different rpm limits to test as the team looked to 2024, while there were also what he described as “lots of ideas” to try between now and January ’24 before it all gets pieced together. Teammate Axel Bassani was around two seconds slower than his teammate as he adjusts from the V4 R to the ZX-10RR machine, with the #47 racking up 54 laps. Between them, Lowes and Bassani completed more than 120 laps to gain important information heading into their next test.

REDDING THE FASTEST BMW: #45 leads teammate Gerloff, the American crashes

Just two BMW riders took to the track during the two-day test, with Scott Redding making his Bonovo Action BMW debut alongside new teammate Garrett Gerloff. It was the #45 who finished as the lead rider for the German manufacturer as he took tenth place with a 1’40.291s, around half-a-tenth quicker than his teammate. The #31’s day was disrupted by a crash in the final 30 minutes at Turn 3 with the bike brought back to the pits on a truck. His best time was a 1’40.334s to take 11^th place. The American had hoped to work on some setup items on day two of the test following yesterday’s limited running.

MACKENZIE BRINGS UP THE FIELD: re-adapting to the WorldSBK bike

Tarran Mackenzie (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team) continued to be Honda’s sole representative at Jerez. He completed 39 laps on Wednesday as a crash at Turn 1 – which caught out a few riders during the day – hampered his running. The #95’s best time was a 1’42.110s to take 13^th place as he continued his readaptation to the CBR1000RR-R machine, having raced in WorldSSP throughout 2023.

The order from day two at Jerez:

1. Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) 1’38.448, 61 laps

2. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) 1’38.726s, 52 laps

3. Jonathan Rea (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) 1’39.179s, 68 laps

4. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 1’39.211s, 68 laps

5. Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) 1’39.335s, 69 laps

6. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Motocorsa Racing) 1’39.807s, 69 laps

7. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 1’39.962s, 58 laps

8. Brad Ray (GMT94 Yamaha) 1’40.007s, 59 laps

9. Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) 1’40.103s, 67 laps

10. Scott Redding (Bonovo Action BMW) 1’40.291s, 47 laps

11. Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) 1’40.334s, 66 laps

12. Axel Bassani (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 1’41.346s, 54 laps

13. Tarran Mackenzie (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team) 1’42.110s, 38 laps

Catch up on all the action from day two HERE and watch highlights and interviews from Jerez using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

With the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship remaining at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto for two days of testing, it gave some riders the chance to evaluate the new 2024 regulations. One of these was Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) with the double Champion looking at next year’s rules, including adding weight to his Panigale V4 R. After Wednesday’s action had concluded, the #1 explained how his team were working with the additional weight and how it impacted him on track.

A NEW CHALLENGE: “the bike feels different especially in the fast corners”

The newly-announced rules for 2024 include a new weight system, where riders under the reference weight of 80kg have to add 50% of the difference. The reigning double Champion said previously that he would like to try the new rules, especially when it comes to weight, and he was able to start that on the second day of Jerez test. The Spaniard finished the day in seventh place after setting a best lap of 1’39.362s, 1.5s slower than Remy Gardner’s (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) fastest time, as he completed 58 laps.

Expanding on how he and Ducati worked towards the new regulations, Bautista said: “Today, we were focused on the 2024 regulations especially with the weight. We tried many solutions with the weight. Putting some weight on some areas of the bike, also trying inside the engine, and did many tests to understand how the bike’s working. It’s not easy because when the bike’s working well, if you add 7kg, the bike feels different especially in the fast corners. We made some distribution to have more data and we got that data for this winter to try to work and try to see what could be the base for starting 2024.”

WHERE THE DIFFERENCE COMES: fast corners, but anywhere else?

With the Ducati star now able to talk about the difference the additional weight makes, he spoke about the differences he felt on the Panigale V4 R compared to when he was riding without it. In his first answer, he alluded to feeling different in fast corners and he was later asked where else on track he might feel a difference, such as under acceleration, or if it makes bringing updates and changing the setup more difficult.

Discussing this, he said: “I didn’t feel a difference on acceleration, I think it’s more the inertia I feel on the fast corners. Especially here at Jerez, the fast sector, I felt it was more difficult. But on acceleration, there’s not a big difference. Also under braking, there’s maybe more inertia to stop the bike but, for me, I struggled more in the fast corners. At the moment, there are no updates from Ducati. We are focusing on this. They now have a lot of data from today and they have to analyse and play with the setup of the bike. We didn’t touch anything on the bike, just put the weight and changed the area where we put the weight. Now we have to start to think about the setup to have a better feeling with the bike.”

Catch up on all the day two action HERE and watch interviews and highlights from the Jerez test using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) made his on-track return on Tuesday at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto as he debuted with his 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship team. Linking up with Independent Ducati outfit Team GoEleven, ‘The Maniac’ was one of several Ducati riders at the test as he looked to get a good feeling with the Panigale V4 R ahead of his WorldSBK race debut which will come at Phillip Island next year.

BACK ON TRACK: Iannone with GoEleven for the first time

Iannone completed 26 laps on day one at Jerez as he rode the Panigale V4 R for the first time in WorldSBK spec. His best time was a 1’41.922s as he finished in 11^th place, with the riders choosing not to test after midday local time as the rain started to fall; but not heavy enough to gain any valuable wet weather running. The #29, sporting a helmet that read “I’m back”, was 2.085s down on Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) at the top of the timesheets, while he was six tenths down on Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) – the Ducati rider closest to him.

Evaluating his first day with the team, Iannone said: “I’m really happy. I exited the pitlane to ride a race bike and this is a really good feeling for me. Unfortunately for the weather today but, in any case, I felt very comfortable with everybody, in the paddock and especially in the team. Here in the garage, the feeling is really good. I think today is a little bit of everything, a bit confusing! After a long time, I’ve come back and the feeling with the bike is really good. At Jerez, on the first lap, I thought ‘wow, one more time I’m at this track!’. The first five laps were just fun.”

DAY TWO PLAN: weather dependent… 

With the weather interrupting day one, all eyes are on the skies overnight and on Wednesday morning to see what running will be possible. The hope for everyone is to have dry weather and get a full day of running in but as noted from FP1 on Friday for the Spanish Round, the circuit can take a while to dry out. Iannone addressed what his plan is for the second day of action but stressed that it would depend on the weather.

Expanding on the testing programme, Iannone said: “We will decide on our plan later but it’s good if we ride. We only have 10 days of testing and so maybe we don’t use one because I need track time in the dry. We’ll see the weather and the condition of the track when I arrive. The most important thing right now is that we are here, and we have the possibility to ride. This is the best feeling ever.”

Catch up on the key moments from day one HERE and get instant reaction and highlights using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

Day one of testing at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto turned into a bit of a damp squib after rain fell on the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship field in Spain. Running was severely limited with riders taking to the track only in the morning, with Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) setting the pace. Elsewhere, there were three crashes at Turn 13 with Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW), Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and Jonathan Rea (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) all going down; two-time Champion Bautista bringing out the red flags.

YAMAHA ON TOP: three R1s in the first four positions as Rea makes debut

While all eyes were on the Pata Yamaha garage for Rea’s debut with the team, the GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team were continuing their impressive form from the Spanish round with Gardner and teammate Dominique Aegerter in the top three. The #87 led the way with a 1’39.837s as he completed 25 laps, while Aegerter, fresh from his double podium celebrations on Sunday, was 0.269s back. The #77 had some new items to try for Yamaha and also the GRT Yamaha team, while there was also a different swingarm available to allow for different linkages. Next door at the factory Yamaha team, Rea was fourth after completing 12 laps. His time of 1’40.302s was 0.465s down on Gardner as the Northern Irishman focused on getting comfortable on his new bike after spending so long with the Kawasaki ZX-10RR. Brad Ray (GMT94 Yamaha) was also in action on the YZF-R1 machine, completing 27 laps and setting a 1’42.295s.

RINALDI LEADS DUCATI CHARGE: Independent star second, Bautista fifth after crash

Michael Ruben Rinaldi’s future with Motocorsa Racing was only announced on Monday afternoon, but the #21 wasted no time in getting on track with the team. One of the first to leave the pits when the session started at 10am Local Time (GMT+1), the five-time race winner was consistently at the sharp end of the timesheets. His best time was a 1’40.034s to take second spot after lapping 36 times, the most of anyone. Down the pitlane at the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati squad, Bautista was fifth. He set a 1’40.564s but his day was disrupted by a Turn 13 crash which briefly brought out the red flags. Despite this, he racked up 24 laps. His new teammate, Nicolo Bulega, took eighth spot with a 1’41.244s, lapping around seven tenths slower than his two-time Champion teammate. His plan was to understand the V4 R more on Tuesday and adapt his riding style, while also aiming for a good base setup. Tuesday marked Andrea Iannone’s (Team GoEleven) return to a race bike in difficult conditions, with ‘The Maniac’ setting a 1’41.922s and racking up 26 laps. His plan was to complete a lot of laps and rediscover the feeling, but despite completing one of the highest totals, the weather disrupted this plan. Also, from WorldSSP, Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) was testing as the first time as a Ducati rider. He completed 30 laps with a 1’44.157s on the Panigale V2.

GERLOFF HEADS BMW DUO: Redding makes Bonovo Action BMW debut

American star Garrett Gerloff’s (Bonovo Action BMW) recent form has been nothing short of stellar, often finishing as the top BMW rider, or fighting for that honour, since the August break. He was the lead rider for the German manufacturer on day one as he finished in sixth place after posting a 1’41.193s. However, most eyes would’ve have been on the rider next to him. Scott Redding made his first appearance with the Independent BMW outfit after his switch from the factory team, with the Brit in a new environment but on the same M1000RR machine. The #45 was ninth after setting a 1’41.333s, with just two tenths separating the teammates.

LOWES LEADS BASSANI AT KRT: the #47 makes his factory team debut

Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) heads into the new season as the de facto team leader at KRT, and he was the faster of the two on day. He took P7 as he completed 14 laps with his best time, a 1’41.229s, almost 1.4 seconds back from Gardner’s fastest time. Teammate Axel Bassani, making his first appearance with the team, was three places and six tenths down on his teammate. There’s been a reshuffle of staff within the KRT box. After working with Marcel Duinker for four seasons, Lowes has moved into Pere Riba’s side of the box with Bassani working with the Dutchman for his maiden campaign.

MACKENZIE THE LONE HONDA: back on a WorldSBK machine

After a year in WorldSSP with the PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team, Tarran Mackenzie tried out the team’s Honda CBR1000RR-R machine at Jerez. He’s tested the bike before, notably at Misano when he stood in for Eric Granado and Hafizh Syahrin, as well as with Honda in testing for the Suzuka 8 Hours. The #95 was the slowest rider in the WorldSBK field on Tuesday as he set a 1’44.266s and completed just seven laps.

Recap the key moments from day one HERE and watch highlights and interviews from Jerez using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

Axel Bassani (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) made his KRT debut on Tuesday at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto on the first of two days of testing. The #47 had made his desire for a factory seat clear after three seasons with the Independent Motocorsa Racing outfit, and he was able to achieve this goal following Jonathan Rea’s move to the Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK squad. The Italian was on track during a disrupted day In Spain as he finished in tenth place, and around six tenths back from teammate Alex Lowes.

THE OPENING DAY: the first goal at KRT…

As always when switching teams and manufacturers, the first task is to understand the team and the bike. Bassani has a new crew chief for 2024 as he works with Marcel Duinker, who was with Lowes previously but the #22 will work with Pere Riba this year. With track time limited on Tuesday due to rain which started falling at around midday, the #47 completed 27 laps – the second most of anyone – with a best time of 1’41.801s. That time was 1.964s slower than pacesetter Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team), but only six tenths down on Lowes.

Reflecting on his first day, Bassani said: “It’s going well. I’m happy and I feel good with the team. We did some laps with the team this morning. It’s not easy to change but I feel good with the bike, and I enjoyed it. It’s completely different from the Ducati. Step by step, I’ll try to understand the new bike with no pressure. I don’t want to be really fast immediately, but I want to understand the bike and team really well and afterwards, we will see.”

SETTLING IN: new challenges await the Italian

Bassani is switching from the Panigale V4 R to the ZX-10RR and with it comes a new engine configuration. Previously on a V4, he’s now using an inline-4 engine which provides yet another challenge for him. He spoke about the differences between the two bikes, even after just a handful of laps on the Kawasaki, as well as another part of switching outfits he’ll need to adjust to.

“Everything is different. It’s a completely different bike,” he began, before making a typically humorous comment. “They have two wheels but they’re completely different! It’s okay, I like it. It’s good, I like the people inside the box. I feel good with my new crew chief. I have to speak a lot of English, which isn’t easy for me, but it’s good for learning!”

THE GOAL FOR DAY TWO: hoping for better weather

With the opening day resulting in limited running, everyone taking part in the test is hoping the weather improves to get a full day of action in. Although he didn’t reveal too much about the plan, Bassani explained what caused the most challenge on Tuesday and what he wants to do tomorrow. He said: “We’ll try to change something on the bike. I hope, tomorrow, the weather will be much better and also the track. This morning was really difficult to ride. There were a lot of patches of water on track.”

Get a summary of the day one action HERE and watch highlights and interviews from Jerez using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

After nine seasons, Jonathan Rea jumped onto a bike that wasn’t a Kawasaki. The six-time World Champion was getting his first taste of action with the Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK outfit at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto during a disrupted opening day of the test. Rain and red flags limited running but the Ulsterman was still able to put in the fourth fastest time of the day despite a small crash at Turn 13.

DAY ONE SUMMARISED: only a handful of laps

Rea’s best time was a 1’40.302s but the 119-time WorldSBK race winner was only able to complete 12 laps on day one thanks to a combination of poor weather from around midday and his crash at Turn 13. Despite this, he was less than half-a-second away from Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) in top spot with the Australian setting a 1’39.837s. Rea was actually the third-fastest Yamaha on Tuesday, with Gardner’s teammate, Dominique Aegerter, in third spot. Rea’s lap count was the second-lowest from the WorldSBK field.

Reflecting on his first day on track with Yamaha, the Northern Irishman said: “It was fantastic to get the first laps on the R1 because you always have anticipation and maybe a preconception of how the bike’s going to be. I’ve been super excited until this morning, and then I got really nervous all of a sudden. I was thinking ‘can I be fast with the bike?’ or ‘what’s it going to feel like sitting on the bike during the bike fit?’. I got comfortable but the position felt strange, and I couldn’t imagine riding the bike. As soon as I exited pitlane, there were a lot of positives straight away I could take. We did three outings. The weather has been far from perfect. Even this morning, at a lot of corners, it was full of wet patches. Just before lunch, we got a lot of drizzle and then the track got soaked. We considered keeping the bike nice and dry for tomorrow and keeping with the test plan. Hopefully the track can dry out tonight, maybe it’ll be a late start tomorrow, but it’s also important to ride in the wet.”

THE CRASH EXPLAINED AND MORE: one negative, a lot of positives

Rea’s crash came at the final corner on the circuit, the left-hand hairpin that leads onto the start-finish straight. He was able to return to the box and there was no red flag following the incident, and the Yamaha rider explained what caused it. He also went on to discuss the potential of the bike and how welcome the team have made him feel, including a special dinner on Monday evening for Rea and his family.

Talking about these topics, Rea said: “I’m fine. I got unsighted by another rider on track and just opened up the last corner to square them off and hit a wet patch. Christened the bike, unfortunately. One that’s easy to take because I got caught out by a patch and not something over the limit. I think there’s still a lot of margin with the bike. It’s user friendly which gives me a good feeling. I had an amazing team before, I can’t speak highly enough about them and always as a rider, you think how it’s going to be. The Pata Yamaha Prometeon team have been incredible from my first dealings. Making me feel at home, everything from a very nice welcome dinner last night with me and my family. They’ve made me feel at home and really loved. How we’re working inside the box is really positive.”

WEDNESDAY’S PLAN: “This test is primarily about being comfortable”

Yamaha are the third manufacturer Rea has ridden for in WorldSBK, following Honda between the end of 2008 and 2014, and Kawasaki from 2015 until 2020. However, changing bikes after so long will mean having to re-adjust to a new team, a new machine and everything all that entails. After a shortened day of action, the 263-time podium finisher elaborated on his plan for Wednesday at Jerez.

He explained: “I think this test is primarily about being comfortable. I asked not to test too many hardware parts, electronic parts. I want to come away from here understanding the R1, finding the limit of the bike with my style and then, once everything becomes familiar and automatic, then we can start to test hard parts. If we start doing that now, it’s very easy to get lost. The team understand that.”

Catch up on all the key moments from day one HERE and watch highlights and interviews from Jerez using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com