WorldSBK Testing starts tomorrow at Jerez
WorldSBK testing is set to commence at the Circuito de Jerez this week, with over half of the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship teams present in Southern Spain. Eager to get out on track and make progress ahead of the opening round of the season in Australia next month, teams will be hoping to make the most of the two days out on track.
Kawasaki Racing Team will be keen to continue with the steps they were able to make in Aragon and Jerez before the testing ban, as the duo of Jonathan Rea and Tom Sykes look ahead to defending the Team and Manufacturers title. After so much recent success with the Ninja ZX-10R, the new RR model has retained the basic characteristics of the three-time championship-winning machine, and added even more performance oriented initiatives to compete for greater success this year.
Jonathan Rea
“We have almost completed our winter test programme at Jerez after the last test there. We can start 2017 with a base package that we are already satisfied with. We are now starting to put all the pieces of the jigsaw together so I can start to build a package looking toward the first round of the championship at Phillip Island. Jerez is a track that presents different challenges at different times of the year, depending on the temperature and grip levels from the track, so we will have to see what the track surface presents to us when we arrive there. The first test of 2017 is about getting up to speed, throwing away the winter cobwebs and starting to work with my teams again to built up to Phillip Island. We have six days of testing before the first race weekend, so we have enough time to prepare. We have some new parts we are going to evaluate in the search for more power. After the last test we left Jerez very optimistic that we had done a good job both in lap times and consistency.”
Tom Sykes
“There is no question that Jerez, as a venue, is a good one for testing. That’s why so many teams and categories go there for testing. You have to be careful because not only do lap times change day-to-day I find that Jerez is also sensitive to the time of day. We have not shown our full potential yet after the last test because we have not put the perfect set-up together yet. What we have been able to do in previous tests is explore some different parameters, explore a few things on the bike and try to understand more. With the recent technical rules we have not been as close to what I would class as a racing bike as we had been in some previous years. We have been stepping away from that and I have to say that it is about time that I need to try and adjust myself. I have to understand that it is not a thoroughbred racing bike and I need to adapt myself more to this. That has probably been my biggest struggle for the past couple of seasons. Now it is time to accept that there has to be a compromise. I am not able any more to fine-tune the bike set-up as in the past so now I probably need to bring a bit from myself.”
With new recruit Marco Melandri continuing to build a relationship with the team, Aruba.it Racing – Ducati will be the ones to watch as they continue their testing plan, as Chaz Davies shows no signs of slowing down.
Michael van der Mark makes his third outing with the Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team, hoping to continue to gel with the YZF R1 alongside a newly engaged Alex Lowes.
An all new team dynamic will be maintained at Milwaukee Aprilia who have made the switch from BMW to the Italian V4. They will unveil their new look and plan to build on steps made at the same circuit two months ago; Lorenzo Savadori and Eugene Laverty hope to make big progress aboard the RSV4 RF.
Honda World Superbike Team are expected to have a momentous test this week as the aim is to receive the 2017 CBR1000RR Fireblade SP; with a chance for Nicky Hayden and Stefan Bradl to understand what they will have to contend with this season.
Althea BMW Racing Team are set to continue with Jordi Torres and Markus Reiterberger, optimistic they can make progress with their S 1000 RR.
New to the WorldSBK class, Kawasaki Puccetti Racing will be present at the Jerez test with Randy Krummenacher at the helm, whilst Brit Kyle Ryde swings his leg over his WorldSSP Kawasaki ZX-6R machine for the first time. Title challenging team CIA Landlord Insurance Honda will attend Jerez, with their three rider effort; Jules Cluzel, Robin Mulhauser and Hikari Okubo. They will look at making their first steps towards fighting for the 2017 crown.
GRT Yamaha Official WorldSSP are another new team, who will be out with Federico Caricasulo and Lucas Mahias as they look to be podium challengers ahead of the new, ever competitive season.
Josh Brookes will wildcard at the opening round of the series but will have to wait a little longer to throw his leg over the ex Milwaukee Yamaha YZF-R1 he rode to the 2015 British Superbike Championship.
