|
Post by truenorth on Oct 31, 2023 8:11:34 GMT -8
Bassani after first ZX-10RR run: "Feel good with the bike… completely different from the Ducati!" Tuesday, 31 October 2023 The Italian got his hands on his new machine at Jerez and, despite limited running, was left with a smile on his face… 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.”
|
|
|
Post by truenorth on Oct 31, 2023 8:13:01 GMT -8
MIDDAY REPORT: Gardner leads Rinaldi by 0.197s; Bautista brings out red flag, Rea crashes on Yamaha debut Tuesday, 31 October 2023 It was a dramatic first four hours of testing at Jerez as Remy Gardner stormed to the top of the timesheets, while Bautista and Rea both crashed 2024 testing in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship started at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto and it was a dramatic first four hours of the test. Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) topped the timesheets as he set the only lap in the 1’39s as rain began to fall just before 12pm Local Time (GMT+1). Jonathan Rea (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) crashed on his Yamaha debut at Turn 13, as did double Champion Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) at the same corner as he briefly brought out the red flags. The track went green at 10am for an eight-hour day of testing, with Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) immediately heading out on track. However, it was Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Motocorsa Racing) who was setting the early pace and he remained in the top three throughout the morning. Australian star Gardner topped the times with a 1’39.837s, the only rider in the 1’39s as rain started to fall around midday, with lots of riders opting not to go out. Rinaldi took second place, only 0.197s slower than the #87 and also racked up an impressive 36 laps, the most of anyone, while Dominique Aegerter put both GRT Yamaha riders inside the top three as he lapped 0.269s slower than his teammate. Despite a Turn 13 crash less than two hours into the session, Rea finished fourth. His crash was at the final corner when he hit a wet patch on track, but he was still able to post a 1’40.302s to claim P4, lapping just under half-a-second slower than stablemate Gardner. In fifth was Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) who also had a crash at Turn 13, with his tumble bringing out the red flags for a couple of minutes. His best time was a 1’40.546s. Gerloff took sixth after he, like Bautista and Rea, crashed at Turn 13 in the early stages. He was 1.356s down on Gardner’s best time at the mid-point of the test. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) was seventh as KRT sported a new winter testing livery, with the Brit still carrying a knock following his Sunday crash during the Spanish Round. His best time was a 1’41.229s, 0.015s quicker than Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati). The 2023 WorldSSP Champion is enjoying his first day as a factory Ducati WorldSBK rider and was eighth in the morning, seven tenths down on teammate Bautista. Scott Redding (Bonovo Action BMW), another rider making his first appearance for a new team, took ninth with a 1’41.333s. Completing the top ten was Axel Bassani (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) on his first time with the ZX-10RR. The #47 was around six tenths slower than teammate Lowes. Andrea Iannone’s (Team GoEleven) return to track action started with him in 11th place on the Panigale V4 R, lapping two seconds off Gardner’s pace and around six tenths away from the closest Ducati to him. However, the #29 was one of the busiest riders on track as he completed 26 laps. Bradley Ray (GMT94 Yamaha) was four tenths slower than ‘The Maniac’ with Tarran Mackenzie (PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team) the last of the WorldSBK field. Also at the test is Adrian Huertas (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team), with the Spaniard making his Ducati WorldSSP debut. He set a 1’44.147s.
|
|
|
Post by truenorth on Nov 1, 2023 12:52:28 GMT -8
DAY 2 REPORT: Gardner remains on top, Bulega impressive P2 as Iannone stuns for P5 at Jerez Wednesday, 1 November 2023 There were stories up and down the paddock as late SCQ runs changed the order, with rookies and debutants shining bright 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 11th 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 13th 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
|
|
|
Post by truenorth on Nov 1, 2023 13:00:39 GMT -8
Iannone after impressive day two at Jerez: "I want to try to comeback at a high level… I know it’s difficult!" Wednesday, 1 November 2023 The Italian was on track with his new team for the first time at Jerez and put in some strong lap times at Jerez 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.”
|
|
|
Post by truenorth on Nov 1, 2023 13:06:38 GMT -8
Bautista has first look at next year’s regulations: ‘It’s not easy if you add 7kg, the bike feels different…’ Wednesday, 1 November 2023 The reigning World Champion spent the second day of the Jerez test looking at the 2024 regulations as he and the team got to grips with the new rules 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.”
|
|
|
Post by truenorth on Nov 2, 2023 7:48:59 GMT -8
tarran mac95 & adam norrodin07 all set to join the World SBK grid with PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team next season.
|
|
|
Post by truenorth on Nov 2, 2023 7:57:15 GMT -8
|
|
|
Post by truenorth on Nov 7, 2023 9:23:03 GMT -8
|
|
|
Post by truenorth on Nov 7, 2023 9:50:20 GMT -8
a first look at Honda’s upgraded CBR1000RR-R Fireblade! More compression, lighter crank and rods, split throttles, vastly revised aero, tweaked chassis where lateral stiffness is reduced by 17%, with 15% less torsional stiffness and the 2024 CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP is the first production bike in the world to feature the third generation Öhlins 43mm S-EC3.0 (SV) NPX USD forks. Might make change in WSBK!
|
|