Then, on 7-9 February, the Official Sepang Test begins. Across the three days, you will be able to watch a live, 1h30mins After the Flag episode at the end of each day, bringing you all the news from Day 1, Day 2 and Day 3. Highlights of the riders on track and interviews will be available every day, as well as all the updates across our social media platforms. And don’t forget, to keep tabs on who is quickest throughout the day, set up your Live Timing. Midday and end of day reports will also give you all the gossip from the Sepang Test.
Yamaha has welcomed back three-time MotoGP World Champion Jorge Lorenzo to join the Yamaha Factory Racing Test Team programme with the aim to boost MotoGP development during the 2020 season.
Jorge Lorenzo
“I‘m very happy to join the Yamaha Factory Test Team. I was always planning on staying involved in MotoGP and returning to the paddock, and I think this is a suitable role for me. I know the team and the M1 well. The Yamaha really suited my riding style, and it will be very interesting to ’meet up with my old bike again. Returning to Yamaha brings with it some good memories. We secured many podiums and victories, and three titles together, so we know where our strengths lie. I want to thank Yamaha for this opportunity, because this allows me to do what I love – riding motorbikes and pushing the limit – whilst enjoying a slightly calmer lifestyle than I did in previous years. I‘m very motivated to get to work and can‘t wait to start riding. I want to do my best for Yamaha‘s future, and I hope my riding experience will be helpful to Yamaha‘s engineers and riders to bring the title back to Yamaha.”
Jorge Lorenzo pictured here testing with Yamaha at Brno in 2014
Lorenzo made his debut in MotoGP with Yamaha in 2008 and spent nine years with the Factory MotoGP Team, winning all three of his premier class titles on the YZR-M1, in 2010, 2012, and 2015 respectively.
Starting from the MotoGP shakedown test to be held at Sepang next week, Lorenzo will ride the YZR-M1 and will also take part in other Official IRTA Tests and some private Yamaha tests this year, with the sole aim to help Yamaha‘s engineers with the 2020 MotoGP development.
Yamaha believe the Spaniard is the perfect man for the job as he is known for his smooth, precise riding and clear feedback. Lorenzo will be supported in his search for innovation by Silvano Galbusera who will Crew Chief for Lorenzo in the Yamaha Factory Racing Test Team.
So far, no wild card rides are planned for Lorenzo in 2020, but Yamaha is open to the possibility, should he decide to race again.
Lin Jarvis – MD Yamaha Motor Racing
“Of course, we are delighted to welcome Jorge back at Yamaha. When we knew that Jorge would stop his active racing career, we immediately started to consider making a proposal for him to join us. The statistics of his achievements with us in those nine years together speak for themselves. He is a vastly experienced MotoGP rider, who is closely familiar with the M1 and the people at Yamaha. We have come to know Jorge as a very precise and motivated rider, with flawless consistency and good technical insight: all the qualities you need in a test rider at this high level. Combining Jorge‘s experience, knowledge, and riding speed with experienced Crew Chief Silvano Galbusera is an important element in Yamaha‘s strategy to strengthen the Test Team, which aims to bridge the gap between the engineers and test riders in Japan and the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team.”
Jorge Lorenzo on the YZR-M1 in 2014 Source: MCNews.com.au
In this day and age, teams and riders have no time to mess about when choosing their destiny beyond the 2020 season. Nailing down Viñales – Yamaha’s only race winner in the last two seasons and a rider who has been strongly linked to Ducati – was the first sign Yamaha have wasted no time. A day later, 2019 Rookie of the Year and the man in demand Quartararo was confirmed to be Viñales’ teammate in 2021 and 2022. Then, on 30 January, the return of Lorenzo. The five-time World Champion and Yamaha reuniting, the Spaniard becoming a test rider for – at least – the 2020 season.
The reigning Moto2™ World Champion, Marquez, will ride at the opening two days in Malaysia, February 2nd and 3rd, before flying to Jakarta, Indonesia, for the Repsol Honda Team launch on February 4th. Working for HRC alongside Marquez will be Test rider Stefan Bradl after the German got the chance to try 2020’s RC213V at Jerez last week.
Starting from the MotoGP shakedown test, held in Sepang, Malaysia from 2-4 February, Lorenzo will ride the YZR-M1. He will also take part in other Official IRTA Tests and some private Yamaha tests this year, with the sole aim to help Yamaha‘s engineers with the 2020 MotoGP development. The Spaniard is the perfect man for the job as he is known for his smooth, precise riding and clear feedback. He will be supported in his search for innovation by Silvano Galbusera, who will be Crew Chief for Lorenzo in the Yamaha Factory Racing Test Team.
Maxwell goes beneath ASBK record on day two of Phillip Island test
Section: Competition
Reigning champion Jones second on timesheets ahead of Herfoss.
Image: Russell Colvin.
McMartin Racing’s Wayne Maxwell has set a blistering time at the Phillip Island ASBK test to go beneath the Australian Superbike qualifying lap-record held by Mike Jones (DesmoSport Ducati).
Maxwell topped the timesheets for the second day running in a Ducati dominated day, the former champion putting down a record-breaking 1m31.776s in the third session of the day.
Reigning champion Jones was runner-up with a 1m32.434s, as the top three was rounded out by multi-time title holder Troy Herfoss (Penrite Honda Racing), who recorded a 1m32.497s in the final session of the test.
Kawasaki BCperformance’s Bryan Staring improved his time with a 1m32.603s for fourth, followed by Yamaha Racing Team newcomer Aiden Wagner, who posted a 1m32.792s time.
Yamaha privateer Daniel Falzon was sixth ahead of Josh Waters (Suzuki), Cru Halliday (Yamaha Racing Team), Matt Walters (Kawasaki) and Lachlan Epis (Suzuki).
Reigning Supersport champion Tom Toparis (Kawasaki) went fastest in the category on day two with a 1m36.185s time, while Jack Hyde’s (Yamaha) 1m36.469s from day one was still good enough for second.
Nic Liminton (Yamaha) set a 1m36.605s time to finish in third, as Oli Bayliss (Cube Racing) and Jack Passfield (Yamaha) were fourth and fifth respectively.
Kawasaki-mounted Tom Bramich was quickest in the Supersport 300 category, finishing ahead of Harry Khouri (Kawasaki) and Luke Jhonston (Yamaha), while the Oceania Junior Cup was topped by Marianos Nikolis (Yamaha) followed by Angus Grenfell (Yamaha) and Cameron Swain (Yamaha).
Wayne Maxwell has kicked off the 2020 ASBK season on a strong note, dominating the official two-day test at Phillip Island on board the Craig McMartin prepared Ducati V4R, after moving to the Italian marque for 2020 from Yamaha.
Maxwell and the new Ducati V4 proved a force to be reckoned with.
The Boost Mobile backed team worked through options with the K-Tech suspension over the two days and obviously made plenty of progress as Maxwell topped the test by almost seven-tenths of a second.
Wayne Maxwell – 2020 Phillip Island ASBK Test – Image by Rob Mott
Having been the only rider to dip into the 1:32s on Day 1, Maxwell topped off the two-day test as the only rider in the 1:31s on Day 2, with a 1:31.776, well clear of fellow Ducati rider Jones, who was next fastest with a 1:32.434.
Trevor Hedge caught up with Maxwell to pick his brain on the move to the Ducati, and his thoughts on how the season is shaping up.
Trevor Hedge: So Wayne, you put a lot of fast laps in and really set the pace over the duration of this test, you must be very happy.
Wayne Maxwell: “I’m super stoked, the Boost Mobile Ducati was excellent, Craig, Adrian, Dale, Greg and the team worked really well. We were also lucky to have James here from K-Tech HQ inEngland, with some updated K-Tech components. He was here with us, helping install and finding settings that worked on the bike, so I was really happy with that. Obviously again, this week exceeded my expectations, and has put us in a really good position to be in, right in the mix for the first race.”
Wayne Maxwell – 2020 Phillip Island ASBK Test – Image by TBG
Trevor: How does testing here relate to the other circuits we go to during the year? We know this is ‘your’ circuit, we could probably put you on a moped and you’d still go okay, but the pace you have set here is really, really fast, do you think it will translate to the other circuits?
Maxwell: “I first tried the bike at Wakefield, spent the whole day there and it exceeded my expectations immediately and didn’t really change anything that day. We’ve got some updates and have changed a few things, and I feel really confident. Wakefield has been a circuit which has maybe eluded me, and Troy is so strong there, while I haven’t been strong enough to get it over the line there as many times as I maybe should have.
“But I’m confident and we’ve got a fast bike, so we’ll get Phillip Island out of the way and see how we shape up. We have some updates on the way with the electronics, now that’ we’ve had the ECU homologated, so it’s just step by step. We’ve got this bike and it’s good now, so we need to then start work on the new package as bits and pieces come through.”
Wayne Maxwell – 2020 Phillip Island ASBK Test – Image by Rob Mott
Trevor: So you’ve come from the other most evocative bike in the field, the cross-plane crank Yamaha, sounds great, feels great, and now you’re on the V4 – another bike the really stirs the senses – what’s the comparison between the two? Looking at your bike, the riding position looks so stretched out and flat, is that apparent when on the bike?
Maxwell: “I still don’t feel 100 per cent comfortable, we’ve just sent some foot pegs back to the guys from KH Engineering to make some different ones. I don’t know how all the other Ducati riders ride the bike like that elsewhere around the world, they must do yoga 30 times a week.
“I’ll just to try and get a bit more comfortable, this circuit isn’t so bad, but other places where you’ve got to climb over the top of it a bit more with faster changes of direction, the old body will tighten up and be no good at the end of the race unless we can get the riding position a little more comfortable. So we’ll get my feet out in front a bit and be nice and relaxed. It won’t make us any faster, but perhaps more comfortable and consistent over the duration of a race.”
Trevor: Get some foot forward controls so they aren’t slowing you down perhaps…
Maxwell: “That’s it mate.”
Wayne Maxwell – 2020 Phillip Island ASBK Test – Image by Rob Mott
Trevor: The Yamaha has always got out of the corner quite well, how does the V4 compare, and how does it compare to what you’ve ridden in recent years? Picking up the throttle on the way out of the turn etc?
Maxwell: “Picking up the drive it seems okay for sure, but that’s definitely not the strongest part of my riding, out of the stop-go corners, I’m more of a fast flowing sort of guy, that’s why Phillip Island is good for me. I managed to get out of the stop-go corners okay though here this week. It has really good grip with the K-Tech on the side of the tyre, and the V4 provides quite a flat and linear power. When I was a kid, my dad had a VFR750 and I always remember it taking off from home and having that V-Four sound, so it reminds me of being a kid and I’m loving it.”
Wayne Maxwell – 2020 Phillip Island ASBK Test – Image by Rob Mott
The first of today’s 4 x 25-minute practice sessions for Australian Superbike competitors got underway just before 0930 on what was a beautiful sunny morning at Phillip Island. The track temperature had just nudged past 30-degrees while the ambient was climbing past 20-degrees towards a forecast maximum of around 35-degrees expected later in the day.
Rear wheel going in the Ducati of Wayne Maxwell – TBG Image
All 16 riders present for the test were quickly out on track in that morning session but it was Wayne Maxwell again that dominated. The 37-year-old has obviously taken to the new V4 R Ducati very well indeed and wasted no time in setting a string of mid-high 1m32s right from the off. He then returned to the pits for some tweaks before heading out again to record a 1m32.608. Maxwell was clocked at 311 km/h through the speed trap by Computime in that session.
Mike Jones – TBG Image
Daniel Falzon also enjoyed the cooler conditions and shrugged off the soreness of recent arm pump surgery to get down to business, dropping in a 1m32.813 on his sixth lap of the morning.
Daniel Falzon – TBG Image
Mike Jones put in a 1m32.434s lap on his 13th and final lap of that opening session to finish on top and with Maxwell that made for a Ducati 1-2 at the top of the time-sheets. Something that might happen quite a bit this season one suspects…
Mike Jones – Image by Rob Mott
Ambient temperatures were nudging 30-degrees and the track temperature heading for 45-degrees when Superbike competitors took to the track for their second session today at 1130.
Max Croker – TBG Image
Falzon was quick out of the blocks again with another 1m32, a 1m32.958s which he then backed up with a 1m33.137. Bryan Staring put his quickest time of the week early on in the second session with a 1m33.063s to make it a Dunlop 1-2 at the top of the charts for the early part of that second session. Staring strung together a series of low-mid 1m33s in that 25-minute session.
Bryan Staring – Image by Rob Mott
Josh Waters started to make some progress halfway through the session after setting his fastest time of the week thus far, getting down to a few mid 33s.
Josh Waters – TBG Image
The YRT boys also got wound up as that second session drew to a close. Wagner dropping in a 1m32.792 and Halliday a 1m33.171, some new rubber had gone into at least one of those bikes. Conversely we believe Mike Jones worked on his pace while shod with used rubber in that session.
Mike Jones – Image by Rob Mott
Wayne Maxwell didn’t do many laps in that second session but headed out of the pits with a few minutes to run and then instantly went top with a 1m31.776. That is two-tenths under the ASBK qualifying lap record set by Jones here last October at 1m31.995… It’s fair to say he is already getting on pretty well with the Pirelli shod and K-Tech suspended Ducati V4 R…. Look out competition…
Wayne Maxwell – 2020 Phillip Island ASBK Test – Image by TBG
By the time the third and penultimate session of the two-day test got underway at 1330 the ambient temperature was registering 35.4 and the track temp 56.3-degrees celsius. Would the Dunlop boys come to the fore in the hotter conditions?
Dunlop
While the likes of Bryan Staring and Daniel Falzon did put in some quick times in that stinging heat on Dunlops, the man setting the pace was yet again, Wayne Maxwell. Maxwell put in a 1m32.279 then backed it up with a 1m32.603, followed by a 1m32.994, a 1m32.746, a 1m33.003 and then a 1m32.959 to cap that run off. He then backed off a little before resuming with a 1m33.182 and then returning to the pits.
Wayne Maxwell – 2020 Phillip Island ASBK Test – Image by Rob Mott
Mike Jones had been circulating a little off the pace, presumably working on used tyre pace, before then putting in a 1m32.903 to be second quickest in that session and Herfoss rounded out the top three with a 1m32.985 on the Michelin shod Honda ahead of Cru Halliday.
Jeremy Burgess overseeing the Michelin rubber for Penrite Honda at the ASBK Test – Image by Rob Mott
Dunlop runners Bryan Staring and Daniel Falzon were sixth and seventh in the hot conditions, Staring the quickest of the pair in that session with a 1m33.122.
Bryan Staring
One man left nursing his wounds after the session was Aiden Wagner who went down at MG Hairpin and headed to the medical centre nursing a very sore left hand after smacking it hard on the tarmac in the tumble. He headed off for x-rays to check out what was broken but will be racing round one either way as he only needs to use the clutch once per race.
Aiden Wagner
With the track temperatures heading yet further northwards past 60-degrees, and most of the teams having worked through their testing plans, many of the riders packed up after that penultimate session. Those sitting out the final 25-minute practice session included Wayne Maxwell, Daniel Falzon, Max Croker and the injured Aiden Wagner.
Daniel Falzon – Image by Rob Mott
Troy Herfoss though was amped after just watching his wife Emily come second in a major bicycle race in Torquay, live on his phone only minutes before he went out of pit-lane for the final session. A 1m32.497 on his first flying lap followed by a 1m33.443 to the 2018 champ.
Jeremy Burgess overseeing the Michelin rubber for Penrite Honda at the ASBK Test – Image by Rob Mott
Mike Jones then dropped in a 1m32.517, Bryan Staring his best of the two-day test with a 1m32.603, and Josh Waters a 1m33.141 on the 2017 model GSX-R1000 he is testing here this week.
Josh Waters – TBG Image
The Mildura based three-time Aussie Superbike Champion was left somewhat high and dry when the official Suzuki Team pulled the pin after last season, but is putting the finishing touches now on his own privateer team after securing some out-of-industry sponsorship that will enable him to compete this season. He improved his time further in the dying minutes of that final session to end the two-day test seventh quickest with a best of 1m33.052.
Josh Waters – Image by Rob Mott
Herfoss though topped that afternoon session ahead of Jones and Staring with Waters fourth. On combined times Herfoss was third quickest across the two days of testing with a best of 1m32.497, only a gnat’s whisker behind second placed Jones. Both of those men though seven-tenths behind pacesetter Maxwell which might have them worried ahead of the season opener here at Phillip Island late next month…
Troy Herfoss – Image by Rob Mott
Matt Walters would be pretty happy with a 1m33.278 while Lachlan Epis put in a very impressive best lap of 1m33.477 in that final session to round out the top ten on combined times.
Matt Walters – TBG Image
Matt Walters ended the test in ninth just behind eighth placed Cru Halliday.
Lachlan Epis
Jed Metcher used Ohlins suspension on the opening day of the test to use as a benchmark indicator for himself before today switching to YSS suspension as he evaluates and considers the Thailand produced components for his 2020 Australian Superbike campaign. The Victorian finished the test 14th on combined times with a best of 1m34.438, just ahead of Sloan Frost.
Jed Metcher evaluated Thai made YSS suspension today at Phillip Island – Image by Rob Mott
NextGen BMW and Glenn Allerton did not really seem to find their feet at all during the two-day test. Hopefully they can look at their data and find some direction ahead of the next test. They ended the test 13th quickest with a best of 1m34.192.
Barcelona test has prepared Rea for Phillip Island opener
Section: Competition
Factory Kawasaki squad takes part in private test at the Spanish venue.
Image: Supplied.
Kawasaki Racing Team took to the Montmelo circuit near Barcelona this week as the WorldSBK field tested at Portimao, allowing five-time defending champion Jonathan Rea to be prepared for Australia’s season-opener next month.
The Spanish venue has been added to the WorldSBK calendar for 2020, a track which Rea believes will play to the Kawasaki strengths later this year. Rea completed a number of back-to-back tests on new components, while also sampling an updated fork setting.
“It has been so nice to get this extra day after Jerez, because we got really decent weather, the track was dry and we managed to put in a lot of laps,” said Rea. ” We were able to back-to-back some items that we were not sure about with the weight balance of the bike in Jerez.
“In the end we tried something on the front suspension and did some practice starts. The big positive is that I really enjoyed the track and the bike works really well here. I think it sets us up in a good frame of mind now.
“I feel fast and consistent and this positive test has prepared us to go to Australia, where we will start the new season. Thanks to the team for pulling out all the stops to get us a proper test day here because I know it was not in the plan. Next is the team launch where we get to be all excited about our new colours and then move on.”
Rea hits the track next at the Phillip Island test on 24-25 February, which takes place just days before the WorldSBK season-opener at the seaside circuit.
WorldSBK newcomer displays strong form at Portimao test.
Image: Supplied.
Aruba.it Racing – Ducati has ‘worked very well’ over the first two pre-season tests according to WorldSBK newcomer Scott Redding, the BSB champion exiting Portimao in a positive frame of mind.
The former MotoGP contender continued his strong pace, taking his Ducati Panigale V4 R to second on the timesheets on the final day of testing in Portugal.
“It was a good day even though, to be honest, I couldn’t find the ideal pace,” Redding admitted. “On a few occasions, I found traffic on the track and when I tried the new tyres, the four almost consecutive red flags didn’t allow me to lap consistently.
“The result of the test is still very positive, considering that this is a circuit where I only rode once in the past and it can’t be considered the most favourable for Ducati. All things considered, we have worked very well and I am satisfied.”
The WorldSBK heads to Phillip Island for testing on 24-25 February, which takes place just days before the WorldSBK season-opener at the seaside circuit.
