The Supported Test for the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship field concluded on Friday at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya with a disrupted day due to overnight rain leaving the circuit damp. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) went a tenth under the existing lap record, as did Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) in the final hour of the day to ensure he remained on top for yet another test day with the pair separated by almost nothing.

DUCATI ON TOP: lap record pace for Bulega, as Petrucci found something on softer tyres?

Bulega was once again under a lap record as he set a 1’40.172s to snatch top spot away from Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) initially, with the #9 running in P1 until Bulega usurped him with around 45 minutes left to go under the existing record of 1’40.264s set by his teammate last year in the Tissot Superpole session. Despite Petrucci’s strong pace, two technical problems earlier in the day as well as a crash when on course to improve his time disrupted the Barni Ducati rider’s plans. He was able to show impressive speed across a range of tyres, initially moving up to fourth on the standard SCX but with the new front tyre from Pirelli before he was usurped by Bulega. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) put his Panigale V4 R in 16^th place, more than a second back from ‘Bulegas’, while Michele Pirro, for the test team, was also inside the top ten. Bautista had a small crash at Turn 10 in the final stages of the day, with the left-hand corner catching a few riders out.

Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) was fourth and quick at yet another circuit; this time, one he hasn’t been to on a Superbike machine, although an issue at Turn 5 in the final half an hour impacted him. Despite this, he returned to the track afterwards and found time to claim P4, while Sam Lowes claimed seventh on another strong day for the rookie. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team Motocorsa Racing) was in tenth place, posting a 1’41.020s, with the #21 starting his test later than others as he waited for the track to dry up.

RAZGATLIOGLU P2 AS LEAD BMW: will the Turk be in the mix come the round?

Despite finishing just shy of top spot, Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was the lead BMW rider, taking second place and, like Bulega, going under the lap record with a 1’40.199s and completing 75 laps. The #54 is still searching for more engine brake on his M 1000 RR machine, while he also compared two different swingarms today. Teammate Michael van der Mark was narrowly inside the top ten with the Dutchman attempting both a time attack and a race simulation on Day 2. Both Bonovo Action BMW riders finished outside the top ten, with Garrett Gerloff in 12^th and Scott Redding in 17^th.

REA IN THE TOP THREE: another strong day as Rea builds confidence again

Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) was quick on Day 1 and continued that on Day 2 with fifth place, setting a 1’40.772s and finishing only 0.6s off Bulega’s best time. With the test about allowing the #65 to re-find his confidence, it looks like he’ll be fighting at the sharp end at next week’s round. Teammate Andrea Locatelli, suffering pain in his knee from his Australia Race 2 highside, was inside the top six following a late improvement, despite a technical issue in the final couple of hours, but and less than a tenth off his teammate. It was a strong day for the GYRT GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team too, with Remy Gardner often inside the top five but dropping to P11 after his day concluded 30 minutes early and Dominique Aegerter in contention two places behind. Philipp Oettl (GMT94 Yamaha) made progress from Day 1 as he climbed to 21^st place, 2.1 seconds away from P1, with Bradley Ray (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) the last of the Yamaha riders in 23^rd.

TWO CRASHES FOR ALEX LOWES: on top at KRT despite a couple of tumbles

Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) was again Kawasaki’s top rider at the test, but his day was disrupted by two crashes. The first came at Turn 5 in the morning while the second was at Turn 10 in the afternoon; on this occasion, he was able to ride back to the pits. His best time was a 1’40.985s with 77 laps completed. On the other side of the box, Axel Bassani, still working with Marco Melandri during this test, was outside the top ten after setting a 1’41.551s and racking up 78 laps. Tito Rabat (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was just behind the #47 after the Spaniard spent Day 1 working on race simulations, with Rabat taking 18^th place.

TRICKY FOR HONDA: outside the top ten, Lecuona ends day early

Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) was the lead Honda rider again on Day 2 of the test, with the Japanese manufacturer battling back from a difficult Day 1 where they had technical problems with both riders at the same time. Vierge finished in 19^th place with a best time of 1’41.804s, while teammate Iker Lecuona was almost a second down on the #97. Next door at the PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda outfit, Tarran Mackenzie worked with new crew chief Mick Shanley for the second day, after declaring Day 1 to be one of his most enjoyable and productive days. He was in 22^nd place with a best time of 1’42.371s, while teammate Adam Norrodin was around 0.8s back from the Brit.

The top ten from Day 2 in Barcelona. Full Day 2 results HERE and combined results HERE:

1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 1’40.172s

2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +0.027s

3. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) +0.429s

4. Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) +0.490s

5. Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) +0.600s

6. Andrea Locatelli (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) +0.676s

7. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) +0.772s

8. Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +0.789s

9. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +0.813s

10. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team Motocorsa Racing) +0.848s

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Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) was one of the stand-out names on Day 2 of the Supported Test as he finished in third place, after running in top spot during the afternoon before being demoted by Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team). However, his day wasn’t simple at all, with two technical issues and a crash hampering his progress but he was still able to show impressive speed to be towards the front at a track he hasn’t enjoyed strong results at in the past.

He initially went into the top four using a combination of the standard SCX tyre and the new front SC1, but then went even faster on the SCQ later to set a 1’40.801s and claim first place provisionally, although he was moved into second place by Bulega’s lap-record breaking pace and then a place further by Razgatlioglu. Despite the red-hot lap times, Petrucci had two technical issues and a crash which cost him valuable running time at a circuit where he took 12^th in Race 2 here last year, and a best in MotoGP™ of third in 2019, although he was generally in the lower end of the top ten throughout his career here.

Discussing his issues and crash, he said: “The first part was not busy, because I pushed the bike out of the gravel a couple of times. We had a problem with this morning, a bit of rain and we waited a bit, and then we had this issue with the number one bike. We had to start the day quite late but then we’ve been able to recover so well. I was worried about my lap time with the SCX and the SCQ. I could’ve been better but, on the second attempt, I crashed at Turn 10. On the second try, I put on another tyre because I wanted to do a Superpole Race simulation with the qualifying tyre, and I was improving my lap time, but I crashed at Turn 10.”

Despite the issues plaguing him on Friday, he’ll be in a confident mood heading into the Catalunya Round as he looks to add to his podium tally. Although he was unable to complete a race simulation on Day 2 due to the lost time, ‘Petrux’ explained how he felt like the team were in a good way heading back into next week’s round.

He added: “Because we didn’t have so much time, we wanted to try a race simulation, but we were unable. I think we’re in good shape. The tyre wear here is the main thing so you can be fast, but you need to be faster at the end of the race as your pace can drop one or two seconds. I’m satisfied. I’m happy because I’m trying to understand the tyre. It’s really good to go with a lot of speed inside the corner and Bulega is really good at it. I need to try to smoother on the throttle and carry more speed in the corner. I did the lap time with the new front tyre, and I like it. I was a little bit overriding the bike and I was really trusting the front tyre too much, because it was so good!”

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There’s been a small staff shuffle at the PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda team for 2024, with Tarran Mackenzie getting a new crew chief for his debut MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship season. The #95 will now work with Mick Shanley, who has been in the team for a small period of time, as he will take on two roles in the team as he continues his work as Technical Director while working alongside Mackenzie.

Day 1 of the Supported Test was Shanley’s first day working with Mackenzie at the track as his crew chief. Mackenzie finished the day in 22^nd place, posting a best time of 1’43.154s. The day was spent getting mileage for the Stirling-born star as well as understanding working with Shanley directly, while it was the same for Shanley in his new role. Previously, Mackenzie’s crew chief had been Antonio Puchades.

Explaining the change and how he thinks it’ll benefit him, Mackenzie said: “I’ve had a change of crew chief, which has been a major step. Mick’s now the crew chief. It’s been a step for me, he’s English speaking and I’ve known him for a long time. He started on Thursday. That’s been a good thing. It was more a team decision I think, just something that suits me a little bit. Speaking the same language helps a lot, Mick’s got a lot of experience, comes from a similar background to me with BSB. I’ve known him a long time but also worked with him a bit last year in WorldSSP. It’s been a nice change.”

Shanley brings plenty of experience to Mackenzie’s box, having previously been a crew chief in WorldSBK for several teams and manufacturers. Some of the riders he’s worked with include Lucas Mahias and Loris Baz while he’s also worked at Shaun Muir Racing. He will continue in his role as Technical Director alongside his new job as Crew Chief, with Shanley seeing positives in working closely with Honda as well as Mackenzie.

Explaining his new dual role, Shanley said: “I’m kind of in a double role at the moment! We made some decisions in the team to try and help Tarran get a bit more comfortable. The communication style was probably a bit more difficult at the start of the season, and I won the job of moving in to help Tarran out and getting him to feel a bit more comfortable and confident. I’ve done 12 months out of it, with the overview, but it’s good to have the relationship with HRC and the rider as well; be a bit more in touch, closely, with what’s happening with the bike. I’m still Technical Director as the link to HRC, it keeps me hands on in all aspects! It’s busy, very busy, but I’m enjoying it. I think, obviously, we don’t want to upset things and to find a good level crew chief at this time of year is difficult. It’ll probably be me that’ll handle it for the rest of the season to keep continuity and a stable base and step by step, hopefully, keep growing the performance level.”

With Day 1 at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya Shanley’s first day in the role, Mackenzie explained how It was a positive opening day, saying: “It was good, probably the most productive and enjoyable day since I’ve ridden the Superbike. The bike is exactly the same as Phillip Island. I struggled a little bit there, just more so with track time than anything. I haven’t done a million miles around this track, so it was just about getting up to speed but yesterday was probably the most positive day and I was a lot closer to the guys in front. I was happy with that. Nothing new to try on Day 2, just different geometry settings and trying to make me more comfortable.”

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Toprak Razgatlioglu’s (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) second round as a BMW rider is fast approaching but a test at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya gives opportunity for vital preparation for the weekend. Always a track which has been challenging for BMW, with a lack of grip and rear-wheel spinning a problem, it is pivotal that BMW – along with the other manufacturers – work hard to get their bikes in an optimal operating window.

The day didn’t start particularly well for the 27-year-old Turk, who crashed at Turn 10 under braking. He was able to get up to his feet and ride the bike back but the #54 M 1000 RR was quite damaged. However, he was soon dusted down and back out on track; with two bikes available, there were two different swingarms spotted – the Kalex one which was used in Australia and a newer, street-model derived version which has been seen before at various tests. Setting 62 laps and inside the top three for most of the afternoon on his way to second – when the track was at its best of the day – Razgatlioglu was satisfied at the end of day one.

FIRST FALLER: “I had a small crash at Turn 10, trying to fix the engine braking”

Reviewing the day and about how it went, the 2021 World Champion said: “I had a small crash at Turn 10, trying to fix the engine braking. The rear locked a bit, released, the rear was sliding and then came back again and pushed me into the corner and then I fell. The crash was slow but the bike was destroyed. I saw some parts! I got back out to try and fix the rear grip but I’m still not 100%, especially here. Entry it’s OK but the exit with the opening of the gas, it spins a lot. At Yamaha, I can remember that it had better grip and with BMW, we found a way and tomorrow, we’ll work more and I hope to feel better. I have traction, no problem; there’s just no grip.”

Focussing on the BMW side as a whole, he said: “With the team’s side, it’s similar to Yamaha but on the manufacturer side, I see a lot more people from the factory. At Yamaha, I never saw Japanese guys. Just Italian and British guys. Here, there’s a lot of German guys because the project is very important for these guys. What I need, they immediately make. I always say I need more engine braking and these guys make new software just for me. What I need, BMW make it; it’s direct with the factory.”

Talking about using the newer-style swingarm and outlining the plan for day two in Barcelona, he continued: “I used the new swingarm; the plan is that we’ll use the old swingarm tomorrow to understand the grip because it’s bad. With the Q tyre, we’ll have more grip but I’m still feeling the tyre spinning.”

GONSCHOR ON BMW TEST PROGAMME: “We have the potential of the bike”

Speaking earlier in the day, Chris Gonschor, BMW Motorrad Motorsport’s technical director, spoke of the testing with the various swingarms: “I’m sure we don’t have to talk about the distribution but we’re working on the rear end of the bike, as was the case in Portimao and during the Phillip Island tests too. It already started in January. We want to calm down and optimise corner exit and stabilise corner entry. Getting out of the corner more stabilised and more under control; it’s obvious the swingarm was part of this evaluation but like always, it’s just one part.”

Attention then turned to the wider test goals and the low grip situation that Barcelona always offers: “The test target is like always; using the track time we have in these perfect conditions here in Barcelona. I’m glad that we have the test and race together in March. The test team will focus on development like always – without going into detail – and the race team full focused on the race operation. This opportunity is a perfect time to prepare for the weekend. We’re looking forward to the race weekend. This track is completely different to Phillip Island in terms of grip as here has less. We’re not afraid of the circumstances and to get stuck in; we have the potential of the bike and the ingredients we put in bring us into the working window and we’ll concentrate on getting the best out of it. I’m fully motivated like the rest of the team to work here, race next week and get important data.”

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The two-day Supported Test for the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship field concluded on Thursday with Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) leading the way. The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya hosted the two-day Supported Test ahead of next week’s Pirelli Catalunya Round, with the #11 lapping 0.454s faster than his rivals on a day that produced several incidents throughout the eight hours of running.

BULEGA LEADS DUCATI’S CHARGE: P1 for the #11 again, Sam Lowes impresses as a rookie again

Bulega added yet another circuit to the list of venues he’s been fastest at in WorldSBK as he set a 1’40.304s using the SCQ tyre and completed 72 laps. The #11 was focusing on keeping his feeling with the Panigale V4 R, while the primary goal was to prepare for the round next week. It was similar for teammate Alvaro Bautista, who finished in third place, 0.725s down on his teammate with an incredible 103 laps to his name. They were joined Michele Pirro from the test team as the Italian helped to develop the power delivery and engine characteristics.

In terms of Independent Ducati riders, Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) was the quickest, the #14 ending up fourth despite a lowside crash at Turn 10 which then caused a technical issue with a faulty sensor at around the halfway point. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) was the seventh fastest and just over a second away from Bulega. The #9 had nothing new on his V4 R as he tested Pirelli’s new SCX tyre, and he was ahead of Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team Motocorsa Racing) in eighth. The #21 crashed at Turn 5 in the afternoon but was still able to finish inside the top ten with a 1’41.692s. Andrea Iannone (Team GoEleven) was 11^th; ‘The Maniac’ aiming to recover his feeling at this circuit as it was the first time he’s ridden here on a WorldSBK-spec machine. 

RAZGATLIOGLU TAKES TOP BMW HONOURS: crashes for several BMW riders including the #54

As seen so often in testing, Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was the lead BMW rider with second place overall, although he did have a small crash Turn 10 in the morning. He set a 1’40.768s to lap four tenths behind rival Bulega but was still the fastest BMW rider. Teammate Michael van der Mark crashed in the afternoon at the same corner, and he was classified in 15^th place. There was also a crash for test team rider Bradley Smith at Turn 5. At the Bonovo Action BMW team, Garrett Gerloff was the quicker of the team’s two riders with ninth place, while Scott Redding was in 19^th.

REA BACK TOWARDS THE TOP: third place the #65

Yamaha had a strong opening day of testing, with Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) back on track following his Race 2 crash in Australia and taking fifth spot. The plan for him was to try and find the feeling with the bike he had at Jerez, and he set a 1’41.655s to take P5. Teammate Andrea Locatelli was outside the top ten in 12^th, around three tenths off his teammate. Remy Gardner’s (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) strong pace continued as took sixth place, as the second-fastest Yamaha rider, while teammate Dominique Aegerter was 17^th. Bradley Ray (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) finished in 23^rd place ahead of Philipp Oettl (GMT94 Yamaha) in 24^th.

LOWES ON TOP AT KAWASAKI DESPITE CRASH: the Brit leads KRT’s charge

Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) headed into the test on the back of a sensational Sunday in Australia, and he continued to enjoy his place as KRT’s team leader with tenth place at a circuit that hasn’t been particularly kind to Kawasaki in the past. However, his day was disrupted by a Turn 10 crash with just over half an hour left in the session, which brought out the red flags for a few minutes. Teammate Axel Bassani, who was focusing on the upcoming round, was 14^th. For the test, he had Marco Melandri by his side although there’s no commitment yet beyond the Catalunya Test. KRT did have some upgrades to try at the test, although they didn’t reveal what they were; only that they couldn’t be seen from the outside. Tito Rabat (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was 20^th on his factory ZX-10RR, lapping around 2.2 seconds off Bulega’s best time.

A CHALLENGING DAY FOR HONDA: two tech issues at Team HRC

It was a chastening, and quite frankly bizarre day for Honda, as both Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) and teammate Xavi Vierge had technical issues in the morning. Both bikes stopped at around the same time, causing a disruption to their planned programme; Lecuona left the circuit before the test day concluded although Vierge did return to the track on his other bike. Lecuona was classified 21^st with his teammate two places ahead, and you can read more from Honda here. Next door at the PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team, Tarran Mackenzie was the fastest out of the two riders with 22^nd place, while teammate Adam Norrodin was 28^th. The Malaysian’s day was impacted by him running out of fuel a few hours into the test while on track.

The top ten from Day 1, full results here:

1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 1’40.304s

2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +0.464s

3. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.725s

4. Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team) +0.752s

5. Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) +1.351s

6. Remy Gardner (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) +1.367s

7. Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) +1.380s

8. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team Motocorsa Racing) +1.388s

9. Garrett Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) +1.433s

10. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +1.498s

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Jonathan Rea (Pata Prometeon Yamaha) had a disappointing visit to Australia just a few weeks ago, scoring no points and being declared unfit after a Race 2 crash. The two-day MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship was his first chance to get back on the Yamaha YZF-R1 machine as he looked to kickstart his 2024 season properly as the entire field took to the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya for a Supported Test in Spain.

The first day suggested that Rea was back on the pace as he posted a 1’41.655s and completed 73 laps on his R1 machine, consistently towards the top of the timesheets. It marked a good fightback for the #65 after his crash and point-less outing at Phillip Island, at a Barcelona circuit that traditionally has been trickier for Yamaha than other circuits on the calendar. He finished in fifth place, behind only Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Team).

Reflecting on his day and revealing the bike was feeling better, Rea said: “From Lap 1, the bike felt more normal, more like it had when testing throughout the winter. The guys went back to Milan after Australia to analyse all our issues and problems we’ve been having. We came here, fixed all of that. We still have some things to work on but now it feels like a normal test. We can keep working lap by lap. Phillip Island was a really bad start. Mentally, we had a bit more of a reset and started from zero, but also some changes to the bike with more of a base. I felt quite okay with the bike. It feels good but I’m not talking 100%; we need to work in some areas.”

Rea spent the majority of the day towards the top of the timesheets, often running in the top three before being demoted in the final stages of the day. It was also the first chance for him to check whether the rear chatter problem he was suffering from in Australia had gone, with the Ulsterman explaining he wasn’t suffering with it in Barcelona.

Rea revealed the area of the bike he’d ‘really like’ to work on, saying: “An area I really want to focus on with the bike is trying to generate traction with the rear. That’s not just coming from a rear shock or suspension, that’s a combination of linkage, swingarm, bike character… it’s really hard to pinpoint where to improve that. No complaints, for sure. They’re working in a really good way.”

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Both Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and teammate Nicolo Bulega were rapid on Day 1 of the Supported Test at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, with the #1 finishing third and the #11 taking top spot. It continued a strong start to the 2024 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship campaign for the Ducati team, after Bulega’s Race 1 win in Australia and Bautista’s second place in Race 2 and neither could hide their delight following the test day.

Bautista had been lurking inside the top ten for most of the day, but he surged up the order in the final 30 minutes, initially moving into second before being overhauled by Toprak Razgatlioglu (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team). However, despite finishing behind his teammate, the reigning Champion was more than happy with how his day went, declaring that he had “no problem” riding the bike after an injury-stricken winter left him unable to train properly.

A jubilant Bautista said after completing more than 100 laps and posting a 1’41.029s: “Now, I am happy because I am feeling like I am back again. After the Australian Round, I was quite confident and, today, I started like a bit awkward but then I felt good on the bike. I can say I don’t have problems riding the bike. We didn’t make a lot of changes because, for me, it’s important to get the feeling with the bike. The bike is basically the same as last year. A bit more weight but basically the bike didn’t change. It’s important to get the feeling, get used to the new weight of the bike and see in which areas we can push more or less.”

On the other side of the box, the #11 was one of the first riders to lap in the 1’41s bracket on Day 1 of the Supported Test, before improving to a 1’40.305s and completing 72 laps. His best time came on his 67^th lap as he went provisionally went more than a second clear, but his rivals halved the gap. It means Bulega has now topped test days at all of his WorldSBK tests, starting from the first one at Jerez last year to the most recent.

Explaining his programme for the day and his remarkable pace to leave him almost half-a-second clear, Bulega said: “It’s not a bad feeling to be P1! I know it’s just a test, but it gives me a lot of confidence to be P1 but also if I was P2; I’m fast, so it’s good. I used the SCQ, I think like everybody. I used it like Alvaro, Toprak and a lot of guys. I tried the new Pirelli C900 tyre, and I liked it; I think it can be a good choice for the round. All the tyres I tried today, I had a good feeling. We concentrated a lot on the clutch because, in Australia, my three starts were bad. We tried something new on the clutch to start better. I improved a little bit, so I’m happy, but when you are in the races, it’s more difficult.”

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Testing is a time for manufacturers in the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship to test new items and components, and that goes for tyre supplier Pirelli too. At the two-day Supported Test at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, they brought a new front SC1 solution and rear SCX solution which the entire field were able to test during the two-day outing in Spain.

Pirelli are always searching for innovation and that continued with the introduction of the rear SCX C900 development tyre with the aim of providing extra stability compared to the the current standard solution to make the tyre an even better option. It comes off the back of the A800 development solution used widely in WorldSBK last year, with the Italian company always enhancing their tyres.

Explaining the SCX tyre, WorldSBK Project Leader at Pirelli, Steven Neumann, said: “The C900 is a rear tyre, and this tyre is a development from the SCX. It’s quite a nice tyre so it’s the first time we will test it in WorldSBK. It’s an improvement on the SCX based on what we know from the previous development tyre of the SCX. The compound is the same, it’s just that we are looking for something better. It’s already a really good tyre. As you saw last year, it’s been used for full races. We had, last year, the A800 as a development tyre. This tyre is an improvement of that development. It’s not something softer or harder but bringing something new to have something better. You are supposed to have more stability on drive, and more edge grip.”

The SCX tyre is not the only innovation at the test, with a new SC1 front tyre also available in the test. Both solutions will be available to use during next week’s Pirelli Catalunya Round, with the new SC1 also designed for more stability especially when conditions are warmer or at tracks which can be demanding on front tyres.

Neumann discussed why a new development tyre was available, saying: “There’s a new front tyre, it’s not linked to the rear tyre. It’s just a development soft tyre which is in the SC1 family. Our target is to give more stability on the front, mainly when it’s hotter and on really demanding tracks on the front, like Barcelona, in heavy braking areas or when you’re leaning and starting to brake. The compound remains the same as the SC1, so we are looking to have better stability.”

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2024 has begun for the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship but testing continues, particularly at the Supported Test in Spain. The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya is the host for two days of track action with plenty of teams and riders getting up to speed for the round as well as long-term development. For Honda, it’s a vital test; a disappointing start to 2024 in Australia has happened but new team boss Jose Escamez outlines Honda’s strategy to fight back and get closer to the front.

BRIEF ROUND 1 REVIEW: “Not what we expected or were looking for”

Starting with a quick glance back to Australia, it was a far from ideal introduction to WorldSBK for the new team principal: “The first round was not what we expected or looking for, but the important thing is that we got information in order to keep developing our new bike. Unfortunately, Iker had an early crash and that wasn’t in our plans, it’s not what we want. We got positive information in order to keep us going and we have the hope that it’s going to be much better during the season.”

Talking about Iker’s comments to the media about how the project has been going, Escamez was understanding in his response: “It’s obvious that a rider always wants something else. Other manufacturers have made a huge step and maybe we’re not at the same level yet, but I’m confident that we will get there and with all the information we got from Australia, we have a much clearer idea about the way we want to go and what the targets are. When you have a crash and don’t understand why, it’s normal to be upset so I really understand Iker.”

TALKING TECH: powerful engine but how can they profit from it?

“The engine is really powerful,” continued Escamez, with attention turning to how they can fix their underlying grip issue that has plagued the Japanese manufacturer since they returned to WorldSBK. “The only thing we are trying to solve in the short term is trying to have profit of this power. We can’t generate the grip, we struggle to stop the bike and then in the corners, we go wide. This is the main target and this is something we already faced in the past. In Australia, we got a lot of information that’s going to help us solve all this.

“We’ve got new items. We have a lot of faith that they’re going to work. It won’t be something that solves all our problems, it’ll be a little step that we’ve not tried on track. That’s why we’re here, to test them on track. It’s just to have more engine brake and it’s important to solve this aggressive response from the engine. It’s base setup and electronics, it’s something we knew. It looks like a pointless thing, but the way we lost a test day at Portimao in December due to rain, we delayed our development a little bit. We’re getting closer to where we want to be.”

NAGASHIMA PRESENT AND TESTING: Honda strengthen development programme

With test rider Tetsuta Nagashima in the paddock once again and undergoing a vigorous testing plan, Escamez put spotlight on the importance of data acquisition: “Nagashima will test something today that our riders will test tomorrow. We wanted to try it first on track. As much information we can get, the better. It’s part of our project.

“At the moment, aside from the electronics and power delivery, we’re still working on the base setup which is not bad but something we can still improve. We’re looking at little details to have the perfect bike… which is impossible! We didn’t get our proper base setup yet. Different tracks can adjust better.”

KUWATA MOVES ON: no knock-on impact expected

With a change in Honda’s organisation in Tetsuhiro Kuwata moving onto a new role in the company and being replaced by Taichi Honda as HRC General Manager, Escamez shed light on the situation: “This is a natural procedure in the company, which is nothing related and nothing wrong with that. He’ll get another role in the company, then Taichi Honda will replace him. I don’t think it’ll effect much. He’s a guy who’s supported us a lot and we can just say thanks for all his support, his knowledge but it’s not going to be a big change.”

NEW APPROACH “With this new planning and mentality of Honda… it’s going to be much better”

Confirming that working processes and procedures are a bit different and more efficient back in Japan, the new team boss highlighted that eventually, they’ll have better times: “Since this year they’ve improved the willing and the reaction, and working harder than before, maybe it’s not going to be as fast as we’d like but it’ll be much better than before. With this new planning and mentality of Honda, it cannot be an immediate reaction but it’s going to be much better.”

Finally, when asked about whether or not his experience in MotoGP™ – which dates back over 20 years, having worked with the likes of Max Biaggi – can help in WorldSBK and Honda’s project here, he was humorous as well as humble: “I really hope so! Otherwise, there’s no reason for me to stay here! It’s not something you think about, you just trying to give your knowledge from the best ones and I hope it helps us improve or at least be more effective.”

It’s been a tricky opening half a day for Honda in Barcelona, as both riders suffered technical issues at exactly the same time and in the same sector. For full live text commentary of the test, click here!

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Source: WorldSBK.com

The two-day test for the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship will feature several test riders from four of the five manufacturers competing in WorldSBK, with the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati squad bringing in Michele Pirro. The Italian, using the #51 bike, brings a wealth of experience from competing in the Italian Superbike championship as well as helping to develop the Ducati MotoGP™ project, with the Italian testing alongside racers Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and Nicolo Bulega.

Pirro’s world stage career began in the 125cc World Championship back in 2003, where he stayed until 2006 before competing domestically in the Superstock class, winning the title on the Yamaha R1. From there, he moved into WorldSSP, taking victory at Imola, before moving to Moto2™ and then MotoGP™. He has taken part in wildcards for the factory Ducati team since a full-time career came to an end, but his primary role has been as the team’s test rider, helping develop the Desmosedici GP to the force it is now. His valuable work was rewarded with a contract until the end of 2026.

Because of his experience in developing the MotoGP™ machine, the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati are utilising his skills on the Panigale V4 R. Explaining why, Ducati Corse Technical Coordinator Marco Zambenedetti said: “First of all, we are here to prepare for the round weekend as that’s always important. Fortunately, Barcelona seems to have good weather and is quite a complex and complete track; this gives us the possibility to setup the bike and test something new. Many of the things aren’t visible because they’re more about power delivery and the character of the engine with the new fuel control. There is also the test team that will help us improve the bike with Michele Pirro, who, especially in these areas, we can get the best from his experience in MotoGP™.

Zambenedetti also reviewed the manufacturer’s Australian round, where rookie Bulega won his debut race in WorldSBK and Bautista ended the weekend strongly as he took second in Race 2 after losing out in a last-lap fight with Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK). Although it was a strong weekend for the Bologna-based manufacturer, it wasn’t as strong as the last two seasons where Bautista won five out of six races at Phillip Island in 2022 and 2023.

Discussing the Australia Round, Zambenedetti said: “About Australia, let me say I was positively impressed about Nicolo’s performance. We start to know him and his talent, but I’m impressed at the time it took for him to get to the top with this new bike. He adapted very quickly. Australia is always a friendly track for Ducati, and, in this case, it seems very good for Nicolo. Alvaro was struggling a bit as he tried to recover his confidence with the bike and find a new bike balance with the ballast that has been fixed on his bike. We’re still working on that area to give him the best package possible. I hope being in Barcelona, with all the references he has in his career, will help him and us to understand what the better setup with the ballast is. I’m pretty sure we will make an improvement with respect to Australia, and I hope we will be in the same position as last year.”

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Source: WorldSBK.com