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

The 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship is already in the past as 2024 starts right now with the opening test of the off-season. Jonathan Rea (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) is the biggest name to move as he leaves Kawasaki to join Yamaha; we caught up with team boss Paul Denning just moments before Rea’s first pit-out on the YZF-R1 to get his thoughts on the test, the signing, the plan and of course, the epic Race 2 from the weekend just gone. Rea did suffer a crash at Turn 13 on his first morning of action but was OK. Keep up with testing action here, whilst you can check out the first images and track action of Rea with Yamaha here.

“It’s kind of surreal… the process was stressful but strangely enjoyable” – first words on Rea

“I’m really excited! It’s a very short transition I have to say, from the emotion of Sunday and 24 hours later, taking pictures of Jonathan Rea sat on our bike,” started Denning, like a kid at Christmas but also in a situation which would have been hard to picture 12 months previous. “It’s kind of surreal, almost too quick a transition – also for him, to be jumping out of green after eight years. However, here we are, they are the logistics, we’re here at the test and I couldn’t be more excited. We had a great day yesterday, like an introduction day, working together in a physical way. I am absolutely intrigued to see what today and what the next day brings as part of the first part of the journey.”

Back when Denning had operated Suzuki’s outfit in BSB in the 2000s, he tried working with Rea then, although a deal couldn’t be reach – something that seems to be for the better now! “I tried to sign Jonny in 2007 on our Suzuki in BSB and failed as he took a different path then, but it worked out well for him as it got him into the World Championships and here he is now as a six-time World Champion. There’s no complaints on his decision then! Of course, over recent years, particularly when Toprak joined us but also when Alex Lowes and Michael van der Mark were with us, we were kind of fierce competitors and that tends to produce antagonism and a sort of feeling of not being exactly best friends as you just want to beat each other. Especially with the Toprak story of 2021 and beyond. It’s been a real pleasure to get to know the person behind the competitor, his family and the process was stressful but strangely enjoyable. It’s quite a surreal moment.”

CREW CHIEF TALK: “With things not working out as first targeted, you actually find a better solution”

Another key story in the signing of the Rea was that he’ll have a new crew chief in Andrew Pitt, who moves over from Andrea Locatelli’s side. Paul Denning explained the decision and whether keeping Phil Marron from Toprak’s side or bringing Pere Riba from Kawasaki with Rea were options: “That was a decision we made a few weeks ago; Andrew and Jonathan have a long-term relationship, starting from when they were teammates in WorldSSP and finished first 1-2 there! They became close friends, they know each other personally and professionally and we felt that with the support that he thrives on in the family atmosphere of a team – what Pere and the guys created successfully at Kawasaki. We wanted to create something similar and Andrew also has the most experience with the bike after six years with us, so it’s a natural fit. ‘Loka’ is completely supportive of that and he’s very happy to take a new approach with a new crew chief next year.

“The first step was that we wanted to keep Phil but he took a different decision which we completely respect. He came with Toprak to us and I think Phil would have liked to stay, there was no doubt that he was a fundamental part of the team, however, the partnership with a rider – a special rider at that – is a difficult bond to break. The next step was to consider Pere, because it was the obvious next step but that didn’t happen for a couple of seasons and within that, with things not working out as first targeted, you actually find a better solution and we’ll be able to let everybody know who Locatelli’s crew chief will be towards the end of November. We’ve managed to bring someone across to the team that I’ve worked with before and I’m super excited to work with again.”

When asked about whether or not ‘Loka’s’ new crew chief will be from the MotoGP™ paddock, given the timing of when it will be unveiled coincides with the end of the MotoGP™ season, Denning replied coyly: “It might be yes, so we’ll see about that.”

NEW WEIGHT RULES: “We expect both our riders to be right on the limit with that”

There’s new technical rules for 2024, something Denning also spoke about: “We’ll have the same RPM as we finished the season but we don’t have anything extra for next year at this test; we’re starting with the base machine, the idea is to ride the bike and only that. I don’t think Jonny will test anything on the bike, it’s just to understand it, how different settings effect the bike’s handling and the electronics systems. The real test programme for 2024 starts at the test later in November here.”

Talking specifically about the weight and whether or not riders Jonathan Rea and Andrea Locatelli will be under the 80kg reference rider weight themselves, he said: “Where we’re at is that we’ll be more or less OK with that side of things but it is something we need to check carefully. We expect both our riders to be right on the limit with that.”

JEREZ RACE 2: “It’s the best race ever; show me a better one!”

Concluding with a final look back at Jerez’s barnstorming second race, Denning hailed it as the best race we’ve ever seen, even if a late penalty didn’t give them the result they may feel they deserved: “I don’t think anyone thought that Portimao would be exceeded in the short term and Race 2 at Jerez, Toprak left everything out there for himself, us and for Yamaha. What a performance, an incredible race. Honestly, it was really disappointing that the penalty cost Toprak winning and us the Teams’ Championship and it was a real kick in the balls. As the rule book sits, it was the only thing that the FIM WorldSBK Stewards could do. He had wheel spin, it costs him time, the wheel drops onto the green and bounces back and he loses the race. There needs to be more intelligence in the way the regulations are written, so then the Stewards can apply their decisions with common sense and intelligence on their side. It’s the best race ever; show me a better one!”

The 2024 title race starts here: keep up with all the action with the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

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 11^th 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.

Follow minute-by-minute coverage of the test HERE and get all the reactions from Jerez using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

Jonathan Rea (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) got his first taste of the Yamaha YZF-R1 machine at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto on the first of two days of testing. The six-time Champion left his box for the first time as a Yamaha rider around half-an-hour into the session for a few laps as he looks to adjust from Kawasaki to Yamaha machinery. Check out images and a video from his first day as a Yamaha rider at the top of this article.

Follow minute-by-minute coverage of the test HERE and check out videos from Jerez using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

Axel Bassani’s (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) dreams became reality on Tuesday at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto as he took to the track for the first time with his new team. Sporting a traditional Kawasaki winter livery, revamped to include some striking yellow, the #47 was one of the first to head out as he adjusts from Ducati to Kawasaki machinery. Check out some stunning photos of the Italian making his KRT debut in Spain at the top of this article.

Follow minute-by-minute coverage of the test HERE and get all the reactions from Jerez using the WorldSBK VideoPass!

Source: WorldSBK.com

The 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship is done and dusted and in the history books. Now, all eyes have turned to 2024 and the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto hosts two days of testing. Read the preview for the event HERE and follow live timing HERE. On this page, you’ll get key updates from the test and links to other content to enhance your experience of the test.

10:20 – Rinaldi is the first rider to dip into the 1’40s; setting a 1’40.891s. He leads former teammate Bautista by almost two tenths.

10:12 – six riders have ventured out onto track so far: Scott Redding (Bonovo Action BMW), teammate Garrett Gerloff, Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati), Brad Ray (GMT94 Yamaha), Axel Bassani (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) and Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Motocorsa Racing).

10:00 – the track goes green for Day 1 of the Jerez test!

09:30 – Monday marked Jonathan Rea’s first day with the Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK team – check out the first images of his setup day HERE!

Source: WorldSBK.com

Source: WorldSBK.com