The Barcelona tests represented the last opportunity for the teams to carry out private tests, before going to Aragon for the official collective tests that anticipate the 2022 season. Already on the Catalan track, however, we were able to get a taste of what the values will be in the field, thanks to a first direct confrontation between those who are considered the contenders for the title. Jonathan Rea is the pilot of the trio (also made up of Toprak Razgatlioglu and Alvaro Bautista) to have remained more in the shadows, but it is well known that the “Cannibal” should never be underestimated.
Only 238 thousandths separated Rea from an impregnable Ducati rider on the first day, where, however, he collected valuable data and information in view of the races. The second day was characterized by lower temperatures and rain which conditioned the work in the pits. The six-time world champion preferred not to take risks, staying in the pits and not hitting the track in wet conditions.
Rea, however, brings home a newfound feeling and great optimism for 2022, which will begin in less than ten days in Aragon, where Superbike returns a few days early for the last tests. But first, the Kawasaki rider reflects on what he did in Barcelona: “I had good sensations here. We confirmed the elements with which we had found positive results in both the Jerez and Portimao tests. The weather conditions were not perfect here and the temperature was quite low, but we were able to do a lot of laps, especially on the first day. The second day was colder, but we continued to work with the base of the bike. I did some starting tests on the second day, so stay improving. We have made progress in that area. “
“I finished the test with a good feeling on the bike and I’m really excited to go to Aragon. Everyone there will have the same strategy, set up the weekend and then go into free practice 1. It’s been a long but exciting off-season, with a lot of testing, and I’ve been fine the whole time. I am grateful to the team for all the hard work they have done. Now we can think about the race weekend very soon. Thanks for the great effort, everyone at KRT ”.
Alex Lowes, Kawasaki Racing Team
Photo by: Kawasaki Racing Team
Alex Lowes is also very satisfied at the end of the two days of testing in Barcelona. Physically recovered, the Briton is happy to have finally been able to ride without feeling pain in his wrist, injured last year and the cause of many forfeits especially in the final phase of the season. The Kawasaki rider, in his third year in “green”, aims to improve and believes that the path he has taken is the right one.
“We had a good first day here. We did a lot of laps, some of them consistent, and confirmed many of the changes we had made in the previous winter tests. On the second day we were limited in track time and wanted to try a few different things on the back of the bike. The forecasts were pretty bad so we were happy to get the good laps we did on the last day. The laps we did were better than we expected after the weather forecast. Now I’m ready to go to Motorland Aragon in a couple of weeks. It was nice to do a test with a lot of good laps. My previous injuries have recovered, my body feels good and that means I’m ready to run ”.
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