The big news at work
The Round of Jerez de la Frontera last weekend was the last of several drivers with their respective teams, from which they then parted before the expected post-season testing on the same Andalusian circuit. Right here we saw the actual change of shirt, generating a certain strangeness in the eyes of the various enthusiasts. Above all, the images of Jonathan Rea riding the Yamaha, with the six-time Northern Irish champion abandoning the green of Kawasaki after nine years to switch to the blue of the Japanese manufacturer. However, the void left by Rea was filled by Axel Bassaniwho took to the track with one for the first time with one Ninjas from the special livery yellow-black. Great debuts also at Ducati, starting with Michael Rinaldirecently announced by the team Motorcycle racing Racing right in Bassani’s place for next season. There was also interest in the debut of the Supersport champion Nicolò Bulega with the official team of the Borgo Panigale manufacturer, as well as that for Andrea Iannone with GoEleven, which welcomes the Abruzzo rider for the first time in Superbike. Also worth highlighting is Scott Redding’s ‘internal’ transfer to BMW with the Bonovo Action team, but above all the the absence of his replacement in ROKiT BMW Motorrad: Toprak Razgatlioglu. In fact, the Turkish rider did not get the green light from Yamaha to carry out the test session.
First day of the 2024 chapter is here for some of our riders ✍️
#WorldSBK pic.twitter.com/hBC5pcoJqI
— WorldSBK (@WorldSBK) October 31, 2023
Gardner protagonist before the rain
There was therefore a lot of curiosity about the first day of the Superbike post-season tests, which started in the worst possible way precisely because Jonathan Rea: the new Yamaha rider has indeed lost control of his motorbike at turn 13, falling at a time in the session when the first drops of water began to appear on the Jerez circuit just before midday. The new world champion also did badly Alvaro Bautistapreviously the author of an error in the same point, as happened to Garrett Gerloff. However, during the morning he stood out Michael Rinaldi, who completed 36 laps he proved to be the most present driver on the track, as well as the author of the second best time. The rider from Rimini finished almost 2 tenths behind Remy Gardnerwhich with the time of 1:39.287 set the fastest lap of the first day of testing. However, the possibilities for all participants to lower their times disappeared in the afternoon, thanks to the rain which prompted the drivers to stay in the pits until 5pm. The activity partially resumed only in the last available hour, but with the ranking remaining unchanged. The Yamaha of the Italian GYTR GRT team finished on the virtual podium with Dominique Aegerter, 3rd ahead of Rea, while Bautista finished in fifth position in the ranking reserved for Superbike riders, and therefore excluding the presence of the MotoGP bikes of Bradl, Savadori and Pirro. Further back Bulega, 8th and trying to adapt to the characteristics of a Superbike. The same challenge that Iannone faced, just outside the top-10 and behind Bassani, who was also in the first laps with a Kawasaki.
Superbikes | Jerez 2023 post-season testing, Day 1
1 | Remy Gardner | Yamaha | 1:39.837 |
2 | Michael Rinaldi | Ducati | +0.197 |
3 | Dominique Aegerter | Yamaha | +0.296 |
4 | Jonathan Rea | Yamaha | +0.465 |
5 | Alvaro Bautista | Ducati | +0.727 |
6 | Garrett Gerloff | BMW | +1,356 |
7 | Alex Lowes | Kawasaki | +1,392 |
8 | Nicolò Bulega | Ducati | +1,407 |
9 | Scott Redding | BMW | +1,496 |
10 | Axel Bassani | Kawasaki | +1,964 |
11 | Andrea Iannone | Ducati | +2,085 |
12 | Bradley Ray | Yamaha | +2,458 |
13 | Tarran MacKenzie | Honda | +4,429 |
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