RideFast Feb 2020

BACK ON TRACK - WSBK TESTING
Despite four different
manufacturers topping the
timesheets, the HRC Team
– fielding Leon Haslam and
Alvaro Bautista – led the way
on the first day of testing with
Leon Haslam topping the
timesheets by a narrow margin.
With four red flags,
numerous crashes and rain
falling harder, Haslam fended
off Michael van der Mark
(Pata Yamaha) and American
sensation Garrett Gerloff
(GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior
Team) as day one concluded.
Back in action as a full
factory effort, Team HRC
did just about everything on
their first public appearance.
Haslam topped the timesheets
at various points throughout
the day, whilst Bautista
crashed at turn six earlier in
the morning.
In his second season
back in WorldSBK, ‘Pocket
Rocket’ Haslam pulled off a
memorable story from day
one at Jerez, placing Honda on
top of the timesheets in wet
conditions.
Leon
Haslam on
the new
Honda.
The HRC Team sport a
slender 0.031s advantage
over Yamaha going into day
two, but it is an advantage
nonetheless. For Haslam’s
teammate Bautista, he was
back out on track in the
afternoon after a lengthy time
in the garage following his
small morning crash, coming
up to ninth on the timesheets
before finishing the afternoon
in tenth.
The Yamaha contingency
was looking strong at Jerez,
a circuit they enjoyed wins
and podiums at in 2019. Van
der Mark was top at lunch but
crashed not long after – the
Dutchman being one of many
riders to crash at turn one
through the course of the day.
Toprak Razgatliolgu bounced
back from his morning crash
and was hovering in the top
10 before finishing eighth,
continuing his adaptation to
the YZF R1 and the new engine.
Leading the charge from
the Independent teams was
Gerloff, with the American
impressing on his second visit
to Jerez and finishing third,
setting 35 laps. Teammate
Federico Caricasulo joined
Gerloff inside the top 10 and
Bautista and the new
Honda CBR1000RR-R
out on track for the first
time publicly.
was ninth, his best showing in
WorldSBK to-date. The Italian
made the most the wet track
time and just under two tenths
behind Razgatlioglu.
Aruba.it Racing – Ducati
showed strong pace throughout
the opening day of the test,
as Scott Redding was a firm
fixture inside of the top four,
hitting top spot early in the
day before settling down and
dialling in a good number of
laps. Racking up more than 45 in
total, Redding was utilising the
test well, with new chassis and
engine parts seeing him placed
nicely in fourth.
After two crashes for Chaz
Davies (Aruba.it Racing –
Ducati), the Welshman had
an afternoon to get back
on track – both literally and
metaphorically. However, with
the rain coming down harder
than ever, he was rooted to
15th in the class.
Loris Baz (Ten Kate Racing
Yamaha) was enjoying his
time on track at the Jerez test
and was making sure that the
YZF R1 Yamaha was working
well around the famous
Spanish venue. Having been
first across various parts of
the day, the Frenchman was
pushed back to fifth come the
end of the day.
A quiet morning for BMW
turned into a busier afternoon,
with 2013 WorldSBK Champion
Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad
WorldSBK Team) hitting the
top six as the rain eased off.
Parts they wanted to test in
dry conditions consisted of
chassis updates, swingarm
configurations and rear shocks.
However, with the wet
circuit, there was very little
they could try. On the other side
of the garage, Eugene Laverty
beavered away and improved
throughout the day – Sykes and
Laverty finished sixth and 13th
respectively as the rain came
back with a vengeance.
With Jonathan Rea
(Kawasaki Racing Team
WorldSBK) opting not to go out
at all on day one, Alex Lowes
was flying the Kawasaki flag
at Jerez. The British rider
will switch to the Japanese
manufacturer in 2020 and is
looking to use the Jerez test to
his advantage, with this being
their last track action until
Phillip Island’s test in February.
Utilising wet weather track
time to the best he could,
Lowes wasted no time in going
top just after 14:00, before
finishing in seventh.
Sandro Cortese (Barni
Racing Team) deputised for
Leon Camier and finished
16th in the WorldSBK class.
One place behind him was
Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team
GOELEVEN), who suffered
a turn seven crash which
brought out the fourth red flag
of the day.
Italian youngster
blasts clear whilst
Steven Odendaal and
reigning Champion
Krummenacher
complete the top three
After the 2018 and 2019
WorldSSP seasons went down
to the final round of the year,
testing provides opportunities
to gain critical advantages and
get ahead of the opposition
come the season’s start.
Taking advantage of difficult
conditions, it was Federico
Fuligni (MV Agusta Reparto
Corse) who led the way, ahead
of Steven Odendaal (EAB
Ten Kate Racing) and Randy
Bautista has some adjusting
to do to get comfortable on
the new Honda.
Krummenacher (MV Agusta
Reparto Corse).
With heavy rain drenching
the Spanish circuit in the
morning, track action was
initially very little for the World
Supersport field. On top of
the test back in November,
WSBK rookie Garrett
Gerloff ahead of Loris Baz.
Michael van
der Mark
WorldSSP rookie Andrea
Locatelli (BARDAHL Evan Bros.
WorldSSP Team) elected not to
take to the circuit all day, with
the rain proving too much for
the Italian’s liking.
Federico Fuligni (MV Agusta
Reparto Corse) had plenty
to shout about as he got his
head around tricky, inclement
conditions. The Italian will
be eager to make a step in
2020, remaining with the team
he joined in 2019. Spending
much of the afternoon as top
WorldSSP runner and setting
a good number of laps during
wet weather running, Fuligni
ended day one in top spot.
Vital data gathering and wet
weather riding mean Fuligni
first day of testing in 2020 was
a success.