The WorldSBK circus arrived at Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto on Wednesday for a busy two day test, with some new and refreshing faces on the track, particularly for us Aussie’s, Remy Gardner, who finished day two 10th fastest and came to grips with his YZF-R1 very quickly… Report: WorldSBK Press
Day One testing for the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto was a busy affair as teams and riders got their first 2023 running under their belt. 2021 Champion Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK) topped the times ahead of reigning Champion Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) by two tenths of a second, with Bautista crashing in the afternoon, while rookie Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) shone brightly on his debut.
Three rookies were taking part in the Jerez test as they got adjusted to new surroundings, teams and bikes. Petrucci took sixth spot at the end of the day with a 1’39.790s, just over a second slower than Razgatlioglu. Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK) was ninth fastest on his first day in dry conditions with the Yamaha R1, lapping in 1’39.934, as he worked on linkage, swingarm and electronic components.
Teammate Remy Gardner was close behind in 14th place and six tenths back from Aegerter. Baldassarri (GMT94 Yamaha), learning the Championship and bike along with his team, was the lowest-placed rookie with 19th place as he took to the Yamaha R1 for the first time.
Testing at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto came to a conclusion for the teams and riders from the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship that attended. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK) was able to bounce back from his crash in the morning to record the fastest time with a 1’31.269s set in the afternoon; attempting to break the 1’37s barrier. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) was second on Day 2, less than a tenth behind Razgatlioglu while 2022 WorldSBK Champion Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) took third place.
After a strong showing on Day 1, three WorldSBK rookies finished the test inside the top ten on Day 2. Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) was sixth fastest after posting a 1’39.193s, with Danilo Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing Team) taking eighth place after setting a 1’39.311s. Aegerter’s GRT Yamaha teammate, Remy Gardner, took tenth spot but was only three tenths slower than Aegerter at the end of Day 2; showing how tight the WorldSBK field is in 2023.
Most teams will now be headed to Autódromo Internacional do Algarve in Portugal for another two-day test to be held on Tuesday 31st January and Wednesday 1st February.
Read the full report from Day 2 in Jerez on worldsbk.com
JEREZ WORLDSBK TEST 2023 GALLERY
