Hopkins and Easton complete positive first test for ePayMe Yamaha
The ePayMe Yamaha team made their on track debut at Cartagena in Spain as former MotoGP podium finisher John Hopkins and multiple British Supersport champion Stuart Easton began their pre-season preparations for the 2016 MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship.
The team managed by 2011 MCE BSB champion Tommy Hill, utilised the four days at the Spanish track as an initial shakedown as the team members and riders worked together for the first time ahead of the ePayMe Yamaha squad’s first season in the championship.
Both Hopkins and Easton continued to make solid progress over the opening four days, successful hunting down a strong base setting ahead of the team’s next on track appearance at the official test at Silverstone at the end of the month.
Hopkins said: “I feel even happier at the end of this test than I did when I first rode the new Yamaha. Honestly I am absolutely over the moon with everything really; the mindset coming into this test was never to go out and get some crazy outright lap time and the focus has purely been on getting accustomed to the bike and getting a good feel for the bike.
“I think this is one time in my career where we have spent the majority of the test on used tyres, which makes it even more positive. We have been able to do a lap time then stay doing consistent lap times that are strongly competitive from what I have seen on used tyres which is a huge bonus. You know bikes that I have ridden in the past, we can always squeeze a lap time with a fresh tyre and we would manage to unfortunately drop back quite a bit once the tyres have gone off, but we have gone out here session after session with the same set of tyres and the lap time has stayed the same and that is a nice feeling.
“I have had a lot of fun over the last four days and I can’t say we have had any issues; I had a little off track excursion and a couple of little things just learning braking markers and stuff like that but the test has been very positive. The team are working really well together, so hats off to Tommy [Hill] as I think he has done an amazing job with getting everything set up how it is and putting such a solid and functional team together as everyone is doing such a great job so far. It is only onward and upwards from here!”
Easton said: “The bike is actually really, really good – I haven’t actually got any complaints at all. It is just different from what I have been used to and it feels quite a lot different and it has taken me a bit longer to adapt probably than I thought it would. Initially I didn’t feel comfortable at all but with each session I was getting more comfortable and made some changes along the way. We haven’t gone too far from the settings that we know worked with the Yamaha last year and it is for me now to adapt to the package.
“I know my times haven’t been as fast but the feeling is getting there now. Pre-test I wasn’t overly worried about the lap times as everyone can get a bit excited; although I want to be respectable but my main focus was to be comfortable heading into the first round of the season at Silverstone.
“On the last day I kept chipping away and working through our programme and we had a few things to check over on the bike and although it wasn’t the fastest I have ever been around this track, given it is a new team and this is our first test, we have made good progress. I feel more comfortable and happier on the bike and I feel that we can start pushing on now at the Silverstone test.”
Team manager Hill commented: “I am absolutely over the moon with how this first test has gone for the ePayMe Yamaha team. It is quite overwhelming for me as there have been months of a lot of hard work that have gone into making this happen and I think the guys can see that. For us it is always about moving forward; yes I am a racer and people still ask me why I don’t get back on a bike and race again but I have put that drive and passion into my team. This is something that I have put together from scratch and if we went back to before November I didn’t have a single nut or bolt and so to have two bikes on track with both of the guys doing what they have here, and the team working so well together is really overwhelming.
“John has been going really well and after the first few laps out on the bike he felt like it was his bike and that was an amazing start for us. Stuart will take a bit of time to find his feet as he is coming back from an injury and three or four rounds off and I know he can be fast. He has been getting more comfortable on the bike and that is important.
“All we came testing for here was to make sure that the riders were happy and the team gel together and everything is working right. We wanted to find a base set-up and then work forward from there. We will move on now to our next test, which will be the official test at Silverstone in a few weeks’ time, so we have some work we will do before then, we have some new parts that we are waiting on to turn up too. We are a new team and we have had great feedback from everyone about how it has gone so far, how the bikes look and that is exciting. I have every faith in both riders and that we have a great team already.”