Editorial Note: The World Superbike Circuit Best Lap Record for Misano is 1:33.640, which was set by Tom Sykes in 2018.
FIM Superbike World Championship Test
Misani World Circuit – Marco Simoncelli
Misano, San Marino
March 16, 2021
Best Lap Times (all on Pirelli tires):
- Michael Ruben Rinaldi, Italy (Duc Panigale V4 R), 1:33.688
2. Toprak Razgatlioglu, Turkey (Yam YZF-R1), 1:33.886
3. Garrett Gerloff, USA (Yam YZF-R1), 1:34.013
4. Scott Redding, UK (Duc Panigale V4 R), 1:34.361
5. Andrea Locatelli, Italy (Yam YZF-R1), 1:34.794
6. Lucas Mahias, France (Kaw ZX-10RR), 1:34.806
7. Axel Bassani, Italy (Duc Panigale V4 R), 1:34.837
8. Kohta Nozane, Japan (Yam YZF-R1), 1:35.003
9. Tito Rabat, Spain (Duc Panigale V4 R), 1:35.210
10. Christophe Ponsson, France (Yam YZF-R1), 1:36.392
More, from a press release issued by Dorna WorldSBK Press Office:
Rinaldi vs Razgatlioglu: Italian star hits lap record pace as Day 2 at Misano ignites
Lap record pace was the call of the day as Michael Ruben Rinaldi
dethroned Toprak Razgatlioglu
The Misano World Circuit “Marco Simoncelli” continued to host the final portion of day two testing for the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship, as a variety of teams continued their preparations for a titanic tussle in the year ahead. Having led the way for more or less the whole time, Toprak Razgatlioglu (PATA Yamaha WorldSBK Team) was displaced at the top by Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) in the final two hours of the test, as the Italian star hit lap record pace to take the advantage away from Yamaha.
Over at the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati squad, Michael Ruben Rinaldi was using the new front brake calipers and he cemented his feelings in the final hours of the test by rocketing to the top, right on Tom Sykes’ Superpole lap record (1’33.640). Rinaldi had a crash in the afternoon at Turn 8 but was uninjured. Scott Redding continued getting a feeling for his machine after trying out the new front brake calipers. Feeling like he can bring more to the table if he was to ride a bike that isn’t always evolving so that he is able to make a step within himself, Redding completed 64 laps at Misano, continuing to make progress on his way to fourth.
Aiming at improving the stopping and turning of his YZF-R1, Razgatlioglu and crew chief Phil Marron got to work on the feeling between rider and machine and making the improvements on one of Toprak’s biggest problems in 2020. Using the new Brembo front brake caliper once again – having used it at Jerez in November last year – as well as a new air-intake designed to increase speed and reduce lift and with the upgraded 2021 engine, Toprak was able to finish second. Teammate Andrea Locatelli was likewise impressive as he continued to get vital laps under his belt on a bike that is more or less new to him, even in regard to the November test at Jerez, to conclude the test in fifth and with good sensations moving forward.
Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) and Japanese rookie teammate Kohta Nozane were working on finding new base settings for their season ahead. For Gerloff, his aim was to get back into the rhythm of things and to get accustomed to the 2021 Yamaha, having been on the 2019 version last year. It was a strong second day, with Gerloff running inside the top three throughout and even leading at one point before finishing third at the flag. With Nozane, who is fresh from MotoGP™ testing, he aims to continue to adapt to Pirelli rubber as well as the team surrounding him, with the hopes from the team being that he is at the sharp end by the end of the season. He finished eighth at the end of the day, scalping Tito Rabat (Barni Racing Team) who was ninth.
The Kawasaki effort was solely resting on Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing), with him graduating up from the Puccetti Kawasaki WorldSSP team to enjoy a first full year in WorldSBK. With 2020 ZX-10RR equipment but with 2021 parts to put through their paces, Mahias was around a second off the pace in the closing hours and finished a hard-earned sixth overall.
At the Motocorsa Racing Ducati Panigale V4 R set-up, Axel Bassani continued to impress quietly and steadily, as he continued to get up to speed in consistent weather conditions. Testing the 2020 bike on day one before switching to the 2021 machine for day two, Bassani has had to adapt his riding style slightly between the two. He was happy with his work but will be focusing on working in the braking areas. For Tito Rabat, he continued to get used to WorldSBK machinery and put in over 100 laps. The Spanish rookie clocked the greatest number of laps out of anyone at the test on day two and will hope to put all of the data acquired into good practice in their upcoming tests, in order for Tito to bridge the gap to the leading group.
At the Alstare Yamaha set-up, Christophe Ponsson had a difficult day after suffering a big crash towards the end of the morning session. Come the end of play on the second day, Ponsson was tenth.
In WorldSSP, Philipp Oettl (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was the best rider on track, marginally ahead of South Africa’s Steven Odendaal (Evan Bros. WorldSSP Team). Oettl has an all-new Kawasaki ZX-6R and was looking at working on suspension feeling, whilst Odendaal is bedding himself in with the reigning Champions, as they work together on finding a bike that suits his riding style. Randy Krummenacher (EAB Racing Team) was third overall and continues to readapt to Yamaha machinery after a year off it in 2020; the Swiss rider set 67 laps, more than anyone in WorldSSP. Can Öncü (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) completed WorldSSP running in fourth after a crash in the morning, although he was able to get back on track as he gels with the new squad.
More, from a press release issued by Aruba.it Racing Ducati:
Two intense days of testing at the Misano circuit concluded for the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati Team
Two intense days of testing concluded at the Misano World Circuit (Italy). Scott Redding and Michael Rinaldi lapped consistently and brought home important data for the development of their respective Ducati Panigale V4 R machines.
The two Aruba.it Racing – Ducati Team riders worked on their set-up and tried out new solutions in terms of brakes, clutch, and electronics. They showed continued growth throughout the sessions.
Michael Rinaldi (159 laps in total) ended the two-day test with the fastest chrono thanks to an incisive final time attack.
Scott Redding did not attempt a fast lap completing 173 laps over the two days.
The Misano test was also the occasion for the filming of the video presentation for the 2021 WorldSBK season. This will be broadcasted on the main media and social channels of Ducati and Aruba.it Racing – Ducati on Tuesday, March 23rd at 2:30 PM CET. Stay Tuned!
Michael Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati rider #21)
“I am very happy with how these two days of testing have gone. With the team we had prepared a very intense program that allowed us to collect a lot of information. The feeling on the race pace is very positive while there is still work to do on the time attack. However, I must admit that the sensations are extremely positive and I can’t wait to be in Barcelona to get back on track”.
Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati rider #45)
“We have worked a lot on many solutions. The goal was to improve my feeling with the new bike. We have made important steps forward but there are still some details to fix. I think the balance of this test is extremely positive because we worked a lot on used tyres without thinking about the chrono. After two consecutive tests at Misano we go to Barcelona with confidence”.
More, from a press release issued by Yamaha:
Yamaha Teams Complete Successful WorldSBK Test in Misano
It was a promising start to the 2021 FIM Superbike World Championship for the Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Official Team and the GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team at the Misano test, as Toprak Razgatlıoğlu topped three of the four sessions, ending the two days with the second-fastest time.
Heading into his second season with Pata Yamaha, Razgatlıoğlu was quickly back up to speed on the Yamaha R1. The Turkish rider was fastest after the opening day and continued that strong form into Tuesday, topping the morning session despite a late fall. The 24-year-old improved on the X-specification race tyre to go second overall on a 1’33.886, completing 140 laps across the two days.
At GRT Yamaha, Garrett Gerloff recovered from an early fall to go fifth fastest on the opening day. The American, who impressed during his rookie season last year, enjoyed more track time on the second day, ending the test with 111 laps and managing a fastest time of 1’34.013 to go third, despite this being his first time at the Italian venue.
2021 Pata Yamaha newcomer Andrea Locatelli continued to adapt to the Yamaha R1 and managed a mammoth 92 laps on the opening day. The Italian’s pace continued to improve throughout the second day, and he leaves Misano with the fifth fastest time on a 1’34.794 and 161 laps under his belt.
Kohta Nozane, taking part in his second test with the GRT Yamaha squad, also impressed fresh from his MotoGP testing duties in Qatar. Still adapting to the Pirelli tyres, the Japanese rider completed 117 laps of the Misano circuit and took 1.520 seconds off his time from the opening day to go eighth fastest on day two with a time of 1’35.003.
Both Yamaha teams will be back in action at the Barcelona test (31 March – 1 April), as they continue to gear up for the 2021 WorldSBK season.
Toprak Razgatlıoğlu: P2 – 1’33.886 / 140 laps
Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Official Team
Today we tried many new parts. I had a small off in the morning at Turn 2, but we recovered and worked hard on the set-up. We are happy because we did a good lap with the X-tyre, but we don’t know what our ultimate pace is because we couldn’t get a good lap in on the Q-tyre. We will see how it goes at the next test. Thank you to the team, they’ve done a great job throughout the winter and during these two days.
Garrett Gerloff: P3 – 1’34.013 / 111 laps
GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team
I’m happier today than I was yesterday, we did a lot of laps just to get used to the track. I feel really good, the Yamaha R1 feels even better, and my crew and I are on the same page, so it’s all coming together. It was nice to have a clean day, test some new items, including the new aero package, and get some more information for the next test in Barcelona. The engineers have been working really hard and we’ve been making some gains. I’m leaving here really positive and looking forward to continuing to learn and improve the bike over the next few tests.
Andrea Locatelli: P5 – 1’34.794 / 161 laps
Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Official Team
It was a really good test. We managed to do a race simulation today and the lap times were really promising and consistent. We still need to improve our one-lap pace, but it’s the first test and it was important not to make any mistakes and get as much mileage as possible. We will see how it goes in Barcelona, but I go home very happy.
Kohta Nozane: P8 – 1’35.003 / 117 laps
GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team
The test was very satisfying. Compared to day one, I could improve my pace and I’m getting into a good rhythm. It was a very productive test and I’m very happy with how these two days went, the track was amazing to ride on. I feel more comfortable with the team, the bike, and also the tyres, which are still quite new to me. We have a few more tests ahead, so I’d like to keep working hard and be ready for the first race of the season.
Andrea Dosoli
Yamaha Motor Europe Road Racing Manager
These two days in Misano have been very promising for both teams. We were able to test a few new parts and managed a lot of laps, so we’ve got a good amount of data to go through ahead of the next test. All four riders improved throughout both days, Toprak posted some impressive laps, and Garrett wasn’t far behind. Andrea managed more laps than anyone and made no mistakes – we were impressed with his consistency over the race simulations. It was also great for Kohta to continue his preparation for his maiden season and by the end of the test he was right in the mix. We have a good platform to build on for the upcoming test in Barcelona.
