First Winter Test Complete For KRT

New KRT riding line-up Jonathan Rea and Leon Haslam completed their first winter test sessions on the 2019 Ninja ZX-10RR at Motorland Aragon, with Rea going fastest of all and Haslam working well during his first contact with his new team.

On a dry first day of testing, on Wednesday the 14th of November, four-time WorldSBK champion Rea demonstrated some serious pace to set a best lap time of 1’49.668, drawing an impressive early line in the sand for others to match.

New inductee to the KRT squad Leon Haslam was in confident and positive mood on his full-time return to the WorldSBK paddock, improving with every session on day one before wet weather prevented any track action on day two.

Rea’s technical crew used this test to make back-to-back comparisons between the 2018 and 2019 official WorldSBK machines, with Rea stating that he feels there is a lot of potential in the new bike already. Rea set his fastest lap times on the 2019 machine.

BSB champion Haslam worked between two base settings on his 2019 WorldSBK spec machines, making one clear choice of direction but then losing some track time to a minor technical issue just after lunch.

Leon still set an impressive 1’51.479 lap on his first day back in the paddock he knows well from his earlier WorldSBK career. Rains arrived early today and continuing throughout, so the decision was made not to take to the track.

Jerez de la Frontera in Spain will be the venue for the final KRT test before the winter break, with track sessions scheduled for the 26th and the 27th of November.

Jonathan Rea, stated: “Day two of our test was cut short by wet weather so we were not able to refine the base set-up of our new 2019 Ninja ZX-10RR – but first impressions were positive after back-to-back tests with the 2018 machine. It is clear that the potential of the 2019 bike is much higher. To achieve that potential we need to delve into more set-up changes and that will require more time. It needs a bit more of a base setting because the new engine character has more power and more potential, especially under acceleration and on the brakes. That requires a little bit of a different riding style, so I need to understand that together with all my crew, in the next weeks. It was a simple back-to-back test here but in Jerez we can start to test more items with the chassis, electronics and some engine components.”

Leon Haslam, stated: “The test was positive and I am getting to know all the guys in the team. We missed some track time on the opening day, but even then it could have not gone any better. We got quicker each time we went out and the pace was quite competitive, considering we were not looking for that. We were just evaluating and understanding things. We are taking it step-by-step and we have another two days at Jerez to test again before the winter break. So far, so good.”

Pere Riba, Crew Chief for Jonathan Rea, stated: “Our test was good. With our new engine upgrade we have some new parts and it ‘talks’ differently to the rider. That needs time for us to understand how to give the best to Johnny, especially in terms of feeling. Apart from that, his lap times were really fast and we have already collected positive information. It is a shame that is was raining today and we decided not to test in the wet. All the items we needed to try need dry conditions, or else you cannot understand them properly.”

Marcel Duinker, Crew Chief for Leon Haslam, stated: “I was very happy and confident from the very beginning of the tests. We have a BSB champion in our house with a lot of experience on different bikes, different championships and different tyres. Day one went very well. We had two different bike set-ups to put us in the correct direction for chassis development. He clearly chose one of them and with some minor changes towards the end of day one, Leon was in the ballpark with our closest competition, who had won several races in the past few years. So from this point of view I am very happy, but unfortunately day two was wet. After this single day on track and with the positive results, we are confident we will continue doing well in Jerez.”

More, from a press release issued by Barni Racing:

Barni Racing Team makes his debut with Ducati Panigale V4

Alcaniz, 15th November 2018. Only 17 days after the ultimate round of the 2018 MOTUL FIM World Superbike Championship, Barni Racing Team was already out on track preparing the new season.

Michael Ruben Rinaldi hits the track for the first time with the new brand Ducati Panigale V4 – the new machine from Borgo Panigale – and he made his all-important first steps taking to the track 82 laps in overall – more than any other rider: 74 in day 1 , only 8 in day 2, when the rain appeared on the Moorland Aragon. Rinaldi’s best lap time in dry condition was 1.51.656 and he was fifth overall at the end of day 1. He was able to put in the very first wet laps on board the V4 R this morning.

First impressions of the V4 R were good for the rider Rimini but for the crew too. All togheter began to work in order to set up an all-new machine.

Marco Barnabò, Principal Manager

“Our first goal was to know the new bike and these two days of testing were intense and productive: Michael never pushed trying to have the best lap performance, but he tried to establish the right feeling with the bike, both on dry and wet conditions. That’s why we chose to be out on track the second day, despite the rain. The team, however, has become familiar with the new electronics and the new chassis of the V4.

I would like to thank Ducati which make available for us the test team bike. For us it was very important to get acquainted with the new bike as soon as possible and have had this opportunity testifies – once again – the close relationship between our team and Ducati.”

Michael Ruben Rinaldi, #21

“At the beginning I was a little excited, getting on the V4 was an incredible experience. Lap by lap, however, I got more confident and I must say that I was amazed: the bike works really well and the feelings have been very positive both in terms of chassis and engine. On the second day we tried to do some laps in wet conditions, but there was too much water on track. This was only the first exit and I tried not to take too many risks.”

More, from a press release issued by Aruba.it Racing Ducati:

Heavy rains hamper the second day of testing at Aragon for the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team, next stop Jerez

After taking the WorldSBK-spec Panigale V4 R on track for the first time yesterday with enthusiastic feedback, the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team was prompted to cut its program short on the second and final day of testing at Aragon (Spain) due to adverse weather conditions. Heavy rains hit the track on the outskirts of Alcañiz throughout the day, keeping the majority of the riders and teams in the pits. Still, Chaz Davies managed to ride 22 laps in the wet, the fastest of which in 2:04.513, and gather more data to move forward with the development.

In two days of testing, Davies completed 83 laps in total, with a personal best of 1:51.180. The Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team will resume action at Jerez de la Frontera (Spain), where Alvaro Bautista will make his debut alongside Davies, on November 26 and 27.

Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #7)

“Despite the forecast, yesterday I was hoping we might get lucky and have a dry track in the morning, but unfortunately it wasn’t the case. The day started and finished wet. We had to ride in the rain at some point anyway, so that’s what we did today and actually it went OK. I wasn’t looking for the limits of the bike in these conditions, keeping also an eye on my shoulder, but we still managed to tick off a few items on our list. We’ll start in Jerez from where we finished here. We have a good base to begin with and our ideas are quite clear, which is the most important thing at this stage.”

Serafino Foti, Team Manager

“Overall the test has been positive, even though unfortunately conditions weren’t ideal today. We still did a few laps in the wet to verify the behavior of the Panigale V4 R, collecting important information while at the same time avoiding unnecessary risks. We’ll head directly to Jerez from here to continue our development program, hopefully in more favorable weather. We want to make the most of the last testing days before the new year.”