Bulega leads as WorldSBK Testing gets underway in ...

WorldSBK 2025

January Jerez Take a look at Day One

The 2025 FIM Superbike World Championship season formally started in a single day with the opening day of the primary official pre-season take a look at at Jerez on Wednesday.

2024 runner-up Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) kicked off his 2025 marketing campaign in type as virtually the whole WorldSBK subject gathered in Spain for the session. Bulega was the one rider to dip into the 1’38s bracket, warding off Andrea Iannone (Group Pata GoEleven), who completed second.

Scott Redding (MGM BONOVO Racing) is already exhibiting robust kind on the Panigale V4 R, ending the day in third place.

Scott Redding – Bonovo Ducati

“My objective was attempt to go P1 on my first day… it’s somewhat bit bold, however you’ve received to purpose excessive! I additionally had a yellow flag on my greatest lap so I misplaced somewhat little bit of time. On the whole, to be high three on my first day and all of those guys have examined I believe two occasions two days or three days because the finish of the season; it was arduous to rise up to hurry initially however when I discovered my rhythm and relaxed somewhat bit, I might construct. My greatest lap was on the SCQ after which I did s 1’40 with the race tyre. The primary day’s been actually superb. I wasn’t capable of trip the bike on the finish of the yr, so I used to be realty keen. I lastly received that feeling again on my fingertips. Immediately was value ready for! Immediately ended up being a very good day and an incredible begin for me and the workforce.”

Garrett Gerloff (Kawasaki WorldSBK Group) in his third take a look at on the ZX-10RR, confirmed robust kind, recording a 1’39.332s to safe fourth place forward of Bimota’s Axel Bassani and Barni Ducati’s Danilo Petrucci.

Xavi Vierge (Honda HRC) commenced work with new Crew Chief Tetsuya Sasaki and completed in sixth with a 1’39.916s. HRC is on Ohlins suspension this season, after operating Showa in 2022, 23 and 24. Iker Lecuona is absent from this take a look at attributable to damage.

Jose Escamez – HRC Group Supervisor

“The day has been good as a result of the climate has revered the predictions from Tuesday. To date, we’re ok, we are able to say however not joyful in any respect. It’s fairly good. Xavi has been doing laps and the whole lot seems to be as we anticipated. This implies we’re in the identical approach that we completed final yr, which is already a constructive level.  It’s going to be a approach of making or establishing a base setup. It’s been fairly good. We have now discovered, shortly, the appropriate method to hold going. We have now been working to discover a good base setup, and this can assist the riders really feel snug for lap occasions, in fact, and there are some variations with the earlier suspension we’ve been utilizing. Simply making an attempt to grasp however there’s not a lot distinction, although. There’s a small enchancment in efficiency and likewise suggestions from riders. It’s a good sufficient cause to allow them to trip with this one.”

Álvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) secured eighth place, whereas Sam Lowes (ELF Marc VDS Racing Group) completed in ninth forward of brother Alex on the Bimota KB998.

World Champion Toprak Razgatlioglu was lacking from the testing motion on Tuesday after not too long ago fracturing a finger whereas using enduro which required three screws to be inserted to restore the harm. In his absence Dutchman Michael van der Mark was the quickest BMW in tenth.

Remy Gardner was the quickest Yamaha on Wednesday, forward of Jonathan Rea. Yamaha riders tried a brand new swing-arm amongst different objects up for analysis.

Paul Denning – Pata Yamaha Group Principal

“We’re coming into it with lots of enthusiasm as a result of we didn’t have lots of success final yr. We had some very aggressive races and a few podiums with ‘Loka’, however ’24 was a troublesome yr in comparison with the excessive requirements that Yamaha and the workforce and the riders set themselves. An enormous response from everyone concerned within the undertaking; Yamaha when it comes to technical improvement, the riders when it comes to their very own preparations and, as a workforce, we’ve modified a couple of issues round internally to create a special working ambiance and to enhance the present scenario. It’s been a great, very quick, few weeks because the finish of the Jerez race. We had a really constructive November take a look at right here at Jerez and searching ahead to the brand new season and to taking a large step ahead.

“The very first thing on Jonathan’s facet is we modified the workforce round, with the brand new crew chief, which is all the time a threat as a result of we had a particularly skilled and really succesful man in that place, however altering the dynamic is usually one thing that an athlete wants, and Jonathan felt he wanted that. I’ve to say that it labored, from the proof of these two days, very well. That was a giant constructive that we’ll clearly hold increasing forwards on. Technically, there was some stuff that ‘JR’ really felt made a constructive distinction to efficiency which, possibly, throughout the yr we launched lots of stuff and it felt completely different however not essentially higher. We’re capable of take some steps ahead which gave him confidence and he rode very well. There was some nice stuff on JR’s facet. On Locatelli’s facet, he examined a brand new improvement swingarm that, once more, was lucky in that it gave a correct step ahead in grip and efficiency. That’s been launched for the brand new season. It was only a good foundation by which to begin the event path for the 2025 season.

“Electronics, we examined some stuff that was fairly encouraging and had some good potential for the longer term. The engine was the ’24 motor at that time. Outright acceleration and efficiency is clearly an space, not a lot for lap time however as a racing machine, that we have to enhance on to make the riders’ life just a bit bit simpler. We’ve received some developments coming, hopefully in time for the Portimao take a look at subsequent week, no less than as a shakedown. The work’s been pretty relentless and the investments in time, effort and, in fact, cash are vital to take a step ahead and fingers crossed we’re going to have the ability to ship that distinction in efficiency very shortly.”

A lot of World Supersport riders have been additionally on monitor on the take a look at with Marcel Schrötter (WRP Racing) topping the timesheets with a 1’43.289 forward of Kaito Toba (PETRONAS MIE Honda Racing).

Jeremy Alcoba (Kawasaki WorldSSP Group) impressed in his WorldSSP debut, securing third place, half-a-second off Schrötter’s time. Ondrej Vostatek (WRP Racing) rounded out the highest 5. In the meantime, QJMOTOR Manufacturing facility Racing had each Raffaele De Rosa and Niki Tuuli testing present and prototype bikes, with each riders setting occasions within the 1’44s vary. De Rosa suffered a crash at Flip 6 however continued testing. Corentin Perolari (Honda RACING World Supersport) completed in sixth place, together with his team-mate Ana Carrasco shut behind in seventh.

Highway Racing star Michael Dunlop joined the WorldSBK regulars on a Milwaukee Ducati branded Panigale V2 Supersport bike.

Testing continues tomorrow.

The opening spherical of the 2025 Motul FIM Superbike World Championship will get underway at Phillip Island on February 21. Organisers have confirmed that the season opener will feature mandatory pit stops due to tyre wear issues on the notoriously abrasive Phillip Island track surface.

Jerez WorldSBK Take a look at Occasions
Day One – January 22

Compiled with the help of Dorna

2025 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship Calendar