Page 126 - Australian Motorcycle News (January 2020)

1. Leon Haslam got to work with Honda 2. Jonny Rea still has plenty of speed
sport
WorldSBK
Lights out on
A wet start and tense finish for opening WorldSBK test of
NOTHING, NOT EVEN the
opening rainy day of the Jerez
test could dull the interest
shown in the new main
event for tech-heads – the
first public appearance of
the comprehensively new
HRC Honda WorldSBK squad
and the equally unknown
Fireblade at the two-day event
over 22-23 January.
Leon Haslam topped the wet
times on Wednesday with his
new Fireblade, which added an
extra frisson to what already
looks like a strong WorldSBK
season build-up even before
Round One in Australia at the
end of February.
Conditions improved on day
two, enough to let five-times
champion Jonathan Rea (KRT)
124 amcn.com.au
3. Scott Redding suited up on his WorldSBK-spec Ducati 4. Alex Lowes in now
in Kawa green
1
WorldSBK
go – just – into the 1m40s and
his time would remain on top,
although he only did 19 laps.
Behind him was new Pata
Yamaha signing, Toprak
Razgatlioglu, and then Scott
Redding (Aruba.it Ducati),
a rookie in WorldSBK for
2020 but one of the most
experienced ones. He and
Chaz Davies had new rear-
end designs on their Ducati
Panigale V4 Rs. Davies would
finish 15th.
Alex Lowes (KRT) improved
his way to fourth, after having
his first truly wet laps on the
Kawasaki on day one. Michael
van der Mark (Pata Yamaha)
was fifth overall, and Haslam
went from the leader on day
one to sixth on day two.
2
3 4
In many ways the
opening day was the most
unpredictable. And most
compelling.
As conditions changed the
leading positions altered, but
it was new HRC recruit Haslam
fastest in the afternoon, after
his teammate Alvaro Bautista
took a slow-speed fall in the
morning.
Van der Mark and his rookie
teammate Garrett Gerloff
(GRT Yamaha) were close
behind Haslam and remained
there for the first day – a
confidence booster for the
American.
BSB Champion Redding
was fourth fastest on day one,
while the versatile Loris Baz
(Ten Kate Yamaha) was also
inside the top positions on
the opening day while, with
no new bike to evaluate, Rea
opted to sit the day out.
Long-time 2019 title leader
on an official HRC Honda
Alvaro Bautista gave his
comments on the new bike
after the first day.
“I think the potential of the
bike is quite high. It is difficult
to make a comparison (with
the Ducati). For me the main
thing is the engine character
is the difference. I did not
make a lot of kilometres yet
so is difficult to say what are
the aspects of the bike that I
like more. I was very surprised
with the engine power because
I expected less.”
GORDON RITCHIE