PHOTOGRAPHY BY GOLD & GOOSE
With the weather supposedly about to take a turn for the worst on Thursday and Friday all the teams who had planned a day off on Wednesday at Jerez went out again. They were joined by fresh teams from both MotoGP and World Superbike paddocks in what was a busy day of dry weather testing.
Running without a transponder, Ducati’s Andrea Dovizioso was recorded with a best lap of 1:38.9, his factory teammate Andrea Iannone a 1:39.0.
Forward Racing Yamaha’s Stefan Bradl was the fastest rider with a transponder in third, with a 1:39.593, set on his 37th lap.
On a day when MotoGP power got to work on a dry Jerez track surface in earnest, Ducati test team rider Michel Pirro put in a 1:40.5, and Aprilia’s Alvaro Bautista the next best time with a 1’40.598. Avintia Ducati’s Hector Barbera was just a fraction behind.
The fastest World Superbike man was the new Kawasaki signing, Jonathan Rea, and the very last rider in any category inside the 1:40s with a 1’40.738. He was seventh overall.
Former World Superbike factory rider Loris Baz on the Forward Racing Yamaha recorded a 1:41.206. And a jump in performance from the new Voltcom Crescent Suzuki rider Randy De Puniet saw him into the top World Superbike places with a 1:41.296, just ahead of Alex Lowes. They were ninth and tenth respectively.
Tom Sykes, suffering with a stomach complaint and not feeling his best, placed 11th today on his factory Kawasaki machine. Chaz Davies was 14th, running without a transponder and the new World Superbike Champion Sylvain Guintoli was 15th of the 26 riders who recorded a time.
A difficult first day, full of electronics niggles, for new MV Agusta Superbike rider Leon Camier saw him held back from his best potential in 24th place, with a 1:44.905.
2014 MotoGP/World Superbike
Jerez Winter Test
Wednesday Times (Stopwatch and Transponders):
1. Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati) MotoGP – 1:38.9
2. Andrea Iannone (Ducati) MotoGP – 1:39.0
3. Stefan Bradl (Yamaha) MotoGP – 1:39.593
4. Michele Pirro (Ducati) MotoGP – 1:40.5
5. Alvaro Bautista (Aprilia) MotoGP – 1:40.598
6. Hector Barbera (Ducati) MotoGP – 1:40.629
7. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki) WSBK – 1:40.738
8. Loris Baz (Yamaha) MotoGP – 1:41.206
9. Randy de Puniet (Suzuki) WSBK – 1:41.269
10. Alex Lowes (Suzuki) WSBK – 1:41.321
11. Tom Sykes (Kawasaki) WSBK – 1:41.335
12. Davide Giugliano (Ducati) WSBK – 1:41.4
13. Michael van der Mark (Honda) WSBK – 1:41.437
14. Chaz Davies (Ducati) WSBK – 1:41.5
15. Sylvain Guintoli (Honda) WSBK – 1:41.813
16. Marco Melandri (Aprilia) MotoGP – 1:42.006
17. Luis Salom (Kalex) Moto2 – 1:42.923
18. Anthony West (Speed Up) Moto2 – 1:43.655
19. Alex Rins (Kalex) Moto2 – 1:43.757
20. Jules Cluzel (MV Agusta) WSS – 1:43.958
21. Julian Simon (Speed Up) Moto2 – 1:44.133
22. Edgar Pons (Kalex) Moto2 – 1:44.313
23. Fabio Massei (Ducati) Superstock – 1:44.633
23. Leon Camier (MV Agusta) WSBK – 1:44.905
25. Lorenzo Zanetti (MV Agusta) WSS – 1:45.283
26. Tony Covena (Ducati) STK – 1:46.236
