Gordon Ritchie | November 29, 2019
A significant oil spill near the end of the second day of testing at Jerez almost spoiled an otherwise ideal two day test for the WorldSBK and WorldSSP riders, but the final hour was saved for last minute checks… and maybe just one more go on a Qualifying tire.
As on day one, Jonathan Rea (KRT) was the rider on top, setting a 1:38.397 to take him 0.883 seconds under the second best time, set by top Independent rider, Loris Baz (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha). He was also top Yamaha runner.
Rea, clearly up for the challenge despite usually not enjoying testing, was all ready for the Jerez tests, it seems.
“I had good motivation for this test,” he stated after getting close to the existing track best lap time. “Normally at the end of a busy season it is easy to get lost but we focused on quality rather than quantity. We did a lot of back-to-back testing of things we had ideas to try out during the year. Then we tested some new items and new ideas. The biggest thing was in my riding position on the bike and getting used to the rear brake lever on the handlebar, plus some different engine braking. Aside from that Pirelli brought some different tires. At the end we could do a time attack with a qualifying tire and that put us right there. It was hard at the end doing that, because a couple of hours before the session finished there was oil all over Turn One. The track was compromised a bit but I still feel that we did a really good job at this test, both with our outright pace and also consistency. We are where we should be and I am really happy to sign off on an incredible 2019.”
Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK) was third fastest but it was his bike that sprung a leak in its oil system, and left a wide and long spill into and around turn one, with around two hours to track time left.
It was cleared up after a liberal dosing of cement dust to leave an hour of final track time, and a big white line that was avoided by most into T1, losing everyone a tenth or two in potential lap time.
Alex Lowes (KRT) put in the fourth quickest time, despite falling with a Q tyre fitted bringing out yet another—if short-lived—red flag for a time.
BSB Champion but new WorldSBK rider Scott Redding (Aruba.it Ducati) was fifth fastest, not completely happy with rear end grip at this test.
Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad) moved up to sixth on the final day of action, with first day force Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK) seventh today.
The only competitor on a fully 2020 spec Yamaha, test rider Niccolo Canepa, was eighth fastest and the final rider inside the 1:39 mark.
Chaz Davies, was ninth fastest. The last place in the top ten was taken by Eugene Laverty, with his last lap of the final day.
Returning WorldSBK rider Xavi Fores was 11th on his Puccetti Racing Kawasaki.
With Leon Camier out injured the Barni Racing Ducati was taken over by serial test rider and no mean racer in his own right, Michele Pirro.
Federico Caricasulo, one of two riders to crash on the big oil spill with two hours to go, finished up 13th, with his GRT Yamaha team-mate Garrett Gerloff 14th.
Another rider making a full-time return to WorldSBK, Lorenzo Savadori, made his debut showing on the Pedercini Superbike – without his team-mate Jordi Torres – and he finished up 15th.
Jorge Navarro was a lone Moto2 rider on his Speed Up triple, and placed 16th in pure lap times, ahead of all the WorldSSP machines.
Christophe Ponsson was 17th quickest, on an RSV Aprilia, but fastest 600 Supersport rider was Andrea Locatelli on the Bardahl Evan Bros Yamaha. The new WorldSSP inductee was one of the two riders who fell on the big oil spill, but he was unscathed.
Now the long winter break begin for the WorldSBK and WorldSSP classes, before they reconvene at Jerez again for more testing on 21st January 2020.
2019 Jerez WorldSBK Test Day Two Results
1. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 1:38.397 – 61 laps
2. Loris Baz (Ten Kate – Yamaha) 1:39.280 (+0.883) – 83 laps
3. Michael van Der Mark (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Official Team) 1:39.287 (+0.890) – 79 laps
4. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 1:39.400 (+1.003) – 79 laps
5. Scott Redding (ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati) 1:39.466 (+1.069) – 70 laps
6. Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) 1:39.587 (+1.190) – 65 laps
2019 Jerez WorldSBK Test Day One Results
After the first of action at the Jerez WorldSBK test, the bulk of the confirmed 2020 season field used a full dry day to the full, even with a regular series of red flags stopping action at key times.
The fastest rider on day one was Jonathan Rea (KRT) who secured a best lap of 1:39.207. A late push from Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha) saw him finish just 0.019 seconds down on Rea.
It was a strong day for the Pata crew as Michael van der Mark was third quickest, with Alex Lowes (KRT) fourth, just over half a second down on Rea.
The single Ten Kate Racing Yamaha of Loris Baz took the tall Frenchman to fifth-best time, just ahead of the fastest man at the Motorland tests, Scott Redding (Aruba.it Ducati).
Tom Sykes and his BMW were seventh, Redding’s new Ducati team-mate Chaz Davies eighth and the only rider in a full 2020 season Yamaha R1, test rider Niccolo Canepa took the ninth-best time.
In his first ride on the S1000RR, as part of the official BMW Motorrad team, Eugene Laverty was tenth, as he swapped between two different spec machines to hasten his learning process.
New rider for 2020, Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha) was 12th, behind the Barni Racing Ducati of stand-in rider for the injured Leon Camier, Michele Pirro.
On his return to the WorldSBK paddock after a season in BSB, Xavi Fores was 13th, just ahead of recent WorldSSP contender, Federico Caricasulo GRT Yamaha). Lorenzo Savadori, the lone Pedercini rider at this test, was 15th.
Jerez WorldSBK Test Day One Results
1. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 1:39.207 – 63 laps
2. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Official Team) 1:39.226 – 77 laps
3. Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Official Team) 1:39.541 – 98 laps
4. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 1:39.780 – 88 laps
5. Loris Baz (Ten Kate – Yamaha) 1:40.128 – 98 laps
6. Scott Redding (ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati) 1:40.137 – 65 laps
7. Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) 1:40.431 – 50 laps
8. Chaz Davies (ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati) 1:40.659 – 72 laps
9. Niccolo Canepa (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Official) 1:40.854 – 68 laps
10. Eugene Laverty (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) 1:40.971 – 63 laps