Jonathan Rea improves on his best lap yesterday (1’49″482) and, despite remaining more than a second from the fastest lap of the Motorland Aragon track, established last year by Toprak Razgatlioglu in Superpole (1’48″267), closes the two days of testing in command that the Kawasaki KRT Team, the Honda HRC Team and the two privateers Motoxracing and TPR Pedercini carried out on the Aragonese track.
Beyond the lap time, Jonny and his team are happy with the work doneaimed at improving the feel of the Northern Irish rider with the front end of his Ninja. The technicians intervened on the electronic part and on the suspensions.
Good lap times also for Alex Lowes which in the end closed just one thousandth from Iker Lecuona, third in the times classification, behind the other Honda rider Xavi Vierge who finished 83 thousandths behind the six-time world champion.
If optimism reigns in the Kawasaki garage, there were many smiles in the Honda garage, not only for the lap times of the two Spanish riders who have improved constantly, but above all because the new chassis modifications and upgrades to the Fireblade’s electronics seem to have brought a great deal of benefit to both Iker and Xavi.
After the difficulties encountered yesterday due to a technical problem, today Bradley Ray took to the track covering 43 laps, the best of which in 1’51”716. Given that the Englishman of the Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team only rode today, the lap times are undoubtedly positive, but even more so is his adaptation to the electronics of his R1 which is still in the 2022 version, while in the next tests end of the month in Barcelona the BSB champion will have the new 2023 version available.
Isaac Vinales improves by almost two secondscontinuing the development work of his ZX-10RR, in preparation for the season debut which, as for the Motoxracing team, will take place in Assen in April.
The next round of SBK testing is now set at the Barcelona circuit where almost all the 2023 WorldSBK teams will be present.
1. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 1’49.482
2. Xavi Vierge (Team HRC) 1’49.565
3. Iker Lecuona (Team HRC) 1’49.584s
4. Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 1’49.585s
5. Bradley Ray (Yamaha Motoxracing WorldSBK Team) 1’51.716s