Tuesday WorldSBK Test results from Jerez
A number of WorldSBK and WorldSSP competitors tested at Jerez yesterday, and a number of firsts unfolded at the 4423-metre Spanish circuit.
The first public appearance of the new Bimota KB998 was one of the highlights, along with Garrett Gerloff showing encouraging pace on a Kawasaki.
The American was on the Kawasaki Racing Team ZX-10RR bikes as raced by KRT this season, while KRT themselves are transitioning into the new BbKRT organisation that will compete on Bimota machinery in 2025, retaining Alex Lowes and Axel Bassani to race the KB998.
Neither Lowes nor Bassani turned a wheel yesterday as the team chose to keep their test day allowance down until the machine was more sorted. Test rider Florian Marino was instead performing riding duties for BbKRT while Lowes and Bassani watched on.
Gerloff will race Kawasaki machinery in 2025 under the Puccetti Racing banner and showed promising early pace at Jerez.
BMW test riders Markus Reiterberger and Sylvain Guintoli used the opportunity to put plenty of testing miles on a new 2025 spec’ engine. Newly crowned World Champion Toprak Razgatlioglu and Michael van der Mark will test later this month at Aragon.
While Iker Lecuona was elsewhere in Spain undergoing foot surgery, his HRC team-mate Xavi Vierge was on track at Jerez.
Topping the time-sheets by almost 1.5-seconds was Ducati’s Nicolo Bulega on an SCQ.
Team-mate Alvaro Bautista was second despite a crash at turn two for the 39-year-old Spaniard.
British rider Ryan Vickers also turned plenty of laps on Ducati machinery on Tuesday with the Team Motocorsa Racing squad he will contest the World Superbike season with next year.
Fellow Brit Tommy Bridewell was also on track.
A few WorldSSP competitors also took to the track on Tuesday, including 21-year-old Oli Bayliss. The Australian turned around 40 laps on a PTR Triumph alongside team regular Tom Booth-Amos.
It is unclear if Bayliss is confirmed to line up with PTR Triumph next season.
One rider that was recently confirmed for the WorldSSP grid in 2025 was German Philipp Oettl. The 28-year-old will complete on a Ducati with Feel Racing.
Testing continues for some on Wednesday. Several teams also plan to test at Aragon later this month ahead of another test at Jerez in late November. The first test of 2025 is again at Jerez, on January 22-23, followed by Portimao the next week for the final European test before they all wing their way to Phillip Island where they will test on February 17-18 ahead of the season opener at the Victorian venue on the weekend of February 23.
Tuesday WorldSBK Test Times from Jerez
- Nicolo Bulega – Ducati 1m38.142
- Alvaro Bautista – Ducati 1m39.567
- Garrett Gerloff – Kawasaki 1m39.650
- Xavi Vierge – Honda 1m39.971
- Ryan Vickers – Ducati 1m40.922
- Tarran Mackenzie – Honda 1m41.063
- Markus Reiterberger – BMW 1m41.088
- Tetsuta Nagashima – Honda 1m41.183
- Florian Marino – Bimota 1m41.360
- Tommy Bridewell – Honda 1m41.614
- Sylvain Guintoli – BMW 1m41.806
- Tom Booth-Amos – Triumph 1m42.889
- Philipp Oettl – Ducati 1m43.057
- Oli Bayliss – Triumph 1m44.243
