Ex-Grand Prix racers Iker Lecuona and Xavi Vierge are set for their Honda WorldSBK debuts, while BMW and Kawasaki are also scheduled to take part in a three-day test at Jerez.
Six-time WorldSBK champion Jonathan Rea feels ‘it would have been nice to measure my level compared to MotoGP riders’, as the opportunity to join the grand prix paddock ‘is shut I feel’.
Six-time WorldSBK champion Jonathan Rea is looking for improved performance during next week’s Jerez test; ‘We have a few test items to try, but nothing that’s going to completely revolutionise the bike. But it’s small steps’.
Despite ‘too many mistakes’, Jonathan Rea sums up his 2021 WorldSBK season by saying ‘we did our maximum and I’ve got to be really content’ during an exclusive interview with Crash.net.
Pata Yamaha Team Principal, Paul Denning, believes putting full trust in Toprak Razgatlioglu was key to winning the 2021 WorldSBK title, despite the direction sometimes being ‘not normal’.
Michael Van Der Mark believes new WorldSBK team-mate Scott Redding can help ‘develop’ the BMW M 1000 RR after spending two successful seasons at Ducati.
Kenan Sofuoglu believes prodigy Toprak Razgatlioglu was always destined for WorldSBK success after investing ‘more than ten years’ into the now Yamaha rider.
Despite not winning the WorldSBK title in either of his two seasons with the team, Scott Redding leaves Ducati on a high; ‘In the end I tried and they saw the heart and the passion I had which is important. I showed what I’m capable of and I will never give up. I gave that to them’.
Liam Delves becomes the latest addition to the 2022 BSB grid as he joins Josh Owens at Rapid CDH Racing Kawasaki, while Eunan McGlinchey is retained at Gearlink Kawasaki in British Supersport alongside rookie Zak Corderoy.
Tom Sykes has put BMW’s impressive recent run of wet weather WorldSBK results down to having ‘good riders’ as they ‘can get around some of the bike’s limitations’, as opposed to BMW being better than other bikes.
Jonathan Rea has lost out on one of three opportunities to gain points on title rival Toprak Razgatlioglu after extreme weather conditions sees WorldSBK race one in Mandalika replace Sunday’s cancelled Superpole race.
Six-time WorldSBK champion Jonathan Rea believes ‘all the pressure’ is on Toprak Razgatlioglu’s shoulders ahead of this weekend’s mouth-watering title decider.
FS-3 Kawasaki rider Lee Jackson is aiming for a more consistent podium challenge in 2022 after narrowly missing out on the 2021 BSB showdown; ‘I had a run this year of top tens and then we had some bad luck, but with a winter of work we can fight for more podiums next year’.
While Jonathan Rea managed to get the better of title rival Toprak Razgatlioglu in race two at San Juan, the six-time WorldSBK champion felt he could have challenged Scott Redding for victory had he not focused solely on Razgatlioglu.
Six-time WorldSBK champion Jonathan Rea misses out on a valuable FP2 race simulation at San Juan after suffering yet another crash; ‘I’m frustrated because we lost a lot of time in the session; I went down quite early on and the bike wasn’t salvageable to get back’.
After ‘probably the most difficult weekend in my life’ at Portimao, Jonathan Rea’s crew chief Pere Riba says taking it one race at a time is now ‘our philosophy’ ahead of this weekend’s penultimate World Superbike round of 2021.
Alex Lowes is aiming to complete a full WorldSBK round for the first time since Catalunya; ‘I’ve been working hard to improve the condition of my hand and wrist and after missing most of the previous two events’.
Following a race two win in Portimao that saved Jonathan Rea’s title hopes, the six-time world champion is aiming to reduce a 24 point ‘deficit’ from Toprak Razgatlioglu in San Juan.