Axel Bassani P2 in WorldSBK test but he bluntly spots a problem

Axel Bassani was second-fastest on Day 1 of the WorldSBK test at Misano but he admitted it may not be replicated at the race weekend.

Bassani trailed only Toprak Razgatlioglu on Tuesday, then was third on Wednesday, behind the reigning champion and Nicolo Bulega.

The bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team rider is on a new bike for the second time in two seasons. His Bimota KB998 Rimini also belongs to a returning team who haven’t been in WorldSBK for over a decade.

So Bassani’s lap time shone on Day 1 of the test but he was wary of the upcoming World Superbike Championship round at Misano.

“It’s been quite an interesting day, we tried some new items and improved my feeling on the bike so I’m happy about that,” he said.

“We finished in a good position but its’s only a test; this year we are usually in good positions in the test but during the race weekend we struggle a little bit more.

“I think conditions for the race weekend will be different from what we see now. I think it will be much hotter by the time of the race weekend.

“I’m happy with the work we’re doing, we're using the bike at its full potential, even riding it at 110%-120%. So I’m happy with our progress.”

Superpoles have been a clear area of weakness for Bassani all year.

“We were testing new components on the bike, nothing I can talk about, but nothing special,” he insisted.

“We were focusing on my feeling with the bike. We used a SCQ tire because I want to work on my Superpole.

“We are fast, but not fast enough at the moment. I have to focus on the Superpole because last weekend, that was my problem; when you start at the back, it can be really hard to come back.

“The Superpole is like 65% of the race weekend, so for sure I need to work on that area.”