Bimota back on track at old WorldSBK, BSB track but “not really” a test

The Bimota WorldSBK team will return to the race track this week, but it won’t be a real “test”, Alex Lowes says.

Bimota has been one manufacturer to have not tested at all in WorldSBK’s long summer break. 

Honda and BMW have tested at Magny-Cours and the latter again at Estoril in the last few weeks, in comparison, and Alex Lowes says that the upcoming one-day test for the Italian brand at former WorldSBK and BSB venue, the Circuito de Navarra, is more about getting back up to speed after almost two months off the bike ahead of the French Round on 4–6 September than trying new material.

“I am looking forward to getting back out on the Bimota KB998 Rimini,” said Lowes ahead of the Navarra test on 27 August.

“This is not really going to be a test; it’s more about getting back up to speed before we start racing again in Magny-Cours. 

“So, I am really looking forward to getting back with the guys to enjoy riding the bike, and then start to really focus on Magny-Cours next week. I have missed it.”

Axel Bassani added: “It has been a nice summer break, but it has been quite a long break. It has been like a winter break between two seasons! 

“Next week we will go back to race, finally, but before that we will have a little test at Navarra this week. 

“We will get on the bike again to find the good feeling that we have had this season. 

“We will do some laps of training and prepare the body for the next race weekend in France. We will enjoy some time with the team, then go again to focus for the next race.”

The extended gap between races – more so the races either side of the summer break – has been an aspect of WorldSBK to be criticised by three-time champion Toprak Razgatlioglu recently, the Turkish star, who moved to MotoGP this year, telling Crash.net at the British Grand Prix that the production derivative series needs more races in its schedule and that he was “bored” during his last two seasons there.