Axel Bassani completes first test of 2022, shares track with Marc Marquez
WorldSBK sensation Axel Bassani has completed his first test of 2022 after riding alongside MotoGP star Marc Marquez in Portimao.
After returning to motocross action for the first time in three months last week, Marquez completed his first on-track action since winning the Emilia-Romagna MotoGP at the end of October.
Marquez, who was riding a RC213V-S road bike, was joined by his brother Alex Marquez and second-year Superbike rider Axel Bassani.
As was the case for Marc and Alex, it wasn’t an official test for Bassani who was riding a road-turned-track Ducati Panigale V4 R Superbike.
It was also the second time that Bassani had been on-track Alex after the Italian contested four Moto2 races in 2017, however, with the young Italian having spent much of his career in the Superbike paddock thus far, it was the first time sharing the same tarmac as eight-time world champion Marc.
Bassani, who remains with Motorcorsa Ducati for the 2022 season was a one-time podium finisher during his WorldSBK debut season.
His podium came at Catalunya when he led most of a wet race one and looked on course to win before Scott Redding produced a late overtake to clinch the win.
The rest of Bassani’s season was one of the best from a rider not called Redding, Toprak Razgatlioglu or Jonathan Rea as he finished 11 out of the final 12 races inside the top ten.
Unlike the Marquez brothers, Bassani was in action for three days as opposed to one and during the final day had this to say about sharing the track with both: "Day 3 with this fast guys… Soo good to training like this."
Should Bassani continue the good form he displayed at the end of 2021, then a switch to a factory team in 2023 could well be possible, especially as Aruba.it Ducati rider Alvaro Bautista is 37 years of age.
