SBK. Good debut for Redding in the Aragon tests – Superbike

The cold and the rain made the work of the teams difficult and of the riders of the World Superbike who performed two days of testing on the Motorland Aragon track, in Spain. On both days the weather remained the same, with rather low temperatures (around 9-10 degrees) and the rain that forced the drivers to start the morning practice sessions late, waiting for the track to dry out. .

At the end of the two Spanish days at the top of the times list we find Scott Redding, making his debut in Superbike and on the Panigale V4 of the Aruba.it Racing team – Ducati. The twenty-six year old British rider took to the track in all conditions, and showed he was immediately at ease on his new bike. According to yesterday behind Jonathan Rea (1'50 "416) with a time of 1'50" 868, Redding improved today during the last three hours of the afternoon session, when the track was in acceptable condition. With a lap in 1'49 "929 Scott finished testing ahead of team-mate Chaz Davies, who stopped the clock at a time of 1'50" 185.

Two Ducatis in front of everyone therefore, but it must be said immediately that Rea today did not take to the track. The world champion abandoned practice late in the morning, when the track was still wet, leaving only Lowes to work and gain experience on the Ninja Kawasaki. Beyond Rea's absence today, the two Ducati riders have undoubtedly started this advance of the 2020 season very positively, with Redding who was amazed by his ability to adapt very quickly to a different bike from the one with which he won the last BSB. All this despite food poisoning that caused him some problems on the morning of the second day of tests. Even Davies can be satisfied with these two Andalusian days, above all because, contrary to what happened in the 2018 winter tests, the Welshman is in perfect physical condition and therefore hopes to better face the start of the season.

Rea yesterday covered 27 laps, working with his team to make his ZX-10RR even more manageable. Without anything new to try, today the five-time world champion has preferred to return home not to risk on the still wet track and to prepare for the next end-of-month tests in Jerez, where he hopes like everyone to find a decidedly more favorable climate .

Official debut for Kawasaki for Alex Lowes, who finished fourth overall, just 37 thousandths from his teammate. Despite the bad weather, it was two positive days for the Englishman who, after the 25 laps he traveled yesterday, has today ringed another 50, with the aim of becoming more and more confident with his new bike.

Unlucky tests for Leon Camier, climbed yesterday for the first time on the private Ducati of the Barni Racing team. On the first day of testing, the English driver finished eighth on the timesheet, covering 37 laps and working together with his technicians to start adapting to the Panigale V4. This morning he was the first to take to the track when the Spanish track was still wet, and after only 4 laps he is fell to the curve 9, injuring his left shoulder, the same one he did last July. Carried to the Alcaniz hospital for investigations, Camier returned to the pits after a couple of hours and seems to have had no serious consequences.

Out of eight Superbikes present at these tests, half were Yamaha R1s and three of these were brought to the track by pilots who had never driven it before. In the official team we witnessed the debut of Toprak Razgatlioglu, while in the satellite team GRT was the first time on an R1 for Federico Caricasulo and for the American Garrett Gerloff.

The fastest of the Yamaha riders was Razgatlioglu who tried two different bikes and today improved six tenths, finishing in fifth place. Michael Van der Mark follows him in sixth position. The Dutch driver yesterday finished fourth with a time of 1'50 "941 but today he has not improved. For Aragon for Van der Mark the only novelty was represented by his new technical manager Andrew Pitt, who last year followed Alex Lowes, while at the end of the month in Jerez both he and Razgatlioglu will have the YZF R1 in version 2020.

In Yamaha GRT team Garrett Gerloff he did better than yesterday, although he was busy adapting as well as his new R1 also to the Pirelli tires and the Spanish track, which he saw yesterday for the first time. His team-mate Federico Caricasulo also lowered the time he set yesterday, and worked a lot on the electronic part and his driving style, which will have to change a lot compared to what characterized him in Supersport.

The next appointment with the Superbike winter tests, the last one before the winter break, is set on the track of Jerez de la Fronteira in Spain on 28 and 29 November.