WorldSBK 2024
The two days after Jonathan Rea and his Pata Yamaha team-mate Andrea Locatelli tested at Jerez, it was his old Kawasaki Racing Team and HRC’s turn to put the laps in at the Spanish venue.
The weather played its part, turning on sunny and dry weather conditions over the two days, at the end of which Alex Lowes was fastest, but the KRT rider’s best of 1m38.762 was a couple of tenths slower than the markers achieved by both Pata Yamaha riders earlier in the week.
As Alex Lowes enters his fifth year as a KRT rider in 2024, completed a total of 150 laps across four days, trying new material and settings while also making performance tests and a long run.
Alex Lowes
“I am really happy with today. Honestly, I have had so much fun riding the bike. After a tough end to the year, with injuries and not being able to finish the year like I wanted, it has been so positive to have a good test here. Obviously the conditions in the winter in Jerez are good but I did my best ever lap around Jerez on race tyres, and quite a lot of fast laps. This was positive. We also tried a lot of new parts, which was thanks to all the guys and Kawasaki for bringing new stuff to try. The target for January is to put all the pieces together to find the best package for next year. This was a really, really positive test.”
For his new tam-mate Axel Bassani, embarking on his fourth WorldSBK season, 2024 will be his first campaign as an official factory rider. He has adapted well to his new environment as he continues to concentrate on transitioning from one configuration of machine to another. Axel’s fastest was a 1’39.811, set on a full race set-up on day one, without using a soft ‘Q’ tyre.
Axel Bassani
“We have just finished two days of testing and we tried a lot of things. We didn’t use an SCQ tyre, so we focused on the set-up of the bike and different things. I am happy and we finished in a good way. We understood a good direction to go during the winter break. Test-by-test I started to feel really good with the bike. It is not easy because it is completely different compared to my previous one, but now I am starting to feel good. I am also happy with the team and the work we did. Now we have some time to rest and then start to think about next year.”
Iker Lecuona and Xavi Vierge concentrated on adapting to the 2024 version of the CBR1000RR-R. The team was able to exploit the largely dry conditions, maximising its track time to give Vierge and Lecuona the chance to build confidence with their machines. Both the riders and technicians began working with both the old and new bikes, drawing comparisons and making adjustments accordingly, before fully focusing on the 2024 machine.
At the end of two highly productive test days, both riders feel optimistic about the 2024 version of the Fireblade, which includes a series of engine, chassis, and suspension updates that aim to bring benefits particularly in terms of acceleration and grip. With the support of additional engineers from Japan and HRC test rider Tatsuta Nagashima, the team was able to complete much of its scheduled work over the course of the two-day session and is generally satisfied with the results.
Iker Lecuona
“I’m really happy with the test and surprised with the step they’ve made with the new bike in Japan. Generally, in terms of the electronics, engine and chassis, the feeling with the bike is very different, by which I mean better. There are still areas where we’re struggling a little of course, and others where we need more understanding, but all in all I’m very happy for now. I realised that I also need to alter my riding style a little to adapt to the different feeling but, even with that, it was amazing to see that we could set some very good lap times and that tyre wear was less of a problem compared to the past. There is a lot we need to discover and understand, also because the conditions changed significantly over the last two days, with yesterday so much windier than today, which meant that we had to adjust the balance of the bike between the two sessions. I also felt a bit tired today, after a lot of travel and two very busy race weekends. So, we have a lot to reassess during the next test. Here our “new package” also included my new crew chief and we’ve made a good start there too, finding that we have in a lot in common both personally and professionally. We both like to be fully focused when it’s time to work and then share a joke after we wrap up for the day. So far, so good, and now let’s see if we can confirm these positive sensations during the December test at Portimão, a track that is very different to Jerez.”
Xavi Vierge
“We’re pleased as we’ve enjoyed two really constructive days of testing and been able to complete many laps in dry weather. Initially we worked to adapt to the new bike and tried not to make too many changes, starting with the base set-up that the technicians and Tetsuta had prepared for us in Japan. And my first impressions are very good. We carried out some comparisons between the 2023 and 2024 bikes and I immediately felt that the new bike has its strengths. It took a little time to adapt of course, after two years on the previous bike, but we’re already a little faster with the new bike. It looks similar to the previous version but, like I said, there are actually many changes and positive points. With the last year’s bike we felt we had arrived to the limit, while with this one we have a lot of room for improvement. It has more traction and drive, we’re just not yet able to fully exploit those strong points. But this was just an initial test in which to build confidence. Now the team will analyse the data so that we’re ready for the next test day at Portimão in December. I want to thank everyone on the team, HRC and Tetsuta (Nagashima) for all their hard work.”
On track also were rookie World Superbike riders Tarran Mackenzie and Adam Norrodin with their Petronas MIE Racing Honda Team. This was their first official test aboard the CBR1000RR-R Superbike thus the early focus was working with their technicians to define the best riding position before turning their attention to general set-up.
Tarran Mackenzie
“Compared to my last test, the general feeling has been quite similar, though conditions have been a little colder and windier this week. We’ve made changes throughout the sessions, and I feel we’ve made quite good progress from start to finish. The goal was to complete as many laps as possible, collect data, and better understand the bike, and we’ve done that. We were riding the 2023 bike this week but will hopefully have an updated version for the next test in January, so that will be interesting and should change some things. But in the meantime, it’s been useful to ride the Superbike, also with traction control which I’d only used at the Suzuka 8 Hours. So, I still have a lot to learn but am happy with what we’ve done here. On 27 November I’ll get some screws removed from my femur as I’ve been a little uncomfortable. It’s only a small procedure, so I’ll be able get back to training already after one week. In the meantime, I want to say a big thank you to the team for deciding to do this test, as it’s been particularly valuable for me as a rookie.”
Having been unable to compete in the final races of the 2023 season after injuring his right shoulder in a crash during warm-up at Magny-Cours, Norrodin continues to recover his strength and mobility, but was nevertheless keen to participate in these tests and begin the important work ahead of the new season.
Adam Norrodin
“Unfortunately, I am still not 100% fit and so I wasn’t totally comfortable with my shoulder while riding. The target for the test was to build feeling with the bike, which we did, but my physical condition limited how many laps we could complete as I have little power in my arm and get fatigued after only a short run. I’m continuing with physio and rehab, but it’s going to be a long process, so now I want to visit my doctors back in Malaysia to see what else we can do to speed up the recovery process. A big thank you to the team anyway, as they’ve worked really hard this week. My focus over the next weeks is my physical recovery – I want to do all I can to better prepared for our next test in January.”
With new WorldSBK technical rules and regulations in place for 2024, covering elements such as combined bike and rider weight, crankshaft mass, fuel load restrictions, RPM limits and more, important checks and comparisons will also be carried out to enhance performance in another new era of WorldSBK competition.
Some teams will test at Portimao on December 4, where we believe Toprak Razgatlioglu will get to throw a leg over his new BMW for the first time. Then there are two more European test sessions in January, at Jerez and Portimao, for teams to make their final preparations before the bikes and equipment are flown out to Australia, with official tests for all on the 19th and 20th of February at the first venue of the year, Phillip Island.
The Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit will raise the curtain once again for the new WorldSBK season with the Australian Round from the 23rd – 25th February.
Tickets for the 2024 season opener are on sale now, check out your options at www.worldsbk.com.au
2024 WorldSBK Dates
| Date | Circuit | WSBK | WSSP600 | WSP300 |
| 23-25 Feb | Phillip Island | X | X | |
| 22-24 Mar | Catalunya | X | X | X |
| 19-21 Apr | Assen | X | X | X |
| 14-16 Jun | Misano | X | X | X |
| 12-14 Jul | Donington | X | X | |
| 19-21 Jul | Most | X | X | X |
| 9-11 Aug | Algarve | X | X | X |
| 23-25 Aug | Balaton Park | X | X | |
| 6-8 Sep | Magny-Cours | X | X | X |
| 20-22 Sep | Cremona | X | X | |
| 27-29 Sep | Aragón | X | X | X |
| 11-13 Oct | Jerez | X | X | X |
