MotoMatters.com | Kropotkin Thinks

The WorldSBK paddock decamped to the Iberian Peninsula for four days of winter testing. Unfortunately, rain and wind followed the paddock from Jerez to Portimão. Teams were severely hampered with running at both tests and the majority could only use two days of running to try and get ready for the start of the coming campaign.

While the tests wasn’t as efficient as manufacturers would have hoped it certainly wasn’t a waste of time. The majority of the field felt that enough was done to be ready for Phillip Island, because we’ll have two days testing at the thrilling Australian venue, and a mid-March test at Portimão will allow them to get fully ready for the start of the European season at the Portuguese venue.

BMW’s talisman is back on track

After missing the Jerez test a week previously Toprak Razgatlioglu was back on track at Portimao. The Turkish rider arrived mid-afternoon on Monday and was immediately the centre of attention. Speaking to him as he left the garage he was relaxed but obviously concerned about his finger injury.

The fracture to his right index finger has been much discussed but it was only when he was on track that BMW would have a way to understand how their challenger felt. A few laps on a karting track had shown Toprak that he was able to ride but it would take time on his Superbike to see if he can race.

Within a few laps he was pushing harder and harder. It was clear that he was in discomfort but he could find a way around it. Coming into the pits at the end of his first stint Razgatlioglu wanted to set his team at ease, “I came in and did a big stoppie, that was my way of telling them that it’s all OK!”

Riding initially with specially adapted gloves, with the index and middle finger in the same hole, Razgatlioglu felt uncomfortable. There was a job to be done so he reverted to his normal gloves and he started to look and feel better on the bike. Standing in the garage throughout the day he clenched a tennis ball to try and strengthen his grip.

“Overall, I don’t feel bad,” said Razgatlioglu after his day of running. “My finger is getting better every day but it's taking time. The doctors have told me that I'll feel normal again after three months. My biggest goal is to be as strong as I can for Phillip Island. I tried to stay calm during my first few laps because I had to understand the track conditions and I know that I can't fall. When I noticed that braking wasn't bad for me I started to push harder.”

As Razgatlioglu pushed harder he was able to set the fastest time of the test. He did this despite using a harder tyre compared to his rivals. With rivers of water across patches of the track it wasn’t a day for the faint-hearted but it was enough to give BMW confidence that nothing has changed for 2025.

“It was surprisingly good, we are very happy,” smiled Shaun Muir. “Toprak had to brake with two fingers, but he felt comfortable on the bike, which is very good. He rode over 75 laps and he’s happy. We’re all happy.”

The only thing that Razgatlioglu wasn’t happy about is the change in regulations for the coming season that sees BMW unable to use their super concession parts from last year. A change in the wording of the regulations has left them using their newly homologated street chassis and it’s something that rankles with the team.

“We've tried different parts and improved in various areas,” said Toprak. “We're not 100 percent ready with the new chassis yet. With the new frame we had to completely change our setup. We're still strong. The rules have changed and Ducati put a lot of pressure on this and now the rules are different. Ducati is very strong; not just the bike but also the brand. They find it easy to change everything.

“The Ducati no longer has a rev limit with the new fuel flow regulation. That's not a problem for me. Even on the Yamaha I was able to fight against the Ducati. I do wonder how Yamaha, Honda, Kawasaki and Bimota will cope with it because these bikes are still a bit too slow. Last year there was a good balance, but now Ducati is clearly ahead again and that's not good. We'll see a lot of Ducati at the front this year. Dorna wants us to have good races and everyone to be able to fight against each other. But the way things are now, that won't be possible. I don't see the others being able to fight against Ducati. But rules are rules.

“I don’t give a f*** about anything other than winning...”

“I decided last year that no matter what I had to lose weight,” said a trimmed down Scott Redding. “I lost 5kg compared to last year when we finished. My back is against the wall and I can’t leave any stone unturned. I didn’t eat for the winter and that’s not healthy. People are worried about me but I don’t give a f***. I want to win and I’ll do anything I can to win.”

The commitment from Redding has been matched by his Bonovo team. Switching from being an Official BMW team to an Independent Ducati squad showed their resolve. The German squad, fronted by Michael Galinski, is all-in for 2025 and only interested in being at the front of the field.

For Redding it was imperative to be on a Ducati again if he was to have a chance of being competitive. It’s now 89 races since the Englishman finished on the podium. Having finished his first seasons ranked inside the top three of the championship aboard a Ducati the last three years have been nothing short of a disaster for the former BSB champion. A return to the domestic series was an offer on the table for this year but ultimately his ambitions are focused on the world stage.

“I asked myself whether I should go back to the BSB,” admitted Redding. “There were a lot of people around me and they said that I wasn't ready to go back and that I’d left that part of my career behind me. If I went back, there would be no way back to the World Championship. They were convinced that I could still win races here. The fire is burning inside me and I also believe that with the right material I can fight for the top three in the championship.

“To do that I have to be on a Ducati, that's my machine, otherwise I wouldn't have done this. I knew that if I had this bike, I would be motivated. It was a difficult decision because I won't get paid this year to race. I said I wouldn’t do that because I have a family to support. I could have gone to BSB, earned money there, fought for the title and been happy. But I've never shied away from a challenge. I had to put myself in a situation where I could get through the year. Ultimately, I want to turn things around so that I can get paid again in the future. This is my job.”

Redding was as honest as ever about the decision making that led him to 2025. His form over the course of three years on BMW machinery wasn’t nearly good enough. It was clearly a rude awakening for him compared to his first two seasons in WorldSBK. Everything that made the BMW an unsuitable bike for Redding’s style is the opposite on the Ducati. He will be competitive and he can challenge for race wins again. Last year Andrea Iannone and Danilo Petrucci were both able to win races on Independent Ducati’s. That is the target for Redding this year and was all he considered during a long winter of training to be ready for the start of the season.

"I’ve hardly eaten anything," explained Scott. "For lunch I had apple juice, vinegar and lemon juice, and I would skip breakfast. I’d run 10 to 15km and then do strength training in the evening. It was hard, but my back was against the wall. I knew that, no matter what, I had to lose weight. To have an opportunity like the one I have now will never come again for me. I have to take advantage of it. I want to win and I will do everything I can to achieve that.”

Winning races isn’t enough to satisfy the fire in Redding. He’s aiming for top three in the championship. Talent has never been a question asked about Redding. On his day he can be a remarkable rider but for 2025 he needs to find consistency if he’s to live up to his lofty expectations.

Rea and Yamaha

Twelve months ago there was hope and expectation at Yamaha. Having lost Razgatlioglu they went out and spent the cash to bring in Jonathan Rea. How do you replace the best rider on the grid? Hiring a six times World Champion seemed like the perfect solution. Unfortunately, it was nothing short of disaster.

Rea became an opportunistic rider looking to strike rather than the dominant force we had grown accustomed to seeing in the past. The breakdown of his relationship with Andrew Pitt garnered a lot of column inches and changing to Uri Pallares is certainly the headline grabber for 2025 but will it be impactful?

Pallares is clearly someone that understands Rea’s mentality and his strengths. He also knows his weaknesses. The Spaniard worked alongside Pere Riba at Provec amidst Rea’s title runs and crew members have credited him with a calmness and organisation that belies this being his first crew chief role. While the crew has changed for Rea the question he was asked on the Paddock Pass Podcast was has he changed for over the last year?

"It's the same,” reflected Rea. “I don't think age, experience or what I've achieved in the past has any influence on it. I'm focused on getting back and I know what it feels like to win races and win championships. When I think back to my time with Honda in 2013 and 2014 - I wanted to force things more and I was restless. Now when I go through tough times, it's more about getting over them quickly. I'm also strong in this situation with Yamaha because I wanted to come here for a new challenge. I wanted to grow as a person and as a rider.

“The last few years with Kawasaki were similar. Those were tough years. We were used to winning 13, 14 races a year and winning championships. Then the tougher times came but we didn't give up. It would have been easy to give up at times last year. I'm sure better days will come. The best of me as a rider and as a person is yet to come."

Being the most successful rider in the history of WorldSBK is clearly something Rea is proud of. With six titles and 119 victories he is fighting with all he has to add to those numbers and reward Yamaha’s faith in him.

“Racing bikes is my passion and nothing excites me more than racing. I still want to win. Sometimes I think 'I should be happy with what I've achieved' but when you're in the middle of it, you don't look back. You're always looking forward to it. I'm not thinking about 2015 or 2020, it's 2025 now and Phillip Island is coming up. Last year I left there in an ambulance. I had the same crash during the test and I completely lost confidence in the electronics.

“I’d never highsided a Superbike in dry conditions. It was out of my control. It's about rebuilding confidence in the bike and making sure it doesn't happen again. I have a year of experience with the bike now and it doesn't feel like a new project. If I leave Phillip Island and have scored points in three races, I'll be happy. But if I'm honest, my goal is to fight for podium places. Locatelli was strong last year and on the podium. If we come close to that, we have done a very good job."

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