In four weeks time the lights will go out at Phillip Island and the 2025 WorldSBK season will start. The campaign is already underway, as WorldSBK is in the middle of the Iberian Winter Test season. Two days at Jerez followed by two days at Portimao are ideal for getting ready for the new season. Four days of running will be complimented by two days of testing in Australia before the first race of the season.
It’s hard to find a better way to prepare for the year. The south of Spain offers the promise of good weather and the Algarve almost guarantees it. These winter sun destinations are popular tourist traps at the time of year. What could go wrong?
Quite a bit it seems. Two days of rain-interrupted testing saw the value of the Jerez days questioned by teams. WorldSBK regulations limit teams to just ten days of testing throughout the season for their race riders. Was it better to get track time now to be ready for Australia or to save the days for later in the year? The majority of teams opted to sit it out. The expense of travelling to Jerez was balanced by the value of running.
Most teams ran just four hours over the course of both days. Some, like Yamaha and Honda, have extra testing days as a concession for their performances in 2024. They ran but with testing now such a valuable commodity there wasn’t much to gain for the front runners by running in the wet conditions at Jerez.
One rider that didn’t get any miles in, saving both his days, was the World Champion, Toprak Razgatlioglu. A training crash led to a fracture of his right index finger. It wasn’t the only bad news for BMW. An FIM regulation clarification confirmed that the Super Concession parts from 2024 weren’t eligible for use this season.
With Toprak on the sidelines, but crucially able to save his testing days for use during the season, there isn’t a clear picture for BMW yet. The new bike is an improvement on last year’s but with Razgatlioglu not riding at Jerez, it’s impossible to judge BMW. The Turkish star has been able to ride and train at home but jumping on his Superbike is a different story. He has travelled to Portugal, and is hoping to ride, though he will likely be hampered by his injured finger.
Redding back on a Ducati
While Razgatlioglu sitting out testing was the biggest story in the lead-up to Jerez, there was one big story in Spain; the return of Scott Redding to Ducati. The Englishman has endured a miserable time over the last three years. Riding the BMW it was clear that Redding wasn’t comfortable with the bike. It never suited his style and as a result motivation became an issue. Now he’s back on a Ducati and aiming to be at the front.
When it was announced that the Bonovo team would be ending their partnership with BMW they made it very clear that they didn’t feel enough support from Munich. Team insiders said that even as an “official” entrant there were still costs that would be expected from a customer rather than a partner. Now, with Ducati, Bonovo know where they stand and what they have at their disposal.
Redding said that the bike will be 90% what the factory riders have. An independent Ducati is more than good enough to win races, as proved by Danilo Petrucci and Andrea Iannone last year. The pressure is now on Redding to deliver.
"We have to get it right this year,” said Redding. “I have to be competitive so the guys stay calm. We’ve made some changes to the team to bring in Italian engineers from Ducati because there’s only so much you can do in English or German if you’re not with the Italians. We have the Ducati engineers because they’ll go back to Bologna and have coffee, talk about the bike and know what’s happening.
“For my mentality it was important to get a fast time in on Day 1 even though that we aren’t perfect yet we’re competitive. It took a bit of time to understand the bike again because it wasn’t like my training bike but it started to feel better as I rode more. The bike does what I think a bike should do and when we make changes I can feel the difference.”
Having moved from Ducati to BMW this is now Redding’s last chance to prove his worth in WorldSBK. As a British Superbike champion and 12 time race winner while riding the V4R there is a confidence that he can deliver again. Bonovo don’t need Redding to be a title contender this year. They need the 32 year old to challenge at the front, finish on the podium and try to win a race. If Redding can do that he’ll reverse the trend of other riders we’ve seen move factory to Independent teams.
What happens now for Rea and Yamaha?
Last year we became used to the sight of a struggling Jonathan Rea. The six-times World Champion endured a miserable first year with Yamaha. The Japanese manufacturer will now have concessions for 2025. They’ll have extra testing, a total of 16 days, which is why Rea was riding in the wet at Jerez.
"The wind was strong on the first day and that made it difficult," explained Rea. "Our 2025 package is not yet complete but I wanted to ride in the wet on the second day. I actually haven't ridden much in the wet in recent years. Assen last year was the first time that I rode the Yamaha on a wet track and I put it on pole. Estoril was wet in qualifying and I was on the front row. The feeling with the bike was OK but we were able to improve it this week. We made changes to the setting to help find mechanical grip.”
Yamaha are hoping to bring some concession parts to the Portimao Test but it’s far from certain if they’ll have them in time. Having seen Kawasaki make a step forward last year the hope is that engine upgrades could help Yamaha find a step with their engine performance.
"Our upgrades aren’t just about the concession parts. We’re also looking at the electronics and everything else. Even if you have a single component that represents a huge step, everything has to mesh together. You don't just put a new part on the bike and it works. Usually you have a positive feeling in one area but then a question in another area. You have to compromise on the settings and adjust it. Then you go to another track and have to do comparison tests. The goal is to find more engine power and get the most out of our package."
Who is the leader at Ducati?
Speaking around the paddock it was interesting to see what the rest of the grid thinks about Ducati. The V4R is still the best bike on the grid and with so many riders, the accumulated data from having volume on the grid offers a big benefit. Their stable of riders is also impressive but who is the leader for Ducati? Their double champion or last year’s surprise package?
“Bulega is the man at Ducati now,” said one leading rider. It’s hard to argue with that assessment. The Italian, a Supersport champion for Ducati, impressed everyone last year to be Razgatlioglu's closest challenger. Having flown under the radar last year there’s now expectation on Bulega. As ever his speed in testing was unquestioned. With qualifying tyres he has the one lap speed to match anyone on the grid.
Last year we saw his race craft improve as the season ticked away. Starts and opening laps were an issue for most of the season. By Estoril and Jerez, the season closing rounds last year, he made a step with this. The decision to make Phillip Island a pitstop race again should also help Bulega start the season well.
Bautista needs to start the campaign in fighting form. The double champion won’t have to adapt to changes to the bike this year. Last year’s combined weight of bike and rider clearly hurt Bautista. As did injuries, “I’ve been able to train well all winter and we’ve made no changes to the bike,” explained the Spaniard.
With a one year contract he’s a man under pressure. His career has been stellar, starting with a title in 125cc Grand Prix racing, but it’s winding down. If he can’t see off Bulega this year the Italian might be the rival that ends Bautista’s career. That’s a huge amount of pressure to put on Bautista. He needs to start the season strong because last year showed that he struggles to find a way to build his momentum if he’s chasing.
Bimota’s new project
Kawasaki’s success in WorldSBK was based around consistency and understanding their package. At one time the Ninja ZX10R was the best bike on the grid. The introduction of a new Ducati in 2019 changed this and from that moment on the Japanese bike was on borrowed time. Two more Jonathan Rea titles stemmed the tide but the flow eventually was too strong. Now there is a new project for Provec Racing.
Bimota are on the WorldSBK grid again. With the Kawasaki engine it’s not a simple story to understand the process of developing this bike. Rumours in the paddock are that there could be a new engine in that package as soon as next season but for now the Bimota is on the grid with the same engine that Alex Lowes and Axel Bassani rode last year.
The new project looks very different. The Bimota has a modern chassis and aerodynamic package. The production bike has moveable aerodynamic wings and while it’s possible that we might see that on the World Superbike grid too it will take time to develop the package to allow it to be used.
“The bike is very good,” said Lowes. “It’s exciting to be involved in this project but it’s a very different bike. We understood the bike so well over the last few years that it meant we were always fast from the start of the weekend. Now, we have to learn a new bike and get ready for the season.”
Last year Bassani struggled for single lap pace and couldn’t match Lowes. During the winter the Italian has looked much closer to his teammate, aided by Qualifying tyres during testing. If Bassani can maintain this momentum it bodes well for Bimota. If the weather is good at the Portimao Test we will get a true indication of where Bimota is compared to their rivals. The new project has started well but now the real work will begin for Provec and Bimota.
If you enjoyed this article, please consider supporting MotoMatters.com. You can help by either taking out a subscription, supporting us on Patreon, by making a donation, or contributing via our GoFundMe page. You can find out more about subscribing to MotoMatters.com here.
