While Toprak Razgatlioglu was considered to be Johnny Rea's teammate this year, it was ultimately Alex Lowes who was chosen. The Englishman therefore leaves an official Yamaha to switch to the factory Kawasaki which has just won the last five Superbike World Championships with Rea.
The ZX-10RR is a perfectly accomplished motorcycle, and no surprise because there is no new machine approved for this year. The KRT knows it by heart, which should help Alex, even if this bike is more designed for the type of riding Johnny Rea.
Kawasaki did not participate in the second series of tests which took place in Portimão, preferring to ride on the Barcelona-Catalonia Circuit in complete discretion... And near its workshops, which would not have been the case - far from there – testing in Portugal.
During the first series of tests which took place in Jerez, Alex Lowes did very well, finishing fourth, only 0.6 behind the great WSBK champion that is Johnny Rea, on an identical bike and for his debut.
Jerez test results:
1.Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 1'40.983 (19 laps)
2.Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Official Team) +0.231 (42 laps)
3.Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.424 (43 laps)
4.Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +0.659 (44 laps)
5.Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Official Team) +1.724 (43 laps)
6.Leon Haslam (HRC Team) +1.814 (32 laps)
The first day in Jerez, the weather was not good, resulting in a wet track. For Marcel Duinker, team leader of Alex Lowes, “Maybe 75% of our track time during this test was wet, but it gave us the opportunity to let Alex get a first impression of the ZX-10RR in these conditions. It was very positive. »
“From the first outing, he felt that the bike behaved very well. He had two exits and only eight fast laps and he went first. What made me happy was that he told me : “OK, that’s enough in the wet because I know how the bike behaves and performs.” Late Thursday morning the track started to dry and we went out, first on wet tires, then on slicks. He showed a lot of potential and confidence in the bike, regardless of the conditions. »
Alex is now ready for the Phillip Island race at the end of this month, with two days of preliminary testing on the 24th and 25th at the Australian circuit.
“To be honest, I'm not too nervous, he estimated. I was pretty excited at Jerez about this new challenge and trying to understand and adapt to another bike after being on the R1 for four seasons. »
“I need to give myself some time to continue to improve. We weren't lucky with the weather this winter, so I didn't get as many dry laps as I wanted. I'm still at the stage where every ride I do makes me better, which is exciting. »
“I'm working on the best way to ride this bike and how it feels in the corners. In fast corners the R1 felt very strong and just turned in naturally. »
“The ZX-10RR corners well, but the feeling you get at the front is completely different to achieve the same thing. So I tried to adapt to that. »
“It is stable when exiting corners. This is a very strong point and what you always look for with a motorcycle is corner exit. »
“She doesn’t do anything extraordinary but she does everything very well. The stability of the front axle on the brakes is impressive. This is a very fun motorcycle to ride. With the mixed weather, I drove it in all conditions, always with a smile, so it's really positive.
“With Johnny Rea, we have mutual respect. He is a five-time World Champion and a lot of the things he does with the bike and also with the team are impressive. Of course, I join the team with a lot of motivation, but I don't believe that I will be able to have the same relationship as the one I had with Mickey van der Mark for example. »
“But it's not a problem for me, we get along perfectly well. I'm here to learn as much as possible from Jonathan, which can help me improve and fight to be World Champion. »
“I don't expect to receive the same level of help that JR gave to Leon for example. I don't think he's going to tow me. But at the same time, it suits me. He's the driver to beat. For me, the goal is clearly to focus on myself, improve and enjoy my new challenge with the KRT team. »
Photos © Kawasaki
source: bikesportnews.com
