This is the subject that brightens up the backstage of the WSBK paddock in this new round of the season in the category reserved for motorcycles from the series which takes place at Imola. This is the 250 rpm removed from the Panigale V4R engine, which follows the 250 others crossed out in Barcelona, while on the Kawasaki side it is on the contrary a balance of 500 that we have collected... Without however exploit it further, which seems to exceed Jonathan Rea a bit...
The subtleties of the WSBK regulations fueled conversations after the first day at Imola. At the center of the debates, the 250 rpm removed from the engine of the Ducati. Some were waiting with interest to see what effect this would have on the track. The first opinion given was that of the Yamaha official Toprak Razgatlioglu : " I don't understand. WSBK said to remove 250 revs, but maybe Ducati added them » comments the Turk with irony. “ I think nothing changes with 250 laps less, because Ducati is still strong ».
And the 2021 World Champion in the specialty compares with the in-line four-cylinder of his Yamaha A1: “ I think our engine is at its best, just like the Kawasaki, while the Ducati has more power. You change the revolutions per minute but the situation does not change, because even though they have to shift a little earlier, it seems like they reach maximum power before going full throttle ».
At Kawasaki, it is the grimace soup which is served by Jonathan Rhea, a bad mood which is not due to the 250 laps in less than Ducati but to the 500 that the six-time title holder could have from Catalonia, but that Kawasaki has not yet delivered on its ZX-10R ... " We don't use extra rounds, you have to ask the team why » grumbled the Northern Irishman.
« Unfortunately, I couldn't use the Ducati V2, because the WSBK round was too close to the WSSP one. »
« I did a few laps behind Alvaro in the morning, but didn't notice anything particularly different ". Then Jonathan Rhea adds: " between 2017 and 2018 they took 1 rpm from us and in this case the difference was significant. Obviously everything makes a difference in the racing world, but in this case it's not much ».
And at Ducati, what's the mood? Goguenarde, apparently… “ Unfortunately, I couldn't use the V2, because the WSBK round was too close to the WSSP round » smiles one Alvaro Bautista which implies that at this rate, he will be better off by taking the motorcycle Open up. In short timekeeping form, the reigning World Champion did not put his position in the standings down to lost engine revs: “ I lacked the confidence I needed and the stability. You have to find the right balance between not taking too many risks and staying fast ».
We will give the final word to Axel Bassani who also drives a Panigale V4 castrated in Superbike : “loss of turns?” The sound is different, it's not a normal Ducati. It's not easy to ride like this at the moment, but it's okay. But it won't work if we continue like this ».
