WSBK Jerez: At Kawasaki, Alex Lowes wants to confirm and Jonathan Rea to raise the bar

In Jerez de la Frontera, the show is permanent. Fabio and his family have barely left the Andalusian circuit when Johnny and his family already arrive. If Quarterly arrived as a rookie before leaving as a double winner, how will Rea perform after his first average result from Phillip Island?

Johnny Rea was by no means unworthy in Australia, but he himself certainly hoped for a little better than a single victory and a single second place in three races. The five-time World Champion will now happily move from test mode to race mode after two recent positive tests at Misano and then Catalunya on his Ninja ZX-10RR.

alex lowes achieved a great feat at Phillip Island by winning his first race for Kawasaki (the second of his career) and taking the lead in the World Championship with 51 points ahead Scott Redding (39) Toprak Razgatlioglu (34) and Johnny Rea (32).

The first round of the season took place in Australia at the end of February, but due to the global Covid-19 pandemic, the following round and all others until the next restart in Jerez were either canceled or postponed.

Many Covid-19 protocols will have to be followed this coming weekend, as they were during the two recent tests in Italy and Catalonia. The expected high ambient and track temperatures, which were evident during the two recent MotoGP races at Jerez, will be another factor to be taken into account by the team and riders when it is their turn to take on the 4,423km Andalusian circuit long.

According to Jonathan Rea, “I am very excited to return to competition after this long break in the calendar. Over the past few weeks, I've been able to get to grips with our ZX-10RR and enjoy the excitement of racing again. »

“The Misano and Montmeló tests were both positive. We managed to achieve what we wanted, which was to be competitive in both our single lap pace and our long race pace. »

“Jerez is an excellent circuit, which I enjoy. I think the work and conclusions we reached during testing will help us this weekend in the hot conditions where the grip level is not optimal. It will be strange not to have the SBK atmosphere with fans in the stands and a packed paddock show, but I'm looking forward to this weekend. »

According to Alex Lowes, “It’s exciting – like the start of a new season – after such a long period without racing. I've had two very good tests with the ZX-10RR and I feel like I have a much better understanding of the bike, which will be crucial in helping me find a setup in the high temperatures of Jerez. »

“We now have two consecutive rounds*, which will be a bonus after a few months of rest. »

*The next race taking place in Portimão (Portugal) on August 8 and 9.

“Two weekends of competition and six races, to get through it is going to be fun! Obviously I'm going to miss the fans, but I know the races are going to be great, so they should make sure to tune in - and thanks as always for the support. »

Rea and Lowes at Jerez in 2019: Other times, other customs: