WSBK Jerez Private Test J2: The final point with the Panigale of Pirro and Zarco ahead of the Honda MotoGP

In the end, no Superbike rider took to the track during these two days of Superbike testing in Jerez and that is hardly surprising.

The weather conditions marked by rain made the Andalusian track unfit to work effectively, and only four riders not affected by the regulations which limit the days of testing of Superbike riders braved the bad weather on the Spanish track: Michele Pirro riding his Panigale V4S, Johan Zarco on the same machine, Stefan Bradl on two models of Honda RC213V and Leonardo Taccini on his Kawasaki Supersport.

It is in this order that the final classification displayed their names, which demonstrates the speed of adaptation demonstrated by the Frenchman on a still drying track, which was the case this afternoon, despite the fact that he had announced that he did not want to take any risks so as not to destroy his only motorcycle.

In this entirely symbolic hierarchy, however, the second does not appear (the first one was destroyed yesterday) Ducati ERC Endurance driven by Sylvain Barrier which was not equipped with a transponder.

Si Michele Pirro et John Zarco rode until the last hour, fighting with timers, on the Superbike side we therefore preferred to postpone these first 2021 tests, like Kawasaki and Honda who will in principle race on January 27 and 28 at the same place.

Jonathan Rhea : " It's a shame not to be able to test, but the track was not in good condition so we decided to postpone. The boys can collect their things and go home a little early. With the new regulations on limited trial days, we need to be smart and use these days well. At the moment we have to confirm certain elements but we have to do it with a dry track.
The bike is an evolution of the 2020 model, with which we really scored a lot of good points. Basically, it's a step forward and I hope we can evolve significantly: new engine parts, aerodynamics and of course electronics. The seating position has changed slightly, but I feel very comfortable on the bike. We still have to get used to the new engine characteristics. Better aerodynamics means a little more top speed, but we haven't been able to test it yet, because top speed is not the strong point in Jerez, here you can't go past fifth gear. We have to wait to go to Aragon, for example, where we also use sixth gear. »

At Aruba – Ducati, we still prefer not to get too far ahead of the date of the next test: “ Due to the restrictions on testing days introduced by Dorna this season, the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team preferred not to take to the track, working immediately to find a new date and circuit as soon as possible. »

Scott Redding : “For me, it wasn’t that bad. Of course I would have liked to take the test, but we have a 10 day limit I think and you have to be a little smart. It would have been pointless to start the first test of 2021 in the rain. When it rained at breakfast, I took things easy, went to the gym and that's it. Today I relaxed because I arrived from California yesterday and I'm recovering a little from the jet lag. »

WEATHER CONDITIONS CANCEL KRT TEST⁰
Kawasaki Racing Team riders @alexlowes22 and @jonathanrea were unable to take to the track for a planned two-day test at Jerez on 20-21 January, due to wet weather. pic.twitter.com/GzMZATjZnn

— KRT WorldSBK (@KRT_WorldSBK) January 21, 2021

At the end of these two days, what can we think of this first ride? That Michele Pirro et John Zarco undoubtedly had fun pushing their Panigale a little on a drying track and that Stefan Bradl, on the contrary, just debugged the 2021 models for 49 laps in 2 days to collect the first lessons.

The results therefore seem very meager even though it was planned and impatiently awaited for several weeks by the drivers concerned (and by enthusiasts!). Conversely, the opinions of other MotoGP riders that we collected on the subject were much more doubtful, ranging from « It’s no use with a stock motorcycle” à « no question of taking risks in this type of private test”.

Everyone sees noon at their door, and let's just hope that the weather will be nicer in Jerez in a week...