Joerg Teuchert
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Davies ahead of the Ducatis factory as only 0.111 s separates the top three in Aragon
The first day of action at MotorLand Aragon was crowned by the GoEleven team
Chaz Davies with ten WorldSBK riders on the track
Teams and riders headed west from Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya to MotorLand Aragon for two more days in the offseason ahead of the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship, as the first of two days of action at Alcañiz started with Chaz davies (Team GoEleven) tops the timesheets as he continues to get used to his new surroundings.
The day’s race got off to a slow start after yesterday’s rain and cold track conditions in the morning, but the action came about an hour past the scheduled race time. Davies, who joined Team GoEleven for the 2021 campaign, recorded a time of 1’49.878s in the afternoon session as he sought to work on the chassis balance of his Ducati Panigale V4 R as well as on the electronic settings while using the qualifying tire. as he seeks to refine his package for the 2021 campaign. Michael ruben rinaldi (Aruba.It Racing – Ducati) was in second place as he also continues to adapt to his new team after moving from Team GoEleven to Aruba.It Racing – Ducati outfit. Rinaldi recorded a time of 1’49.947s, covering 70 laps, as he worked on the setup of his bike as well as improving the chassis elements, although the Italian had a crash at Turn 12 in afternoon session, but that he was fine after the incident.
Scott redding (Aruba.It Racing – Ducati) made a late lap to claim third place on opening day after focusing on a few electronic changes and hoping to work on long races throughout the two days of testing. Redding completed 64 laps in the first two days of action at MotorLand Aragon as he looks to build up a title charge in 2021. Garrett gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team) finished fourth and first Yamaha rider on day one, just over half a second off Davies’ best time, the American working on the basic setup of his Yamaha YZF R1 before the season – first round at MotorLand Aragon in May.
Beginner Tito Rabat (Barni Racing Team) finished fifth on the day, with the 2014 Moto2 â„¢ World Champion completing the most laps of all on day one with 91 completed. After making the switch from MotoGP â„¢ to WorldSBK for the 2021 season, Rabat continues to gain valuable kilometers in his Panigale V4 R ahead of his first WorldSBK campaign. Reigning world champion Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK) was sixth after only racing in the afternoon session as the Italian opted not to perform laps in the cooler morning conditions but still managing a total of 51 laps for the day. For Locatelli, the test of Aragon is about more adjustment and development ahead of its first WorldSBK campaign and learning how to get the most out of its YZF R1 on different circuits, while looking to take another step forward. The Italian had a small crash at turn 4, however, but was able to return to the track with the spare bike shortly after.
Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) followed Locatelli with the youngest rider on the WorldSBK grid finishing seventh on the day, as the Italian rookie prepares for his debut WorldSBK campaign. Kohta Nozane (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) visited the MotorLand Aragon circuit for the first time and completed 60 laps on the way to the eighth fastest of the day, losing some track time in the morning when his YZF R1 went is stopped on the track.
Christophe Ponsson (Alstare Yamaha) took to the track with his team’s striking new yellow and blue livery unveiled on his Yamaha YZF R1 ahead of the full-time WorldSBK campaign after sporadic appearances in 2020. Ponsson, like Locatelli, avoided the early morning conditions more cool and only took to the track in the afternoon, and was working with a new seat to try and improve his position on the bike to reduce movement. He completed 50 laps in the four-hour window with a best lap time of 1’53.348s. The Yamaha coach and test rider completed the WorldSBK field. Niccolo Canepa (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK) with the Italian rider for Toprak Razgatlioglu while the Turkish star ends his period of self-isolation. Canepa completed 36 laps throughout the day as he performed a fitness analysis after a recent crash while performing fundamental testing for Yamaha.
Unofficial WorldSBK results from day one
1.) Chaz Davies (Team GoEleven) 1’49.878s, 63 laps
2.) Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.It Racing – Ducati) 1’49.947s, 70 laps
3.) Scott Redding (Aruba.It Racing – Ducati) 1’49.989s, 64 laps
4.) Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) 1’50.527s, 52 laps
5.) Tito Rabat (Barni Racing Team) 1’50.740s, 91 laps
6.) Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK), 51 laps
7.) Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing), 1’51.482s, 68 laps
8.) Kohta Nozane (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) 1’51.711s, 60 laps
9.) Christophe Ponsson (Alstare Yamaha), 1’53.348s, 50 laps
10.) Niccolo Canepa (Pata Yamaha with BRIXX WorldSBK), 1’53.685s, 36 laps
Find out more, excerpt from a press release published by Team GoEleven:
CHAZ DAVIES CONCLUDES FIRST TOP DAY IN MOTORLAND ARAGON!
A cold and windy Motorland Aragon, the first day, welcomed the protagonists of the Superbike circus. For the event, the full range of Ducati and Yamaha is present and will be back on track tomorrow.
In the morning, the icy wind and the low temperatures of the asphalt forced Chaz Davies to wait a few hours before leaving the pit lane in his light blue Ducati. Once the engines warmed up, work focused on the geometry and balance of the bike. In the afternoon, the track was considerably faster, so much so that the times came closer to those of last year’s races. The Go Eleven Team was thus able to carry out various comparative tests between the different set-up solutions on the two Panigale V4RS, in search of a good balance for the first race of the season, which will take place on the circuit of ‘Aragon, May 22/23. At the end of the day, Chaz Davies was the fastest rider, breaking the wall of 1.50, with the fastest lap of 1.49.878, achieved with relative ease of piloting. Laptop time is still not that important in pre-season testing, but it certainly helps create a great harmony within the squad!
Tomorrow there will be another eight hours of work on the track, where the team will try to further improve Chaz’s feeling on the bike!
Denis Sacchetti (Team Manager):
“We continued the work started during the Barcelona test, here in Aragon. The harmony within the team is really nice and Chaz gives us correct, precise and interesting feedback. We are now focusing on the balance and geometry of the bike. I am really satisfied after this first day, not only for the final result, but also for the positive feelings of the driver and the team, even if the first position is always amazing! “
Chaz Davies (rider):
“Today we tried a different balance on the bike, and we’re finding an interesting direction, but we’ve just started the job. The feedback has been quite positive, we compared the bike to the one I have used for the last two years here in Aragon. The best thing about today is that I feel pretty comfortable with every tire and felt great on the bike. It’s a good step forward compared to the Barcelona test a few weeks ago. I think we also have a good plan for tomorrow and other areas to explore! “
