Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK Complete Stand-Out Successful Winter Test in Jerez
Yamaha’s official WorldSBK riders Andrea Locatelli and Jonathan Rea completed an extremely positive two-day test at Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto, as the Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK Team and Yamaha’s engineers prepare for an assault on the FIM Superbike World Championship in 2024.
Jerez test numbers: #65 Jonathan Rea completed 173 laps and #55 Andrea Locatelli 155 laps, for a combined total of more than 1453km. Locatelli set the fastest lap over the two days, recording a 1:38.447 – almost identical to Remy Gardner’s overall fastest lap time from the Jerez test earlier this month.
Andrea Locatelli – 1:38.447
“I’m so happy about these two days of testing – because compared to the past, for me it was always a little bit difficult to make a really good job especially at Jerez – but I think from yesterday and from today, we found a really good base set-up on my R1 and I get a lot of good feeling on the bike. I was fast in every condition and fast in every exit, so this was really important. We were happy about the lap time, we were happy on the rhythm – I think it is one of the best tests I have done. The feeling after the race weekend was not so amazing, but I think we improved a lot and we understand a lot more after these two days. I am really proud of myself but also of Yamaha and all the staff of the team to do a really good job to give me a lot of confidence. At the same time to believe in myself and try to improve together – so this is a really positive end to 2023.”
Jonathan Rea – 1:38.592
“The test has been really positive and I’ve really enjoyed riding my new R1! We’ve had great conditions, especially on Day 1 – the temperature was warmer than we expected, similar to the race and we were able to get a lot of work done. I had three bikes to try different options on, and loads of different parts. I think we never managed to quite put everything together to arrive at the perfect combination, but we still have a lot of time and we got through the main test items. It’s normal that some items we can discard but some items are very interesting going forward. I completed the test with a 20-lap race simulation that was very positive and I think the more laps that I do on the R1, the more I understand it – how the bike behaves in certain conditions and the more confidence I can build. I don’t feel like I’ve found the limit yet, still understanding how to manage the last part of braking – but, I feel competitive already, so step-by-step! We did a lot of laps, around 766km and 173 laps. The guys did well – a big thanks to all the mechanics because they worked so hard between three bikes, a lot of changes – and it’s been an intense but very valuable couple of days. A nice way to sign off on 2023! Everyone can go back now and have a bit of rest before we look forward to the next test at the end of January.”
