Phillip Island last weekend marked Nico Terol’s introduction to WorldSBK, making his debut in the championship as the 125cc Grand Prix World Champion of 2011.

The Spaniard qualified on the second row, in sixth position. In Race 1, he was able to stay with the leading group thanks to a rapid start, until dropping to eighth at the chequered flag after struggling more than expected with strong gusts of wind. In the second encounter, early problems caused him to lose ground but he was still able to fight back up to sixth position.

“In Race 1 I put in some really great laps at the start and I was pleased, but then strong winds gave me some problems and I struggled to retain the pace I had at the start, ending up in eighth position,” the Althea Racing rider recalls. “In Race 2, I didn’t have the right concentration at the start because I thought one of the dashboard lights was on so I kept looking down, distracting myself, which led to some mistakes. From the mid-race point I found the right concentration and did my best. Sixth position is a good result but I’m sorry because, if I’d made a few less mistakes, I could have finished further up.”

Round 2 will pose another new challenge for the Ducati rider, though may also offer more of a level playing field as Thailand’s Chang International Circuit will be new to everybody. The third and fourth races of the year will be staged there on Sunday 22 March.