Ducati V4 R debuts in the wet at MotorLand Aragon
Limited track activity in Spain as weather hampers day two of action
The first 2019 pre-season test came to a wet end at MotorLand Aragon, as heavy rain in the morning meant only two out of six riders took to the track on Thursday. But it wasn’t a wasted day as the Ducati Panigale V4 R was able to take to the track for the first time under wet conditions.
After topping the unofficial timing screens on the opening day around Aragon, Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) and his new team-mate Leon Haslam (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) opted to sit out of Thursday’s on track action. Putting in 139 laps between them on the opening day, they will now shift their focus to the Jerez test in 10 days time.
But for the two Ducati riders, rain didn’t mean an end to their test. Continuing to understand their new bike, Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) took to the track for 22 laps, despite being careful to not cause more issues with his shoulder. Experiencing the all new V4 R in the rain for the first time, it was important to get as much track time under his belt as possible.
For Michael Ruben Rinaldi (BARNI Racing Team), he was more keen to get out on track and try out the V4 R in the rain, and the track began to dry in the early afternoon. Following a sensational opening day with his new bike, he was just making the most of the time he has, as in 2019 the Italian will not only have a new bike to contend with but also new circuits. Rinaldi was able to put in 25 laps on Thursday.
The Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team duo of Alex Lowes and Michael van der Mark also decided to sit out of day two of the test. Lowes was able to set the second fastest unofficial time of the test on Wednesday, and they were able to work through a lot of small updates to their YZF-R1 machines with chassis, suspension and electronics.
Enjoy all the reaction, highlights and features from the first 2019 WorldSBK test, all with the WorldSBK VideoPass.
Unofficial Times from MotorLand Aragon Day Two:
- Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 2.04.513
- Michael Ruben Rinaldi (BARNI Racing Team) 2.07.961
