As it was made official few weeks ago, former 125cc World Champion and Moto2 multiple race winner Nicolas ‘Nico’ Terol will embark on a new journey in the Superbike World Championship aboard Team Althea’s Ducati 1199 Panigale R.

After a shakedown test performed a fortnight ago at Valencia’s Ricardo Tormo Circuit on the 2014 EVO-spec Ducati superbike, the 26 year old Spaniard got to grips with the 2015 version of the Panigale last week at Jerez with good impressions and lap times.

After three seasons in Moto2 aboard a 600cc, 4 cylinder machine, what are your first impressions of a 1200cc twin cylinder bike with such a different chassis?
 “It feels great, because it has great power. I like the power delivery and the throttle response. There’s enough electronics, especially regarding the anti-wheelie system that allows you to ride such a powerful machine in a much easier way. It’s really fast and I thought it would have been more physically demanding, but it isn’t. In Valencia we had the EVO bike to test and we were two riders testing one bike. So far I haven’t lapped as much as I would have liked, also due to the rain we encountered in Jerez, but I’m feeling very confident already.”

How was the recent test at Jerez de la Frontera with the 2015 version of the Ducati 1199 Panigale R?
“On the first day I managed to complete only 20 laps due to the damp track we found in the morning. Compared to the 2014 version, there was less electronic and a different engine configuration. I had fun on the EVO bike, but the 2015 version is a different story. I like the amount of power available and the electronics help a lot. It’s a very stable bike under braking and allows you to open the throttle very early on the exit. It gives you great confidence on corner entry.”

Are other tests planned before the winter break?
“The final version of the bike won’t be ready before January, so we cannot test before then. We will be at Portimao, though. Now I have time to train and get ready for the upcoming season.”
 
What can you tell us about your teammate?
“We get along well, we do our job and then compare our information. He has a lot of experience on his bike and knows it like the back of his hand. He has tried it on many tracks, including Jerez, he is very technical and skilled about giving the right feedback to the team, so it’s great that we can count on him for next year.”
 
What are your expectations for 2015? What do you think would be a good result?
“I hope to get up to speed soon because I want to be at the front and win races like I used to, especially after such a tough season in Moto2. Our priority is to improve and find some consistency, we will talk about goals once the winter preparation will be over. I hope we will be ready for the season opener but I’m sure there’ll be a lot of work to do in the first part of the year.”