News

Just over a week after it was announced on the WorldSBK calendar, riders from WorldSSP and WorldSSP300 headed to Navarra for a two-day test sessionRiders from across the FIM Supersport World Championship and FIM Supersport 300 World Championship headed to the Circuito de Navarra as part of a two-day test. The track will host round five of the 2021 season with teams and riders taking the opportunity in the off-season to undertake some testing at the Spanish circuit ahead of the campaign getting underway. The conditions at the venue were far from ideal, with it being very cold and windy but nonetheless, the riders took to the circuit to get an upper hand before coming back in July. 

GMT94 Yamaha’s Jules Cluzel and new recruit Federico Caricasulo headed to the circuit in Los Arcos, Spain, as part of their off-season preparations with Caricasulo joining the team after a year of competing in WorldSBK. They were joined by Yamaha MS Racing’s Marc Alcoba and Pawel Szkopek from WorldSSP while Unai Orradre, who competes for the same outfit in WorldSSP300, was joined by rival Ana Carrasco (Kawasaki Provec WorldSSP300).

Speaking about the track and getting back to a circuit on the WorldSSP machinery, Jules Cluzel debriefed his first feelings: “We are here after five months which for me, was without riding any bike. I was so happy to be back on the bike but a bit scared because five months is a lot. At the end, after a few laps, I felt quite comfortable, so I was really happy about that. On day two, we made a step but I still believe we can make another one. I feel a little bit sore physically because I hadn’t done any laps before. The first step of 2021 preparations are done, now it is back home to work on my physical condition.” 

Cluzel also described the new track, saying: “We discovered this new circuit for us, the Circuito de Navarra, and it was good for my first test to check my condition and also to check the circuit. Today, we did it. It was sunny, everything was nice, and we started the work for this year. The circuit is different from what we know in the World Championship, but I enjoyed it quite a lot. There are some very nice parts, so I think everyone will enjoy and it’ll be quite good to race here.”

Making his debut in the GMT94 Yamaha team, Federico Caricasulo reviewed his first day: “I’m here in Navarra for my first test with GMT94 Yamaha. I’m really happy because we worked a lot today to get to know each other and work on the bike. The track is very nice, a little bit small but I like this because it has fast parts and slow parts, so it is a complete track. I’m happy to be back on the 600cc bike; after the first laps, it was difficult to get the feeling back and get used to the corner speed, but after two days, I have it back. I’m really happy as we made a big step from day one, and I think now we can focus on the Barcelona test with everyone else.”

Making his debut in the WorldSSP class in 2021, Marc Alcoba spoke about getting on track to start his 2021 preparations: “I am very happy to get back on my training bike and to get my feelings in this category. I’m super happy with the team, as they are very professional and also very human. It’s a pleasure that the Championship will compete at the Navarra Circuit in 2021, as it is a circuit that I have a very good feeling with and also nice experiences. Now, I’m looking forward to going to Barcelona and riding my World Championship bike.”

Recently returning to the track after a back injury, 2018 WorldSSP300 Champion Ana Carrasco joined them on track and said: “I’m very happy with the first day of testing in Navarra, I already knew the circuit because I raced here a few years ago when I was racing in the CEV Moto3 Junior World Championship. Physically I'm feeling better every day and test days like this help me a lot to recover my feeling. I finished the second test day with a good feeling, I’m very happy with the work of the team. We were able to test a lot of things on my Kawasaki Ninja 400 and find a good set up. I'm looking forward to the next test at Catalunya and to continue improving my riding and performance with the bike.”

Enjoy the bikes on track at Navarra and take a look at the new circuit, courtesy of Roadphoto and @WJ!

Watch the WorldSSP season unfold with all of the action and drama on the WorldSBK VideoPass!