Kofler preparing for "completely different" WorldSSP, "thankful" for CM Racing’s trust
The Austrian rider will make his debut in the 2022 season on a Ducati Panigale V2 for CM Racing
Maximilian Kofler (CM Racing) made his debut appearance in the FIM Supersport World Championship by taking part in his first test on the Ducati Panigale V2 as the Italian manufacturer returns to the Championship. Austrian rider Kofler made the switch from Moto3™ to WorldSSP for the 2022 season and at the two-day test spoke about adapting to his new surroundings, the big differences being happy to move into the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship paddock.
ADAPTING TO BIG DIFFERENCES
18-year-old Kofler spent two full seasons competing in the Moto3™ World Championship from 2020 after success in the national and European championships. For 2022, the Austrian will compete in WorldSSP on a Ducati Panigale V2, which he got his first taste of in Portugal as he prepares for his maiden season with CM Racing.
Kofler explained the differences between Moto3™ and WorldSSP and how he will adapt to them. He said: “It’s completely different. For me, at the moment, it’s difficult for me to ride the right line with the WorldSSP bike because this track I know from Moto3™, so the Moto3™ line is always in my head a little bit. The power is amazing. With Moto3™, you go just for speed and look for corner speed. With this bike, you have the power of the engine, so you have to ride completely different and this is the biggest part we’re working on now.
“As I said, the biggest part is to get used to the power of the bike and also the behaviour, the way I have to ride the bike. This is the biggest part we’re working on now. For sure, we have to work on tyres, understanding the different tyres and compounds. We still have a lot of work to do but I feel really comfortable with the team.”
ENTERING THE WorldSBK PADDOCK…
Kofler spent two years solely in the MotoGP™ paddock as he competed in Moto3™ but his switch to WorldSSP will provide plenty of surroundings for the Austrian in the WorldSBK paddock. Kofler discussed his move into the WorldSBK paddock to compete in WorldSSP on the Ducati machine as well as his gratitude to CM Racing.
He said: “I’m really thankful to the team that they gave me this opportunity because I know the last two seasons in Moto3™ were not as a lot of people expected and were quite difficult. The team showed a lot of trust in me from the moment we signed. I’m really thankful and I’m happy that I am starting a new adventure in a new paddock. I heard only great things from the WorldSBK paddock so I’m really happy to be here now.”
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