"The main goal is to win. We’ll see race by race…" – Artigas on his WorldSPB goals this season after P1 in Test
The Spaniard topped the timesheet of the sole WorldSPB test before their season gets underway on Friday, March 27th
Testing is done and dusted after a long and productive day on track for the all-new FIM Sportbike World Championship. The field took full advantage of sunny weather at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve, where riders sharpened their skills and dialled in their setups for the upcoming Championship debut of the World Sportbike class. Xavi Artigas (MTM Kawasaki) took the top spot on the day, a welcome sign of pace to come for the Spaniard.
STARTING STRONG: “I feel quite confident to start well, and I have a good feeling”
Artigas arrived at the WorldSBK paddock after a busy 2025 season in which he appeared in a pair of WorldSSP rounds, finished second in the Italian Supersport Championship, and earned a podium in just a four-race appearance in the Moto2 European Championship. He brought all of his talent to bear on Monday as he ran 69 Laps, the fastest of which was a 1’48.894s effort, which earned him the top spot on the Official Test’s timesheet.
On how he’s getting along in the new Championship, Artigas said: “I ran with the same bike in WorldSSP, but now I feel less power and less experience. The chassis is the same. The paddock I know from wildcards last year, and last year I worked with MTM Kawasaki as a coach and with data. I know the paddock well, but we’ll see during the season. I feel quite confident to start well, and I have a good feeling.”
GETTING UP TO SPEED: “I’m quite confident about the work that we did, and I feel comfortable with the bike”
Despite being only 22 years old, the Spanish #34 has gleaned experience from a variety of different Championships including the Red Bull Rookies’ Cup, the European Talent Cup, which he was named Champion of back in 2018, Moto2, Moto3 and more, that versatility has trained him well in the art of quickly learning the ins and outs of a new competition, a skill set he’ll hope to utilize this weekend in the season opener.
On his hopes for the upcoming season, Artigas said: “The goal when you start a Championship is to win, but you don’t know in this category. There are many levels. You don’t know about the other bikes and teams, but I’m quite confident about the work that we did and comfortable with the bike. The main goal is to win. We’ll see race by race. For the moment, everything is good, then we’ll see.”
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