Just a week after the end of the 2012 World Superbike championship, several teams were back on track at the Motorland Aragon circuit already preparing for the upcoming 2013 season that will kick off with traditional opener at Phillip Island on February 24th.
Unfortunately a strong crosswind somewhat hampered the first day of testing, but FIXI Crescent Suzuki’s Leon Camier continued to show the strong form he had in the last part of the season with the fastest lap of the day in 1′58″2, seven tenths faster than his post-race test results last July (Marco Melandri was fastest that day in 1′57″3 lap) when the teams used the new 17″ tires that will be mandatory next year.
Second fastest was Tom Sykes who was testing a new updated version of the Kawasaki ZX-10R, while new World champion Max Biaggi was the third quickest, but he sat out most of the day and decided not take any unnecessary risks going out on track only in the final hour of the afternoon session.
For the first time the Ducati 1199 Panigale made its debut in a World Superbike test with Carlos Checa (who celebrated his 40th birthday yesterday) and Davide Giugliano (both have yet to be re-confirmed by Althea) and the results were promising as the former world champion was fourth fastest and just three tenths from Biaggi – the Panigale was already in 2013 Superbike trim – and without the extra 6kg that hampered the performance of 1198R this season, Michel Fabrizio’s debut with the Red Devils Roma branded Aprilia RSV4 (Chaz Davies old machine) was also positive, as he finished a tenth of second ahead of Aprilia factory rider Eugene Laverty.
Loris Baz was eighth followed by Aprilia’s test rider Alex Hofmann and Josh Waters who took Sylvain Guintoli’s place after the French rider broke off his contract with Suzuki at the last minute, while Davide Giugliano brought up the rear.
WSBK Aragon test times via Omnicorse.
it1.
Leon Camier – Suzuki – 1′58″2 2.
Tom Sykes – Kawasaki – 1′58″6 3.
Max Biaggi – Aprilia – 1′58″7 4.
Carlos Checa – Ducati – 1′59″0 5.
Michel Fabrizio – Aprilia – 1′59″3 6.
Eugene Laverty – Aprilia – 1′59″4 7.
Loris Baz – Kawasaki – 1′59″6 8.
Alex Hofmann – Aprilia – 2′00″4 9.
Josh Waters – Suzuki – 2′00″5 10.
Davide Giugliano – Ducati – 2′00″7