The Phillip Island circuit in Australia has hosted official WorldSBK and WorldSSP testing, the final act as teams prepare for the first round of the two championships, which will play out at the same track over the weekend of 23-25 February. All the teams taking part in the world championships were on track for this week’s test.
The two Supersport sessions ran on Monday, under cloudy skies but in dry conditions. Young Kawasaki Puccetti Racing rider, Can Oncu, approached the test with the aim of adapting his ZX-6R to the unique Australian track, recently resurfaced, and understanding his current physical condition. During the first session of the morning, the Turk set a 1’33”256, while the afternoon saw him improve by almost a second. Oncu placed sixth overall with a best of 1’32”334.
Tito Rabat and the Kawasaki Puccetti Racing technical team got to work during test sessions on Tuesday, building on the work completed during previous winter tests. The goal is to adapt the Ninja ZX-10RR KRT Factory Replica so that the Spanish rider can exploit its full potential. During the morning session, a technical problem unfortunately caused Rabat to lose time, the rider setting a best of 1’31”089. The afternoon’s session ran in considerably hotter conditions, but the Spaniard was nevertheless able to improve on his fastest time, putting in a 1’31”029.
With official testing now complete, Kawasaki Puccetti Racing now has a couple of days rest before Friday 23 February when the first WorldSBK and WorldSSP rounds of the 2024 season will get underway at the same Phillip Island track.
The Australian circuit is found on the island of the same name in the state of Victoria. Built in 1956, it has hosted MotoGP since 1997 and the production-derived series since 1990. It is considered one of the world’s most beautiful circuit, both for its technical, challenging layout and its position, with the ocean as a background. The track measures 4.445 kilometers in length and comprises 12 corners, of which five right-handers and seven left. Pole position is to the right.
The full schedule for the Australian event is available at this link:
Tito Rabat
“I expected more from these tests, but despite the team’s hard work and my continuous efforts we are not yet able to achieve the kind of results we know we are capable of. The gap from the leaders does not reflect our true value and does not repay the hard work we’ve put in here in Australia. We still have some issues to resolve but we’ll continue to work hard and do our best to be more competitive.”
Can Oncu
“The tests went well. In the first session we had a few setup issues, but my team worked this out and we were then able to find a really good setup solution, especially in terms of the tyre consumption. I really like the new asphalt because it offers a lot of grip, but tyre management will be crucial in the races. Physically speaking, everything went well and I have to say that my last surgery has definitely helped. The tests are now completed and on Friday we get going for real!”
