A two-day test involving almost all the WorldSBK and WorldSSP teams has concluded at the Cremona Circuit. Kawasaki Puccetti Racing riders Tito Rabat, in Superbike, and Can Oncu, in Supersport, used the sessions to get to grips with the Italian circuit, a new entry on this year’s championship calendar, but were also able to test new components and solutions.
Rabat was consistently among the frontrunners on both day one, conditioned by rain in the afternoon, and day two. The Spaniard set the eighth fastest time on Friday (1’29”543), six tenths from the front. Oncu was the second fastest rider (1’32”506) in the Supersport class.
Tito Rabat and his team now have a few days to rest before they head to the Misano World Circuit for further tests on May 30-31. The Misano track will host the fourth WorldSBK round in mid-June.
Manuel Puccetti
“Two really good test days; we can be very pleased with the results, I think. Rabat was consistently up there among the quickest, while Oncu tested a lot of chassis updates, with results that bode well for the next rounds. The Cremona track came as a pleasant surprise, and I’d say it’s definitely passed the initial test as far as our production-derived championships are concerned. In a few days’ time we’ll be back for another two-day test at Misano.”
Tito Rabat
“Two very positive days. We’ve done a lot of work, both in the dry and the wet. After the wet Assen round, it was important to test the bike in the rain to fully understand its behaviour. On day two we took things slowly before pushing to the max when the temperatures went up. And thanks to the data collected, we were able to fully exploit the SCX tyres, which are the ones we use most in the races. We’ve done a good job and the team has worked really hard. We need to continue in this direction to achieve the kind of results we deserve.”
Can Oncu
“I’m really pleased with what we’ve got done here at Cremona. We’ve improved our bike in many ways, and this leaves me optimistic ahead of the next races. After these tests, I’m feeling even more motivated and can’t wait for the Misano round. Thanks to Manuel Puccetti and the entire team, they’ve all done an incredible job.”
