In very warm
conditions (air temperature 32˚C, track 44˚C), the team got started on
their work programme Tuesday morning. Carlos was out on track, clocking
up the miles using various new tyre solutions that Pirelli provided
specifically for these tests. Together with his technicians, the Spanish
rider worked hard and recorded some very interesting lap times during
the day.
Work continued yesterday and although most of the day was
spent testing the remaining new tyres, the team also dedicated some time
to making refinements to the set up of the bike. In total the team
tested five new rear tyre solutions. Over the two days, Checa completed
roughly 120 laps, with a best (unofficial) time of 1m36.00, recorded
yesterday, fastest than his quickest lap in June's Misano races.
With the tests behind them, the Althea Racing team will now turn its attention to the upcoming round of the World Superbike Championship, taking place at Imola from the 23rd to 25th September.
Carlos Checa
"We're
very happy with the results of these tests. Pirelli brought some new,
high performance solutions for us to try and we were able to lap
consistently fast. It was hot, with conditions similar to those of the
June races, with a track temperature of around 44 degrees. Even though
the asphalt was hot, the tyres behaved well and we were able to maintain
fast times for numerous laps. We spent maybe 80% of our time working
with the tyres and the rest trying some different things with regard to
set up, all very positive. We even closed a little early because we
worked so well yesterday and today that we finished all we had planned
ahead of time!"
