WorldSBK pre-season test went over, looking at Phillip Island

Less than a month prior the start of the 2019 MOTUL FIM WorldSBK season - on February 23rd at Phillip Island, Australia - the "Iberian campaign" of the Superbike winter pre season tests ended. After Jerez, the Barni Racing Team completed another intense two-day test to develop the new Ducti Panigale V4 R. Around Autodromo do Algarve in Portimao, Michael Rinaldi completed 88 laps overall and by his best time in 1'43.834 he was twelfth in the timesheet. Although the sun shine in both days, low temperatures and lots of wind affected the rollercoaster race and some scheduled work had to be changed by the teams.

Day 1
Rinaldi was the first to get out on track in the morning and at the end of the day, completing 60 laps, the best time of the rider from Rimini was 1'44.663 - thirteenth overall - not far from the others Ducati Panigale V4 R by Davies and Laverty.

Day 2
In the second day too Rinaldi was the most "early riser" being out on track for first, but then he was forced to stay long time inside the box between late morning and early afternoon. In the end Rinaldi managed to break the 1'44'' wall and posted his best lap in 1'43.834, finishing twelfth in the timesheet.

Marco Barnabò, Team Principal
«With a new engine and an all-new brand bike, suspensions that we do not know, some difficulties were expected: therefore we still have to find the way to develop this Ducati Panigale V4 R which has great potential. On the other hand, there is only one way to grow: takes patience and great effort from everyone».

Michael Ruben Rinaldi, #21
«It was a difficult test because we had a lot of problems and the feeling with the bike has not improved that much. Unfortunately there are many things to change, we are trying to do it, but the gap that we suffered from the formers riders is definitely too high. Today, we were very unlucky because we had to stay in the box for more than half a day. With no doubt we started uphill, but I hope that in Australia we can overturn this situation and be faster».