2013 Ducati 1199 Panigale R World Superbike Testing
The first two of 15 rounds in the 2013 World Superbike Championship didn’t start off too well for the Ducati Alstare team.
The Alstare team of Carlos Checa and Ayrton Badovini were held up on showing the potential of the Ducati 1199 RS 13 due to the normal circumstances that arrive with motorcycle racing.
During round one at Phillip Island, the 2010 World SBK Champion Checa crashed during race one, the Spaniard suffering a concussion, which ruled him out of race two. As for Badovini, he couldn’t participate due to recovering from a foot fracture sustained during preseason World SBK testing.
Then last week at Aragon, the Ducati duo couldn’t match the performance of the Aprilia RSV4, BMW S1000RR, Kawasaki ZX-10R Ninja, Honda CBR1000RR and Suzuki GSX-R1000 superbikes. Checa would finish 7-8, and Badovini 10-10.
Looking to improve on the 1199 Panigale RS13’s performance, Checa and Badovini participated in a two-day test that wrapped up at Jerez in Spain Wednesday.
The riders worked with Ducati Alstare technicians, and under optimal temperatures and weather, the riders were able to focus on bike setup. Ducati Alstare says Checa and Badovini primarily focused on identifying settings and improving traction for the upcoming World Superbike races.
Carlos Checa (Ducati Alstare 1199 Panigale R Superbike) says: “These were two very important days that we used to better understand the bike’s reactions. The weather helped us this time around too. We worked on different solutions for both the front and rear setting and in the end I’m happy with what we were able to get done. We’ve found a set-up that I like and this is important in order to have a good base from which to start at Assen.”
Ayrton Badovini (Ducati Alstare 1199 R Superbike) says: “This test was key and allowed us to work on the bike and improve sensation. We’ve worked particularly on traction, to sharpen the bike on used tires and maintain constant grip, which was my main problem at Aragon. We’ve tried different solutions and collected information that will be useful at Assen. I’m pleased with the work we’ve completed and look forward to next week’s races.”
The Ducati Alstare riders will be back on the track April 26-28 for Assen World Superbike, round three of 15.