WorldSBK returned to the track for two days of official testing on the Montmelò circuit, preceding the race week. Forty-eight hours, full of tests, but satisfying, in which Team Go Eleven found various positive solutions to better adapt the Ducati Panigale V4-R to rider number 29.

The Barcelona track presents totally different conditions compared to Phillip Island; zero grip, lots of sliding and a set-up that needs to be slightly readjusted. It took some time to find the right feeling in the first few outings. On Day 1 Andrea focused more on the SCX tyre, without looking for the maximum performance, but rather analyzing rear drop; In the race, excellent management will be essential to get a significant result.

The second day was more interesting; the changes made in the evening allowed for a better performance right from the first laps. The rider from Vasto immediately dropped to the high 41, then worked with the new Pirelli rear solution, the 900, finding good results especially over long distances. In the last hour the work shifted to exploiting the qualifying tyre, one of the weak points found in previous tests. There were two attempts, improving step by step, thanks to the analysis of the data compared to the previous lap; at the last SCQ Andrea managed to get the most out of the extra grip, dropping below 41, placing himself in fourth place overall. At the end of the two days, the work of the whole team was very positive, finding excellent feedback mainly on the race pace and in the comparison between the two solutions that will be used over the weekend.

In less than 7 days… It’s Race Week!

Catalunya Test combined results: 
P 1   N. Bulega    1.40.172
P 2   T. Razgatlioglu   + 0.027
P 3   D. Petrucci  + 0.429
P 4   A. Iannone   + 0.490

Andrea Iannone (Rider): 

“It was a good day of testing, I’m satisfied with the teamwork and I think that little by little my feeling with the bike and the tyres is improving, making me more and more competitive. In the first few days I struggle slightly more, due to the long stop, but then I am back to interesting levels quite quickly, surprising myself with our results. I’m happy with how we worked with the team and the support from Ducati. I thank Gigi Dall’Igna, Claudio Domenicali, Paolo Ciabatti, Mauro Grassilli and the whole Go Eleven team for support. This week we hope to recover well and to find similar conditions during the race weekend.”

Denis Sacchetti (Team Manager): 
“We did a very productive test, we managed to carry out targeted tests which provided us with the information we needed to find a good base for the race weekend, which will be next week. Barcelona is a very different track compared to Phillip Island, here the grip is always poor while in Australia it was very high, so obviously it imposes different characteristics. We continue to work with our heads down, the level is high and we are enjoying the time with Andrea!”