Official test session of WSS: Sam Lowes beated the time record of Phillip Island

SUPERSPORT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

PHILLIP ISLAND

Australia

18-19 February, Official test session

 

Russian team Yakhnich Motorsport made a name in a few days before the start of the season of World Superbike/Supersport in Australia. Sam Lowes has completed preparation for the championship by holding a new record on the circuit Phillip Island. He became the fastest rider in WSS category. Vladimir Leonov started to work with his combatant bike R6 finally.

 

It is expected to be one of the strongest WSS battle for the last decade. 35 permanent riders are on the list. From the first test session was nominated the group of leaders, where we could see both rookies of this class as well as old stagers including titled ones.

 

Yakhnich Motorsport  was leading the week before the first round of championship, where several more Russian teams participated. Current World Supersport champion and official rider of Kawasaki – Kenan Sofuoglu took the second place, surrendered to rookie of YMS - Sam Lowes, at the end of test session. In spite of bad weather conditions in Phillip Island, Sam Lowes had a number of racing simulations on the bike fully prepared by the Russian team. And he has shown best results during two days of the tests.

 

The temperature had fallen for 15 degrees in one night. Last day of test session was rainy, but the new asphalt got dry quickly allowing riders to fulfil the potential of their bikes. Sam Lowes beated the time record of circuit for three times. On Monday he reached 1 minute 33 seconds, on Tuesday morning - 1’33”507 and set by Juan Lascorz in 2010 (1'33''847). During the day Sam showed constant laps (between 1:33 and 1:34) and final passage was finished with 1’33”076. Pace of  Yakhnich Motorsport riders amazed everybody. Kenan Sofuoglu reached 1’33”384 (lag from Lowes 0.3 seconds). Fabien Foret completed the top three.

 

Russian team managed to get a lot of essential information in different weather conditions during the two passages working both on cold and overheated asphalt.

 

Vladimir Leonov spent most of today in garage rather than on the race arranging his bike which was assembled in a racing specification the day before. Detailed verification took almost a whole day. Almost every passage was quickly finished on a pit lane as mechanics help was needed. Latterly Leonov could get few fast laps, one of those for 1’34”140. It was the seventh result within the test session yet the bike setting is not finished. The bike is conditionally ready yet Leonov doesn’t feel absolutely comfortable. The team would return to it on Friday, the first day of the round.

Both riders noted that they didn’t set the goal to give-it-all on 100% so there is huge potential for improvement.

 

Sam Lowes: “Every time entering the track I was faster. I think we still don’t know the real limit of bike’s resources. We’ll unlock it during the race. We have a big potential to show certain fast laps so now we are looking for better settings to save tyres till the end.”

 

Vladimir Leonov: “I’ve spent the whole day struggling with my bike today. We are to to analyze the data and understand why bike becomes troublesome in a low temperature. We need to balance the settings to achieve the same sensation as with old specification. But despite everything, I speed up. It gives me hope in the race.”      

 

The first round of WSBK would be held on Phillip Island circuit this Sunday, 24 February.