Jake Dixon now has two further test days ticked off, though you’d struggle to call it ideal preparation, with Jerez doing its best impression of a monsoon. Wet weather testing isn’t glamorous. But for a rider stepping in World Superbikes as the Rookie, every lap counts, even the damp ones.
Speaking after the two-day test, Dixon was realistic about the conditions but clear on the positives.
“We have just completed the two-day test here and conditions were far from ideal. The first day was almost a complete washout, with very limited track time, although it was still useful for me to make some laps in the wet and start building confidence with the bike. Even from one run to the next I felt more comfortable, which was positive. Today we only had a couple of hours in mixed conditions before the rain returned, which was frustrating, especially as a rookie in Superbike where track time is extremely important.
We clearly need more laps, but despite the conditions I already feel more comfortable than I did in November, and the work done on the geometry and setup has been a good step forward. There are still a few areas to improve, including my riding position, electronics, and overall feeling with the bike, but that is all part of the process.
Having Jonathan and Tetsuta alongside us is a huge asset; their experience and feedback bring a lot of motivation and energy to the whole team. Looking ahead to the next test, the goal is simply to keep working on everything, step by step, and hopefully make better use of the available days if the weather allows.”
And when you’ve got experienced heads like Jonathan Rea and Tetsuta Nagashima feeding into the process, that learning curve will no doubt shorten.
