The new WorldSPB grid gathered at Portimao for the Official Test ahead of the championship’s first-ever race weekend, taking place from 27–29 March.
It marked the first time the full grid shared the track, offering an early indication of performance levels across seven 30-minute sessions.
Xavi Artigas (MTM Kawasaki) set the pace with a best time of 1:48.894s, recorded in the final session of the day. Ferre Fleerackers (Track & Trades Wixx Racing) secured second position, just 0.067s behind Artigas, with the pair the only riders to lap under the 1’49 bracket. Loris Veneman (MTM Kawasaki) completed the top three overall.
New manufacturers joining the championship made a strong impression during the opening day of testing. Fleerackers placed Suzuki second overall, while Honda was represented by Diego Poncet (RAC41 Honda) for both the Official Test and the Portuguese Round. The French rider was consistently among the quickest throughout the day, finishing fourth. Matteo Vannucci (Revo-M2) set the benchmark for Aprilia in sixth position, and Harrison Dessoy (PHR Performance Triumph) finished 14th as Triumph also began its WorldSPB campaign.
P1 – Xavi Artigas (MTM Kawasaki):
“Today’s test was really positive. We tried a lot of things with the team and the feeling is there, even if everything is still quite new. I’m lucky because last year I rode a similar bike in terms of chassis, but in Supersport, so this is a different challenge. From the first moment, though, the feeling was great.
We worked a lot during the winter and completed many tests to arrive fully prepared for the first race. Before coming to Portimao there were still some question marks, but now it’s clear that all the brands are very close. Everyone has their strong points, which makes it even more interesting.
I’m happy with the work we’ve done in pre-season. I feel comfortable and confident. I want to thank the whole MTM team because they worked really hard. Now we’ll see how the first race weekend of the season unfolds.”
For more info checkout our dedicated WorldSPB (World Sportsbike) News page superbike-news.co.uk/category/world-sportbike/
Or visit the official World Superbike website worldsbk.com
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©Words/Images are from official press release posted courtesy of WorldSBK.com
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