The Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team (BbKRT) has successfully completed its initial on-track testing session, marking a significant milestone for the newest force in WorldSBK racing. The two-day test at Jerez, the same venue as the final round of the 2024 season, served as a crucial stepping stone for the BbKRT venture and its 2025 season rivals.
Alex Lowes and Axel Bassani rode only on the second available day of the test, October 23, while test rider Florian Marino was the first to introduce the new machine’s track package and overall image on October 22. Despite the project being in its early stages, Bassani set the fastest lap time of the second day with a 1’38.478, followed closely by Lowes at 1’38.679. Only one rider, on day one of the tests, recorded a faster lap time than Axel or Alex throughout the entire test.
While the machine itself features numerous new components, the team comprises the majority of the staff who worked with the official Kawasaki Racing Team over the years. The next test for the Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team (BbKRT) project will take place at the Motorland Aragon Circuit in northern Spain, from October 29-30.
Alex Lowes expressed his satisfaction with the initial test, stating, “We started to try a few things on the bike to see how the changes affected it and the feeling from the bike. These are all the things that will be different when we start the races. We have to start the learning process all over again. We started quite well so we decided to try quite a lot of things, which took some time and some energy, but it was pretty positive.”
Axel Bassani echoed Lowes’ sentiments, saying, “We took part in our first day of testing with the new bike at Jerez and we had to discover everything at the beginning. I think the team did a very good job and the bike was nice. I felt good on it, so I am happy.”
Pere Riba, Crew Chief for Alex Lowes, emphasized the positive aspects of the test, stating, “We finished our test with the Bimota bike and it feels positive. On the first day we made all the checks with Florian the test rider, to prepare for the second day of testing with the riders. In terms of lap time I feel very positive already because we have been reaching the same level as we did before. To be already on this level is very positive.”
Marcel Duinker, Crew Chief for Axel Bassani, also expressed optimism about the bike’s performance, noting, “We got a good impression of the bike from the first lap and we made some minor adjustments. We played a bit with the position of the rider and we also got familiar with some adjustments and general balance of the bike. With very minor adjustment we able to give Axel a good feeling.”
