Pata Honda’s Jonathan Rea is still looking for initial pace on new tyres after three days of World Superbike testing at Jerez but is happy with his speed on worn Pirellis and using the new qualifiers.
The Castletown resident made steps forward with electronics at the Spanish circuit in terms of traction control but still needs to work on engine braking strategies which will put him closer to ‘outright domination’.
“We’re still a little bit away from outright domination and probably have some more work to do to get on the podium here, but overall I’m quite happy with the progress we’ve made. The traction control is now working pretty well, although there’s still a bit more work needed on engine braking. We’ve definitely made some steps forward though,” said Rea.
“We tested some new Pirelli qualifiers and I was quite fast, but we need more ultimate pace on race tyres. I’m OK when they’re old and a bit worn, but need a little more from the new tyre. We also tested a heap of different chassis settings on the first day.”