Second preseason test, more rain in Portimao, few laps for Lorenzo Baldassarri and his Ducati.

The second preseason testing window for the teams and riders of the FIM Superbike World Championship, scheduled in Portimão from 28 to 29 January, has come to a close. As in Jerez, Lorenzo Baldassarri had to contend with rain at the Portuguese circuit, which affected the two days, preventing the rider from completing even a single stint on a perfectly dry track. For the team, it was another opportunity to prepare and test the various setups, which is always useful, but without being able to express their full potential. This is a crucial moment ahead of the first round in Australia, where the last official Superbike test will be held just before the race.

With a reference that moves away from dry track performance and the ongoing championship, Lorenzo still rode fast, proving to be among the fastest in these conditions. In just over a fortnight, we will be flying to Phillip Island, and it could be the right time to test the GoEleven Ducati Panigale V4R in the configuration that suits it best and start thinking about its real performance.

The rider himself is the most curious of all, as he can’t wait to test the bike at maximum revs:

«Unfortunately, the tests were ruined by this unstable weather in Portimão too. The track was very slippery, lashed by strong winds. Cars had been driving on the track before us, and with the rain over the last few days, the asphalt had become very slippery. In the end, we managed to gather some information and do a few kilometres in adverse conditions, which was still useful for getting some more references in wet conditions. All in all, I’m happy because I feel comfortable on this bike and I can’t wait to do the first tests in Australia to try to push, find the limit, start getting serious and tailor the bike to me before the race weekend.»

Lorenzo Baldassarri

Just a few more days of waiting, a bit of training, and it will be time to pack our bags and head to the other hemisphere. In the meantime, we invite you to follow us on social media channels 7balda (Instagram), Lorenzo Baldassarri (Facebook) and lorenzobaldassarri.com, on the official website worldsbk.com, and to watch the races live and on demand on worldsbk.com, Sky Sport, NOWtv and TV8 on channel 8 of the DTT.