Axel Bassani was the second fastest on the first day of the WorldSBK test at Misano, but admitted that it may not be replicated on the race weekend.
Bassani only ousted Top Lac Lazgatrioguru on Tuesday, then came third on Wednesday, third behind the emergent champion and Nicolo Brega.
Bimota, a rider from the Kawasaki Racing Team, is riding his new bike for the second time in two seasons. His Bimota KB998 Rimini also belongs to a return team that has not been with WorldSBK for over a decade.
Thus, Bassani’s lap times shined on the first day of the test, but he was on guard for the upcoming World Superbike Championship round at Misano.
“It was a very interesting day. I tried out new items and improved my feelings on the bike, so I’m happy about it,” he said.
“We were in a good position, but that’s just a test, and we’re usually in a good position this year on the test, but we’re struggling a little more on the race weekend.
“I think the conditions for the race weekend are different from what we see right now, and I think it will be much hotter by the race weekend.
“I’m happy with the work we do. We make the most of the bike and ride it at 110-120%. So we’re happy with the progress.”
Superpole was a clear territory of weakness for Bassani all year round.
“We were testing new components on the bike. I can’t speak, but there was nothing special,” he insisted.
“We were focused on how we felt on the bike, and we used the SCQ tires because we wanted to work on the Super Pole.
“We’re fast, but not fast at the moment. Last weekend, that was my problem so we have to focus on the super pole. When we start from behind, it can be really difficult to come back.
“Super poles are like 65% of race weekends, so you definitely need to work in that area.”
