Shortly after being shock introduced as Michael Ruben Rinaldi’s alternative on the MotoxRacing Yamaha group for the 2026 WorldSBK season, Mattia Rato was given his first style of a WorldSBK machine.
Do not underestimate the steps Lato, 20, will absorb 2026. He has stepped as much as the World Superbike class from the CIV Italian Supersport Championship, together with his greatest end of sixth coming two years in the past when Bradley Rea completed sixth at Imola.
Conscious of the scenario he was going through, Lato was capable of start adapting to WorldSBK and the 1,000cc machine throughout post-race testing in Jerez on October 21-22, ending the primary day with a time of 1 minute 41.243 seconds, greater than three seconds off Nicolo Brega’s greatest time and practically 5 seconds off the superpole lap file that Brega set the earlier weekend to take pole place for the 2025 last race.
“It was unbelievable,” Lato advised WorldSBK.com after his solely take a look at day at Jerez, with Yamaha opting to not take part within the second day of post-race testing.
“Energy and electronics had been all new to me.
“However what’s harder and unusual is the braking.
“This bike brakes, so it slows down immediately, and it is too gradual. We have to enhance on that.”
Though Lato was not happy together with his efficiency on the primary day, he completed the primary day believing that he may enhance over time and develop into extra aggressive.
“I at all times wish to do a greater lap,” he stated after Tuesday at Jerez. “However we all know it is troublesome right here too, as a result of they race (on the weekend earlier than the take a look at) they usually have one other stage as effectively.
“I believe we are able to do higher than in the present day, step-by-step.”
“I might like to begin now, however it’s too late now. So I’ll look ahead to the take a look at and take a look at it alone on the bike, as a result of in the meanwhile this 1,000cc is an excessive amount of.”
