PATA YAMAHA ENJOY SUCCESSFUL 2018 DEVELOPMENT TEST
The Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team has concluded a productive three-day test at the Circuito de Jerez, as Michael van der Mark and Alex Lowes were joined by Test Rider Niccolò Canepa to begin the preparations for the 2018 FIM Superbike World Championship season. The riders tested a number of new parts, working within the revised technical regulations that will affect WorldSBK next year. Between them, they completed 626 laps in three days of perfect weather and collected a huge amount of valuable data for Yamaha’s engineers to analyse during the winter break.
After a year of constant improvement, there was no time for complacency for the Pata Yamaha team as they were back in action at a sun-drenched Jerez less than 3 weeks after the last round of the 2017 season in Qatar. There were a significant number of new updates for the team to assess, with all three riders working hard over the three days to make sure that they head into 2018 in the best possible way.
Michael van der Mark was one of the busiest riders over the course of the three days, as he looks to build on his two Yamaha podiums from 2017 in preparation for his second season with the team. The 25-year-old Dutch rider showed good form over the three days, completing 248 laps and setting a best time of 1:39.577.
With the final track action of 2017 now completed, the Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team head into the winter break full of confidence, ready to tackle the 2018 season head on and looking forward to returning to testing action again in Jerez, on the 23rd-24th of January before the opening round of the year at Phillip Island on the 23rd-25th of February.
Michael van der Mark – 248 laps – 1:39.577: “It has been a positive three days of testing here in Jerez. We had a lot of new things to try out and it is always good to test at the end of the year because it gives the team so much data to take away and analyse over the winter break. I am really happy with the test and, as always, it helped to have Niccolò here to evaluate some parts before we tried them. We have been working really hard to improve and it has been a great three days, the weather has been perfect, things have been going really well and I’ve really enjoyed it. Now everyone can get some rest after what has been a good debut season for me with the Pata Yamaha team.”