World Superbikes rider, Jonathan Rea, has prepared for this weekend's race in Italy with a testing session in Misano and a ride in a rally car with Mikko Hirvonen.
Rea, who returned from a wrist injury at the previous race at the Nurburgring with a fourth place in Race Two, returned to the scene of his injury for a two-day test with team mate Ruben Xaus that was classed as a success.
The Northern Irishman sustained the wrist problem when he crashed at the Italian circuit in June, but with three rounds remaining in the 2011 World Superbikes season, his Castrol Honda team were keen to make some adjustments to the CBR1000RR.
The Misano circuit is located around one hour away from Imola, where the 11th round of the season takes place on Sunday and Rea said of the session:
"It’s been a real proper test, this, and we had a lot of stuff to work through. On top of that, Pirelli also brought some new rubber to try so, in the end, we actually ran out of time.
'I was going through the corner where I crashed faster than I did during the race weekend in June'
"We probably needed the rest of this week to get through everything, but we can definitely see the potential of the fly-by-wire system that I tested for the first time today.
"Also, I’m able to ride a lot more in my comfort zone with this new package and it helped with engine braking, too. Going back to Misano was no problem for me and, in fact, I was going through the corner where I crashed faster than I did during the race weekend in June.
"Pirelli brought a lot of soft rubber and we could have used a qualifier to try for a time, but we had to keep our heads down and keep focused on the work we had to get through. The lap time is probably about where we are at the moment, but we know that the next step forward will push us back to the front."
The 24-year-old rider switched codes after the test to take the opportunity of joining three-times World Rally Championship driver, Mikko Hirvonen in the Finn's rally car.
Rea tweeted: "Amazing day at Castrol M-Sport event and managed to drive a rally car. Highlight was the passenger drive with Mikko Hirvonen in the forest"
And in injury news, Jonathan is confident that his wrist has recovered sufficiently for the demands of racing.
"Quick check up with my wrist surgeon this morning. He is really happy with the way things have gone. Back to work this weekend! #letsgo", Rea tweeted today.
Want more?
Comments
Add a comment