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What a great start! Axel Bassani wrapped up the first day of testing with the Bimota by setting the best time on the Jerez track. Thanks to the SCQ tyre, the Veneto rider achieved a time of 1'38"478, coming within three tenths of the performance recorded yesterday by Nicolò Bulega.
The start is therefore encouraging even if Axel prefers to avoid any easy enthusiasm.
"I am happy for this first day of testing, but we must keep our feet on the ground - he began - compared to the Kawasaki the difference is great because the chassis is completely different as well as the sensations. Also, with the wings, the feeling is different. On this first day, we started from scratch, aware that it is a lot of work to do, as each exit was an adventure for all of us."
How much does this bike change from the Kawasaki?
"Under braking the bike moves differently while coming out of corners the BK998 doesn't wheelie, just like a normal bike does in the case of Honda, Ducati or BMW. With the Kawasaki, on the other hand, we felt this aspect. That said, the bike is easier, you make better use of acceleration, and the engine has better delivery with this new chassis. Of course there are some points where we suffer, but we are only at the beginning of our journey."
The balance however is positive?
"I like the Bimota and I feel good about it. I don't want to say it's better than the Kawasaki, but I like the feelings I've found. This in the end is a new project, which uses Kawasaki's experience anyway."
Going back to the chassis, how much does it change from the previous bike?
"I can't tell you if it is stiffer or not, it is simply different. Certainly the goal is to improve, and we hope to be able to make progress."
What kind of work did you do today?
"I tried to push, but not too much, because our priority was to see how the bike behaved as a result of the changes we made. Personally, I am happy because I improved by half a second on my race weekend time. This means that the base is good, but we have to remain calm."
How did you feel when you saw your name at the top of the leaderboard?
"Should I say what I think? I can't say (jokes)."
