Pirelli back with WorldSBK in Phillip Island

The season opener of the WorldSBK Championship 2018 began in Australia today, and Pirelli is back for a 15th year as official tyre supplier for all classes. For the race weekend, riders will have a total of seven tyre options open to them (in addition to the super soft qualifier tyre that can only be used in the second session of Superpole), four front and three rear tyres, and in addition to the tyres evaluated on testing days, riders can select an additional front and rear option.

The first round of the season involves only WorldSBK and WorldSSP riders and, as usual, was preceded by official pre-season test days. Pirelli comments that these days are extremely important as they allow teams and riders to refine the set up of their machines before the start of the Championship.

WorldSBK class riders spent a total of eight hours on track, four hours a day divided into two-hour sessions, while WorldSSP had two sessions a day, each one of an hour and fifty minutes for a total of seven hours and twenty minutes on track. During the tests, the riders of both classes were able to try both standard and development solutions, including the last season’s race references, which offered the starting point for comparison with new solutions developed by Pirelli for this year’s races. Temperatures remained constant on both Monday and Tuesday, never exceeding 27 °C degrees for the air and 38 °C degrees for the asphalt, however testing was affected, particularly on Monday, by winds that touched 45 kms/h and contributed to the crashes of some riders.

At the end of testing, the fastest riders in the WorldSBK class was Jonathan Rea on his Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK ZX-10RR stopping the clock at 1’30.598, in the WorldSSP the fastest was Randy Krummenacher (BARDAHL Evan Bros. WorldSSP Team) recording a time of 1’33.499 with his Yamaha YZF-R6.

Overall test standings:

WorldSBK (combined Monday + Tuesday):

1. J. Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) – 1’30.598
2. M. Melandri (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) – 1’30.726
3. T. Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) – 1’30.804
4. E. Laverty (Milwaukee Aprilia) – 1’31.074
5. X. Forés (Barni Racing Team) – 1’31.076
6. M. Van Der Mark (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team) – 1’31.131
7. A. Lowes (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK Team) – 1’31.370
8. L. Camier (Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team) – 1’31.537
9. L. Baz (GULF ALTHEA BMW Racing Team) – 1’31.542
10. L. Savadori (Milwaukee Aprilia) – 1’31.579
11. C. Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) – 1’31.614
12. T. Razgatlioglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) – 1’31.822
13. J. Torres (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) – 1’31.866
14. L. Mercado (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) – 1’32.069
15. J. Gagne (Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team) – 1’32.288
16. T. Herfoss (Penrite Honda) – 1’32.297 (wild card)
17. Y. Hernandez (Team Pedercini Racing) – 1’32.453
18. R. Ramos (Team GoEleven Kawasaki) – 1’32.520
19. W. Maxwell (Yamaha Racing Team) – 1’32.651 (one event)
20. P. Jacobsen (TripleM Honda World Superbike Team) – 1’32.663
21. D. Falzon (Yamaha Racing Team) – 1’32.828 (wild card)
22. O. Jezek (Guandalini Racing) – 1’33.143

WorldSSP (combined Monday + Tuesday):
1. R. Krummenacher (BARDAHL Evan Bros. WorldSSP Team) – 1’33.499
2. L. Mahias (GRT Yamaha Official WorldSSP team) – 1’33.547
3. F. Caricasulo (GRT Yamaha Official WorldSSP team) – 1’33.643
4. S. Cortese (Kallio Racing) – 1’33.871
5. A. West (EAB antwest Racing) – 1’34.038
6. L. Stapleford (Profile Racing) – 1’34.074
7. R. De Rosa (MV Agusta Reparto Corse by Vamag) – 1’34.081
8. K. Sofuoglu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) – 1’34.161
9. J. Cluzel (NRT) – 1’34.227
10. H. Okubo (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) – 1’34.507
11. N. Tuuli (CIA Landlord Insurance Honda) – 1’34.555
12. M. Di Meglio (GMT94 Yamaha) – 1’34.864
13. K. Smith (GEMAR Team Lorini) – 1’34.954
14. A. Badovini (MV Agusta Reparto Corse by Vamag) – 1’35.031
15. S. Hill (Profile Racing) – 1’35.056
16. L. Cresson (Kallio Racing) – 1’35.140
17. T. Toparis (Cube Racing) – 1’35.490
18. M. Canducci (Team GoEleven Kawasaki) – 1’35.655
19. T. Gradinger (NRT) – 1’35.670
20. J. Van Sikkelerus (GEMAR Team Lorini) – 1’35.672
21. N. Calero (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) – 1’35.698
22. H. Soomer (Racedays) – 1’36.191
23. L. Epis (Team GoEleven Kawasaki) – 1’36.511
24. A. Wagner (CIA Landlord Insurance Honda) – 1’37.025

WorldSBK class race solutions

At the front, in addition to the standard SC1 (soft) and SC2 (medium), the development SC1 V0952 already used by riders in 2017 at Aragón, Assen, Imola, Donington, Misano, Laguna Seca, Lausitzring, Portimão, Magny-Cours, Jerez and Losail is available. This solution uses the same compound as the standard SC1 but has different structural components. In addition to these three solutions that have been made available to riders during testing there will be a fourth option, the development SC1 W0746 which is in an even softer compound than the standard SC1 and that should ensure a high level of grip for the front.

As for the rear options, during testing the riders were able to use the development SC1 V0965, already a reference in 2017 when it was used by all the riders in the races, and the W1049, a new development solution, in medium hardness compound, but in an increased 200/65 size. This solution uses the same compound of the V0965 but a larger diameter and structural solutions designed to maintain lower operating temperatures. The third option, not available for testing, is represented by the development SC1 W1046, which uses the same compound as the option V0965 but a different carcass in an attempt to limit the operating temperature.

WorldSSP class solutions

Riders in the WorldSSP class can also count on a total of seven solutions, four front and three rear, but in this case the tyres are treaded rather than slicks. At the front, in addition to the standard SC1 and SC2, there is the development SC1 W0378, which uses the same compound of the standard SC1 but with a different process of distribution of the compound on the carcass and, as the fourth option not present for testing, the development SC1 V1267, which uses the compound of the SC1 of the slick product but with a different construction process.

For the rear, as alternatives to the development SC1 U1149, which is the race reference for 2017 and has a compound able to provide greater stability in the presence of particularly high temperatures, the development SC1s W0743 and W1048 are available – the latter wasn’t present during testing. All three rear solutions are in the larger 190/60 size compared to the standard 180/60.

As for the rear options, during testing the riders were able to use the development SC1 V0965, already a reference in 2017 when it was used by all the riders in the races, and the W1049, a new development solution, in medium hardness compound, but in an increased 200/65 size. This solution uses the same compound of the V0965 but a larger diameter and structural solutions designed to maintain lower operating temperatures. The third option, not available for testing, is represented by the development SC1 W1046, which uses the same compound as the option V0965 but a different carcass in an attempt to limit the operating temperature.