AIRWAVES DUCATI FEELING CONFIDENT AFTER THEIR FINAL TEST
IN ALBACETE
The Airwaves Ducati team are in confident mood after their
final test in Albacete, Spain. The team will now return home
to focus on Round One at Brands Hatch in a week’s time.
Leon Haslam completed 132 laps of the circuit, recording
a fastest time of 1m30.44 whilst Gregorio Lavilla rode 127
laps clocking a fastest time of 1m30.45. Both riders utilised
the team’s last test before the start of the 2006 Bennetts
British Superbike Season to complete two simulated race runs
in which they both averaged 1m31.0 laps.
Only one one-hundredths of a second between their fastest
lap times and similar lap time averages during race simulation
goes to prove how close the two Airwaves Ducati riders will
push each other over the coming season.
Both riders were happy with how the final test had gone and
eager for the season the start.
Lavilla said “The test has gone very well here in Albacete,
the team and the bike are working well and it has all gone
as planned. I am very happy with everything as I have been
consistently fast, which has been pleasing, and now I am hoping
it all goes well at Brands Hatch.”
Haslam added “It’s been fantastic, another good
test. I was the quickest by the end of the day and both Gregorio
and I were the quickest on the track. I had two good race
simulations with good average lap times and some fast laps.
On the whole I am really happy with the bike and how testing
has gone here, I am now just looking forward to getting started
with the races.”
Having been given full factory support for 2006, the Airwaves
Ducati team have had to learn the operations of the new Ducati
999F06 during the course of the four tests. Team Manager Colin
Wright is pleased with how the team has dealt with the changes,
“Testing started off with a big learning curve with
a new bike, new electronics and a lot of major changes from
last year. However now that the final test is over I feel
that we are all working well as a team, we are all very excited
about the start of the season ahead and also very optimistic!”
The testing in Albacete may have been the last chance for
the 2005 champion Gregorio Lavilla and one of the strong contenders
for the 2006 title, Leon Haslam, to ride their bikes prior
to the start of the season but it was also an exclusive opportunity
for Michael Neeves from MCN to test ride an Airwaves Ducati
999F06. A full and exclusive review of the bike test will
be in the next issue of MCN, out on Wednesday 22nd March.
Round One of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship
will commence on the 26th March at Brands Hatch.
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