Xavi Vierge was one of the stars of the second day of WSBK testing in Jerez, setting the third fastest time on a day marked by wet conditions. The driver was behind only Jonathan Rea, and admitted to having very positive feelings. There is however one area where he believes the bike can improve, highlighting the progress made over the two days.
The 27-year-old Spaniard is entering his fourth season in the category, always with Honda, and was very happy to be back on the track and working with new team members: ‘We’re back on track at last and I’m very happy with how this test has gone, it’s been very positive. Conditions stayed dry on Wednesday, albeit a little windy, and my feeling with the bike was pretty good right from the start. I’m working with a new crew chief, and my initial impression is very good; he’s very experienced and I think we can work well together’.
Vierge took the opportunity to work on the bike’s new settings, and made some adjustments despite the constraints: ‘As for what we’ve been doing here, we worked to try and find a new suspension set-up and also focused on the electronics side of things. Sadly, rain cut into our track time on Thursday, but that allowed us to make some initial laps in the wet with the Öhlins suspension and understand more as a result. We still have work to do, but this should help us to find more in terms of traction, which has been something of a weak point for us’.
And he also highlighted other aspects that deserve extra attention: ‘Then, in addition, we worked on different aspects to improve my overall feeling. I think we made some good progress this week and now have a lot of data to analyse. Next up is Portimão, where I hope we can enjoy some drier weather as we continue to prepare for the start of the season’.