First WorldSBK win “not impossible” for Axel Bassani after “difficult” 2024 season
Axel Bassani will enter his second year as a factory WorldSBK rider still in search of his first win in the class.
Axel Bassani enters the 2025 WorldSBK season searching for his first victory in the class.
It comes off the back of what Bassani himself described as a “difficult year” in 2024, which saw him score a best result of fifth in his first year with the factory Kawasaki Racing Team.
“It’s been quite a difficult year, because for me it’s been the first year with the Kawasaki, so to change the bike is never easy, change also the team,” Bassani told WorldSBK.com at the EICMA motorcycle how earlier this month.
“So, it’s been difficult, but I think I learned a lot of things, I had a lot of funny moments with the team, and we see next year, a new challenge, and we see what happens.”
Bassani’s justification for leaving behind the Motocorsa Ducati and joining the factory Kawasaki team for 2024 was to take a step up and win races in WorldSBK.
That hasn’t yet happened, but after topping the second day of the Jerez test last month Bassani isn’t ruling out a maiden win in 2025.
“For sure, I always try to win, like every rider,” he said.
“But it’s difficult because the level of the Superbike every year is higher. So, it will be difficult, but not impossible.
“We are there to do our best, for sure with Bimota we can do a good job. I hope to take my first win next year, but if it doesn’t happen it’s part of the game, I will try to do my best.”
Bimota’s first impression “really nice”
Bassani will make the half-switch from Kawasaki to Bimota machinery in 2025. The new KB998 uses the same engine as the ZX-10RR, and although it’s renamed the Bimota by Kawasaki Racing Team is essentially unchanged for next season.
There is a new chassis, though, as well as a new fairing, for team and rider to understand this winter.
“The engine is completely the same [as the Kawasaki], so the difference is the chassis,” Bassani explained.
“The feeling that you have on the bike is quite different. But for the first day it has been nice, the feeling that I had with the bike was really nice, I enjoyed a lot the one day of test; and also my lap time was better by half-a-second than with the Kawasaki, so this means the feeling is good.
“I hope to continue in this way; it’s only the first day but I think if we start in a good way it’s better.”
Alex joined the Crash.net team in August of 2024 having covered consumer and racing motorcycle news at Visordown for two years.
