Garrett Gerloff aiming for Portimao improvements after Jerez WorldSBK test crash

Poor weather on the second day of the Jerez WorldSBK test left numerous riders stuck in the pits as they tried to preserve test days for later in the year. 

Garrett Gerloff was not one of those waiting around, but his time on track was further restricted by a crash.

It was a final corner high-side that Gerloff suffered on Thursday in Jerez, the American calling it a day after that – and after an opening day of the test that left a positive impression on the Kawasaki rider – and focussing instead on the upcoming test in Portimao.

“Day one was really positive, even though we didn’t have most amazing riding conditions because of how much wind there was,” Gerloff said.

“We did complete some good testing and we were able to set some strong lap times. I think it is positive to leave Jerez with that.

“The weather on day two wasn’t great, but we did a few laps in the rain. I didn’t have a lot of time to ride as I had a pretty big highside crash in the last corner, taking a big impact on my right hip.

“So, we decided it was better to wait until Portimao and do more testing there. I’m looking forward to it.”

Manuel Puccetti, Team Principal, added: “It was an extremely positive test. On the first day Gerloff set the fourth fastest time overall and always maintained a very high pace.

“Unfortunately, the rain changed our plans and the team and rider worked on the wet setup, collecting useful data anyway.

“We started our test program in a positive way to approach the first round at Phillip Island. We will continue testing in a few days at Portimao.”