Two intensive test days in the WSBK environment

At the end of January, the Yamaha-supported Team APRECO completed two test days with Dirk Geiger as part of the official WSBK test in Jerez de la Frontera. At the Circuito de Jerez Ángel Nieto, the main focus was on further developing the overall package, even though the conditions limited parts of the planned test programme.

The first test day was largely affected by rain, allowing Geiger only short runs to gain an initial feeling for the bike and the grip levels. On the second day, several dry phases finally provided the opportunity for meaningful comparison runs.

Step by step progress

Despite the limited track time, Dirk Geiger was able to take positive conclusions from the test. Together with the team, he worked through various setup options and gathered valuable impressions, particularly during the dry sessions.

“Unfortunately, we couldn’t test everything we had planned, but for the time we had, it went quite well,” said Geiger. “Especially on the second day, some things felt good, and I would say we definitely made steps forward.”

Valuable insights despite late incident

Although the scope of testing remained limited, Geiger made use of every opportunity to refine the setup and collect data. Towards the end of the test, a small incident occurred in the first corner when the front end let go. It marked Geiger’s first crash on the Yamaha R9 and remained without serious consequences.

“At the end of the test, there was a small incident where the front end lost grip. That’s part of the process, and we will take our learnings from it.” - Dirk Geiger

Looking ahead

Overall, Dirk Geiger takes a positive outcome from the test in Jerez. The collected data and experience provide a solid basis for further development. Geiger is looking forward to the upcoming tests and is motivated to continue working on the setup and overall feeling on the Yamaha R9.