For obvious reasons, there was much attention on 2006 MotoGP World Champion Nicky Hayden as the ‘Kentucky Kid’ made his WorldSBK testing debut at MotorLand Aragon this week.

However, the American was not the only rider hard at work in the Honda World Superbike Team garage, as Michael van der Mark prepared for his second season in the premier class of WorldSBK since stepping up as 2014 Supersport World Champion.

Following the poor weather conditions of Monday, ‘Magic Michael’ used Tuesday to evaluate a new software code, new brake pads and a small upgrade in terms of engine character.

Insisting there will be ‘no excuses for silly mistakes’ in his second WorldSBK season next year, he also continued working with a full fuel load in order to become more accustomed to his Honda Fireblade’s behaviour in the early stages of races.

“The test was okay,” van der Mark reported on Tuesday evening, having completed a total of 80 laps over the two-day gathering in north-western Spain. “It was just difficult because we had to wait a long time on the first day for the fog to clear and the temperatures to rise.

“Today I did 70 laps and tried a lot of different things, but it all went too quick. We found some good things and some bad things, but for me the aim was to give as much data as I could to the guys. I now look forward to Jerez; hopefully the weather will be better. The bike works very well there and lately we’ve scored some good results. It’s important to keep working hard and to get some valuable data before the winter break.”

Jerez – where testing continues next week – was the scene of van der Mark’s third and final podium finish of the 2015 season in the race when Jonathan Rea wrapped up the title.