Preparations are well underway for the class of the 2023 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship as new faces get familiar with their new bikes and teams for next season. One of those riders is reigning double World Supersport Champion Dominique Aegerter (GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team), one of the headlining rookies for the year ahead. He’s been on track at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto and whilst conditions didn’t allow for any dry running, that didn’t stop Aegerter from making his debut.

Getting to grips with the Yamaha YZF-R1, Aegerter gave his first thoughts as a WorldSBK rider and was positive after his first day of action: “We finished the first day of the test in wet conditions and did only half a day. I think we did around 47 laps, all of which were in the wet weather and also with a lot of wind. It wasn’t too cold, but it was in strange conditions. It’s difficult to get a first feeling on this kind of bike in weather like this, so let’s say it was slightly difficult to get the feeling and the setup. We changed the seat position and got used to the electronics and buttons.

“It was good to see the team for the first time and just work with them and see how they work and how I react to the changes, all of which was planned. The main plan for today was to check everything is working and to make small changes, give some feedback but for sure, we wanted some dry track time, but it doesn’t look so good for tomorrow. In the wet, I need some more corner speed and lean angle, but this will come with more laps and when I have more trust in the bike. We’ll also modify the electronic parts and settings.”

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