GERLOFF’S FIRST WORDS IN GREEN: "I know it’s going to be good…"
Our first look at Gerloff in his new colours wasn’t the only positive of his two-day test at Jerez
2024’s racing season may be officially done but there were still a couple of tests to participate in; closing out testing for the year was Jerez and we got our first glance at American rider Garrett Gerloff (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) in green. He tested at Jerez in the post-season test but was in the usual black livery. However, the #31 was slapped onto last year’s official Kawasaki livery.
Setting a time of 1’38.839, it was just a tenth off what he was able to manage in the round weekend – on a bike that he spent two years on prior – and faster than what Axel Bassani had managed too. He set 72 laps on the first day and 78 laps on the second, making for a total of 150 across the two days. With four days of testing banked, the Texan is building up a good knowledge base aboard the ZX-10RR, with positivity in abundance although Q tyre pace still needs work.
GERLOFF GOES GREEN: “I’m trying to work on my Superpole pace”
“The test was good and I think it was positive,” began Gerloff, speaking for the first time since switching to Kawasaki. “I think we made one step compared to the last time we were here, so that feels good. We are still looking for more but I am pretty happy with how it went here. I used Q tyres because I am trying to work on my Superpole pace - but that is what I am still a little frustrated about.
“I feel like I get to a wall and I cannot go any faster. But it has been like that on each bike I have ridden in WorldSBK, so it is not this bike. It is really nice to be running in the official colours at this test and to have everything like we can see it now. It is a really big programme and a very big effort from these guys. I know it is going to be good so we just need to keep focusing on ourselves.”
PUCCETTI ASSESSES: “It was a very positive test, especially considering that Garrett was only in his second outing”
Adding his thoughts, team boss Manuel Puccetti spoke of the 29-year-old’s fast adaptation: “It was a very positive test, especially considering that Garrett was only on his second outing with Kawasaki. He was always very fast and helped us gain a complete vision of the potential of our bike and what are the areas we need to focus on in the next tests. We used the 2025 livery for the first time, which I really liked. It is the one that Kawasaki customers will find on the production bike, to which we have obviously added our sponsors.”
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