A cool and windy check at Donington Park had been the primary time the BSB subject had ridden with this 12 months’s newer, barely softer rear tyre within the UK, however issues that emerged within the Midlands over tyre life had been eased considerably at a hotter check in Oulton Park.
The Cheshire circuit will host the opening spherical of the 2025 British Superbike Championship on 3–5 Might, and supplied a lot hotter situations than on the previous check at Donington Park when it hosted the ultimate preseason check on 23–24 April.
Following the check at Donington Park, Leon Haslam instructed Crash.internet of his personal issues over tyre life, saying “I believe everybody had a little bit of a difficulty right here with the brand new tyre,” whereas including that he anticipated the Oulton Park check to be “a special story”.
Talking to Crash.internet on the Oulton Park check, Danny Kent mentioned that he, too, thought that “the entire grid” has been struggling for tyre life at Donington, and added element that there’s a difficulty with the efficiency of the tyre after it has been warmth cycled – that means it’s been used on-track, put again in a tyre hotter after the rider has pitted, after which used once more.
“At Donington we had been struggling – not simply me, I believe it was the entire grid, actually – that, with a brand new tyre, the grip was good however while you got here in and put the tyre heaters on and [went] again out, the tyre would drop off massively,” Kent mentioned, including that he felt the hotter temperatures at Oulton Park had helped the issue on the closing preseason check.
“[It was] in all probability one thing to do with the monitor temperature and the chilly wind, however coming right here the tyre life appears significantly better than it did at Donington,” he mentioned.
“That was one factor that we knew could possibly be an issue for the approaching season, however it’s been higher right here.”
He added: “At Donington it was actually dangerous. We’ve come right here and it doesn’t appear to be as dangerous as what it was.
“We’re simply placing it down to trace temperature and wind. So, I suppose it’s going to rely on climate on the day.”
DAO Racing Honda rider Josh Brookes confirmed Kent’s feedback, and added that Donington’s floor is also an element within the distinction between the tyre efficiency there in comparison with Oulton Park.
“In Donington, the wind chill issue was larger than [at Oulton Park], in order that cools the floor of the tyre clearly,” he mentioned.
“Then additionally Donington’s floor, since they’ve resurfaced it, is usually – irrespective of which bike you’re on – more durable on the tyre, it does kind of grain the tyre floor up until you’ve received a extremely candy setup.
“So, I believe it’s a mixture of two elements there.
“Right here, he’s [Kent] proper and I’ve skilled the identical factor; it wasn’t as dangerous [at Oulton Park] as Donington however it’s nonetheless one thing to fret about if we don’t discover a resolution.”
