2024-02-08 17:21:35
The Kawasaki Racing Team (KRT) begins its post-Jonathan Rea era. The Japanese have unveiled their renewed 2024 Ninja ZX-10RR in a public event that took place this Thursday, and which included the participation of official drivers Alex Lowes and Axel Bassani. This launch marks a milestone in the team’s preparation for the racing season, presenting significant changes both in the design of the motorcycle and in the rider lineup.
The presentation, broadcast digitally at 6:00 p.m., revealed the new color combinations, graphics and designs of the official Akashi team, highlighting one absence, that of Monster Energy -without a trace of the green claw on the motorcycle fairings-, and with the entry of a new sponsor, the company specializing in furniture and wooden structures Cheshire Mouldingsalready a partner of KRT, which now becomes one of the main sponsors, while the lubricant specialist, Motuljoins as a new team sponsor.
The KRT team has undergone significant changes since the end of the 2023 season, changes that are reflected not only in the visual part of the bikes and riders but also in the internal structure of the team. Regarding the driver lineup, the experience of Alex Lowes is combined with the youth and talent of the double champion of independent drivers, Axel Bassani.
Alex Lowes now has former head coach Jonathan Rea, Pere Riba, as team leader, while Marcel Duinker monitors Axel’s on-track learning curve. Additionally, internal team changes have rejuvenated the lineup of mechanics and personnel, reinforcing the overall effort.
Following a period of winter development by Kawasaki in Japan and its global technical partners, Lowes, Bassani and their respective technical teams have successfully completed a recent testing program in Spain and Portugal. During these tests, they adjusted the motorcycle settings to adapt to recent changes to WorldSBK technical regulations.
In terms of the machine, the Ninja ZX-10RR now has more revolutions in the engine and some internal improvements to modify the inertia of the engine, along with small but significant changes in the front area. These initiatives will allow the 2024 WorldSBK bike have an extra 500 rpm at the top of the rev range.
In addition to continued partnerships with companies like Showa and other renowned companies in the racing world, KRT has forged a new collaboration with specialist lubricant company, Motul, which becomes a main partner for the 2024 WorldSBK season.
Alex Lowes expressed his enthusiasm for the new 2024 colors, highlighting the small improvements to the bike and the hard winter work to make the bike more rideable over long distances: “I really like the new colors for 2024, they are a little different. Every year there have been small changes, but this is my favorite. I go into 2024 with a lot of optimism. In a way, the bike, the package and the team are the same, but I have different personnel to work with. We have some small improvements and we have been working very hard in winter, especially on our weak areas, making the bike easier to ride in the race. I am very happy with the work we have done “We’ll have to see if it’s enough to be ahead every week. But I think we’ve taken a step forward compared to last year. I can’t wait to get going and head to Phillip Island for the final pre-season test and the first round.” .
Axel Bassanifor his part, was delighted to present the new decoration to the world and hopes for a successful season: “I am very happy to finally show the world the new KRT livery for the 2024 season. I think it is a really good design and I like it. Of course, there is still a lot of green, but with different colors. It is also very good to see finally my factory bike in the factory colors. It’s always good to have a new look every season. I hope people like the look of the bike and also the new team clothing. The Kawasaki green is always special. I think that we can have a good season together. I’m looking forward to going to Australia soon.”
Guim Rodateam director, noted that 2024 marks a new era with balancing rules that do not go against Kawasaki’s interests: “For 2024 we enter a new era in which, for the first time since 2015, balancing rules have been introduced that do not go against the interests of Kawasaki. We understand that it is not an easy job to balance such a diverse championship. It has taken a lot of effort from the FIM, DWO and MSMA, so we hope to be able to take advantage of this opportunity to be part of the show and fight to win races. This year we have a very balanced project. Lowes, a fast rider with an incredible capacity for speed, He has tried to improve his performance for 20 laps, until the end of the long races. Axel, a young and talented rider, is learning to extract the full potential of the Ninja ZX-10RR every time he goes out on the track. The races of this season will have to be evaluated not only by the final positions, but by the distance between the first place and the others, because it will be very close. The number of great drivers on the grid is astonishing. I am sure that this is, by far, the most competitive and exciting WorldSBK season since we started our KRT project in 2012. We are putting on a great show and we hope that all racing fans, and especially Ninja fans, have a great time.”
In short, the KRT team presents itself as a strong and exciting competitor in WorldSBK 2024, with a balanced rider line-up and an improved Ninja ZX-10RR, ready to face the challenges of a promising season.
Read also: Joan Mir: “With this bike last year I would have enjoyed it a little more”
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