Kawasaki WorldSBK Team Finalizes Pre-Season Preparations

Garrett Gerloff Completes Final Pre-Season Test Ahead of 2025 WorldSBK Opener at Phillip Island.

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American star Garrett Gerloff and the Kawasaki WorldSBK Team concluded their final pre-season test at the Phillip Island Circuit on February 17-18, in preparation for the 2025 WorldSBK season opener.

The two-day test offered a mix of conditions, with dry and sunny weather dominating the first day and a wet track disrupting the final afternoon session. Gerloff made the most of the dry sessions, setting competitive lap times and working through his planned preparations for the race weekend.

However, the test wasn’t without its challenges. Gerloff experienced a small crash on day one and a high-speed fall on day two, both of which he walked away from unscathed. Despite these setbacks, the American rider demonstrated a strong race pace and continued to build confidence with his new team and machine.

With rain affecting the final session, Gerloff and the team took the opportunity to refine their wet weather setup. The track briefly dried toward the end of the session, allowing for a few laps on slick tyres, but the focus remained on preparing for all possible conditions during the race weekend.

The Kawasaki WorldSBK Team expressed satisfaction with Gerloff’s progress during the test. A team spokesperson commented: “Garrett and his team did a great job, and he demonstrated very strong race pace yesterday. Unfortunately, he crashed this morning, which affected the rest of the day. In the afternoon, he lapped in the wet to define our rain setup. The opening day of the test was the best one, and while the second day wasn’t ideal, we appreciate the hard work done by the team to fix the bike after the crash. Now, we focus on the first race weekend of the new season.”

The 2025 WorldSBK season kicks off on Friday, February 21, with free practice sessions. Superpole qualifying and Race 1 will follow on Saturday, while the action continues on Sunday with the Superpole sprint race and Race 2.

This year’s longer races will feature a flag-to-flag format, with a mandatory tyre change at the halfway point due to the FIM and DWO’s regulation limiting rear tyre usage to 11 laps per stint. This adds an extra layer of strategy to the already challenging Phillip Island circuit.

The upcoming race weekend marks Gerloff’s debut with the Kawasaki Puccetti Racing, and the American rider is eager to make an impact. Despite the challenges faced during the test, Gerloff remains focused and determined to deliver strong results in his first outing aboard the Ninja ZX-10RR.

Stay tuned as the lights go out on the 2025 Superbike World Championship this weekend!