Locatelli and Yamaha set the pace on the opening day as ex-MotoGP stars adapt to new machinery
The WorldSBK field returned to the Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto for the second winter test of the off-season, with Wednesday delivering the kind of stable conditions teams had hoped for. After a chilly start the track warmed nicely, and the lap times tumbled. By day’s end, Yamaha had stamped its authority on the session, with Andrea Locatelli leading the way and a flotilla of R1s stacked near the top of the order, while BMW’s reshaped factory effort showed immediate promise on debut.
Locatelli set the tone early and never really let it go. The Pata Maxus Yamaha rider fired in a 1’38.641 to finish as the only rider to break into the 1:38s. Ex-HRC rider Xavi Vierge slotted into second just +0.385s behind as the Iwata factory’s pre-season momentum gathered further steam.
Locatelli praised the setup work done on day 1, saying, “We made a good Day 1 in Jerez… today it was important for each other to learn and to understand what we needed. I got some good confidence from some ideas that Giulio brought. When you speak the same language it helps… the mentality of Giulio, the system of working, looks like it’s working really well. I was a bit suspicious to try (the setup changes), but lap by lap and exit by exit I felt better on the bike. We confirmed that what we tried today is working well, but for sure we need to confirm tomorrow. We have another day and we will try to push a little bit more… test some new small parts to understand if it’s better or not.”
Stefano Manzi’s adaptation continued smoothly as well; the GYTR GRT Yamaha rider ground through a mammoth 95 laps and banked a 1’39.442 for seventh, while Locatelli began his first working day with new chief engineer Giulio Nava—an early building block for Yamaha’s 2026 program.
BMW arrived at full strength and wasted little time getting up to speed. Michael van der Mark, now focused on development as part of the ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Test Team, showed he still has plenty of speed with a 1’39.043 for third place. The day also marked the long-awaited first outing for BMW’s all-new race pairing. Danilo Petrucci, back to fitness after his late-season wrist injury, settled in quickly for sixth with a 1’39.434; Miguel Oliveira, sampling Pirelli tyres for the first time and adjusting from MotoGP machinery, was an encouraging eighth on a 1’39.815. Both missed October’s Jerez test – Oliveira still racing in MotoGP and Petrucci sidelined – so Wednesday’s running was the first true yardstick against their new competition, and the opening impressions were positive.
Team Principal Shaun Muir was buoyant about the opening hit-out. “We’ve been blessed with some good weather, which is a big change from last year,” he said. “We started out really well; for both Danilo and Miguel, it’s been a great start. Danilo did over 80 laps, and Miguel over 70. There are a lot of things to acclimate to, but I’m super happy. If you look at the lap times ahead of Danilo and Miguel and use Michael as a benchmark, I think they both did fantastic work.”
Elsewhere, Bimota’s steady climb continued as Xavi Fores, the brand’s sole representative this week, hustled the BBK to a 1’39.302 and fifth overall—less than seven tenths off Locatelli’s benchmark. Honda also ticked a major box with the WorldSBK debuts of Jake Dixon and Somkiat Chantra in HRC colors. The pair settled in nicely: Dixon recorded 61 laps for ninth with a 1’40.035, and Chantra logged 71 laps to take tenth on a 1’40.285. Test rider Tetsuta Nagashima added 52 laps and a 1’40.839 for 12th as HRC gathered valuable baseline data.
Jerez Day 1 times
P1: Andrea Locatelli (Yamaha) – 1’38.641
P2: Xavi Vierge (Yamaha) – 1’39.026s
P3: Michael van der Mark (BMW test rider) – 1’39.043
P5: Xavi Fores (Bimota test rider) – 1’39.302
P6: Danilo Petrucci (BMW) – 1’39.434
P7: Stefano Manzi (Yamaha) – 1’39.442
P8: Miguel Oliveira (BMW) – 1’39.815
P9: Jake Dixon (Honda) – 1’40.035
P10: Somkiat Chantra (Honda) – 1’40.285
P12: Tetsuta Nagashima (Honda test rider) – 1’40.839
