Jones Makes European Move At Jerez

Mike Jones took his first steps into the European Superstock 1000 Championship with his opening day test at Jerez on the official Aruba.it Ducati Junior Team Panigale. Working his way towards a strong set-up on a bike with treaded tyres but more electronics and performance opportunities than what he has been used to, Jones was clearly impressed with his new ride and working environment.

“I am absolutely ecstatic with my first day here at Jerez with the Aruba.it Ducati team and it is a lot of learning for me,” said the latest Aussie hope to jump onto a global stage. “For the first time at the circuit, the first time on this bike and first time working with the crew everything was really positive and we made really good progress. To be honest I was quite surprised how much progress we made on the first day. I just can’t believe how good the team were working. They are listening to the things I am explaining to them and using the data as well to understand how to move forward. So overall I am really happy.”

So far it has only been chassis and suspension on the test menu for Jones, to find a strong base to move on to day two at Jerez and then a subsequent test at Portimao. “I worked mostly in chassis and suspension set-up but did not really change anything with the electronics – at the moment. It is good and I am happy with it. We made a lot of changes to the chassis and suspension to increase our understanding – which is the right way to go with the set-up of the bike. I think the biggest thing was just getting the balance, understanding whether the weight needed to be on the front or the back. That was the biggest thing for me.”

By Gordon Ritchie