The FIM World Supersport Circuit RacingChampionships this season is like a centrifuge of innovations, in which the participants have no idea yet what the balance of power will be at the first rounds. Because in addition to the new manufacturers, the changed rules, which have the task of ironing out the differences in capacities of engines, also help to mix the cards. Therefore, it seemed appropriate to find out what Hannes Soomer, who is racing with Stefano Manzi in Triumph livery (DYNAVOLT TRIUMPH) this year, thinks about his new team and bike after the first tests.

“The new thing for me is that I am participating in the development of a brand new racing bike for the first time,” said the man from Viimsi after the first two test cycles which were driven in Portimao and Aragon in the first half of March. “I used to have a bike ready and I had a choice of settings to compromise between slow and fast sections, but now we are here with the team to get to know the whole thing and make it faster. The team is not big, but everyone knows their tasks and I was surprised by how specifically the action plan of the whole team is built.”

What about the bike? “At first glance, this is a placid and stable bike, and we are already quite fast on used hard tires. We are currently working to make better use of the better grip of softer tires to make the bike faster. Unfortunately, after only the first two and a half days of dry weather, we were unable to look into all the components. The teammate recovering from an injury will probably join with his assistants in the last test, and hopefully, we will be able to try out all the solutions that are still on the table today for dry conditions.”

We keep our fingers crossed that this will happen and the rain will stay in the sky. The last test days will take place next week and the beginning of April, and the first round will start on the second weekend of April at the Aragon Circuit in Spain (07-08.04.2022).