A constructive WorldSBK weekend concludes for the Honda HRC test team at Phillip Island
Nagashima completes the second and final WorldSBK race in Australia, collating a wealth of data with the Honda HRC test team over the weekend.
Honda test rider Tetsuta Nagashima has completed this opening round of the 2025 Superbike World Championship at the Phillip Island Circuit in Australia as a one-event entry. Competing with the Honda HRC test team, Nagashima lined up for Sunday’s Superpole Race and second Superbike race.
After setting his fastest time of the weekend in morning warm-up (1’30.113), the test rider lined up in nineteenth place on the grid for the Superpole race. Nagashima got away well when the lights went out but almost immediately crashed through Turn 4. Though able to immediately rejoin the race, the Japanese rider found himself in last place. He did his best to continue but ultimately had to pit on lap eight.
In Race 2, which, like Race 1, involved a mandatory pitstop and tyre change mid-way through, Tetsuta was able to make another smooth start. Having to complete a long lap as a penalty for his involvement in an incident that occurred during the Superpole Race, Nagashima found himself at the back of the field, with work to do. Twentieth at the time of the tyre change, the test rider was able to make up two positions in the latter stages to secure an eighteenth-place finish in this final race.
Nagashima and the Honda HRC Test Team are pleased with the work completed and data collected over the course of this opening championship weekend, information that will be extremely useful in terms of moving forward with the development of the CBR1000RR-R.
Tetsuta Nagashima SPRC DNF – Race 2 P18
“Today was quite difficult for us. During the morning warm-up, I honestly had good feeling on the bike; it felt as it should. Unfortunately, I crashed out in the Superpole race—it was my mistake, and I need to apologize to Gerloff. Then, at the beginning of Race 2, I felt the same discomfort as yesterday, no confidence, and I couldn’t push. After changing tyres, I felt much better, which means we need to look deeper into the data. That said, the whole weekend was a good experience for me and the test team. We have work to do, I have work to do, but we continue on our path to make continuous improvement.”
Full Superpole Race Results Courtesy of DWO
Full Race 2 Results Courtesy of DWO
