Bassani: “If I can win with Kawasaki it will be a dream”

Bassani was signed to replace the six-time WorldSBK champion after Rea announced he would be leaving to join Yamaha.

And with a test at Jerez already under his belt, Bassani admits time is needed in order to get the best from his new bike.

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“It’s not easy to change the team, change the bike, but we are ready to,” said Bassani when speaking to WorldSBK.com.

“We need some time to understand the bike but for the moment I feel good. I hope next season to be at the best possible [level] and give Kawasaki some good results. 

“At the moment I can’t say anything about next season.”

“This is Jonny’s bike”

As part of his adaptation to Kawasaki, Bassani will need to help develop the ZX-10RR which has fallen behind the likes of Yamaha and Ducati.

However, the biggest challenge will be filling the shoes of Rea, who made a habit out of winning even on days when he wasn’t always the strongest. 

“Jonny won a lot of titles and so this is his bike,” added the Italian. “We need time to understand what I need and I need to understand what the bike needs from me. When I start to feel good with the bike I will begin to push. 

“With a factory bike you need to win. This is normal but I always want to win. 

“It won’t be easy at the start of the season but I hope that step-by-step we can achieve some good results. 

“I didn’t win with Ducati and if, next season I can win with Kawasaki, then it will be like a dream.”