Ryan Vickers shared his first impressions after testing the Motocorsa Ducati for the first time at the WorldSBK test at Jerez and Aragon.
The nine-time British Superbike race winner will step up to the WorldSBK series for 2025 with one of the independent Ducati teams, replacing the departing Michael Ruben Rinaldi.
The Aruba.it Ducati duo of Nicolo Bulega and Alvaro Bautista occupied the first two positions in Jerez, with Ryan Vickers finishing seventh and setting a best time of 1.40.922s.
“Jerez was a good test for me. It’s a very new circuit for me, I hadn’t been there for five years and only ever done one day at Jerez, so to be at a good level straight away was a great feeling for me,” he told WorldSBK.com.
“When I next go to a new circuit, I know I can begin the same process with learning the track and bike.
“My first thoughts with the team and the bike were amazing. They welcomed me so well and taught me the way to ride the Ducati and also introduced me well to the electronics.
“I didn’t expect to arrive at the level we did straight away, so really happy.
“The two days were fantastic. The weather was amazing. It was a great time for me to get used to the team and the way of working. Really excited for the next test in January.”
Ryan Vickers wants ‘to keep progressing’ ahead of his rookie season
He states that his 2025 campaign will be a huge learning curve, insisting his only goal is “to keep progressing”.
The 25-year-old has little to no experience with several tracks on the calendar, in addition to key characteristics of WorldSBK-spec machinery.
However, he is relishing the challenge and states that he has the right team behind him to succeed.
“It’s always difficult as a rookie and I think I would be silly to put a position as a goal. There’s a lot of new circuits for me. Some of the rookies that were in this year already knew them,” he said.
“I’ve got a lot of learning to do. I’ve got a great team. Let’s see, my only goal is to keep progressing with the team and the bike and I’m sure, throughout the year, we’ll get some amazing results as we’ve shown we’ve arrived at a pretty high level straight away.
“Jerez was a good test for me. It’s a very new circuit for me, I hadn’t been there for five years and only ever done one day at Jerez, so to be at a good level straight away was a great feeling for me.
“When I next go to a new circuit, I know I can begin the same process with learning the track and bike.”
