Garrett Gerloff (6th) on Ducati: “I’ve been watching them – it’s mad”

Kawasaki rider Garrett Gerloff enjoyed a solid Superbike weekend at Donington, finishing 8th, 9th and 6th. His sixth place in Race 2 on Sunday was particularly pleasing for him and the Puccetti team. The American and his crew can head into the summer break feeling positive.

“It’s nice to come here and have a much better weekend than at Misano. For the team’s sake, though, I would have preferred a better Misano event and a worse Donington weekend. But that’s just the way it is,” Gerloff said with a smile. For the Puccetti Kawasaki team, the meeting at Misano in mid-June was a home event. Gerloff could only manage 14th, 14th and 12th places there. “We made a few changes this weekend. I’m sure that by the end of Race 2 we had the best set-up for the bike. It’s nice to finish the event like this, because sometimes I leave a circuit and wonder where it all went wrong.”

The Ducati riders are setting the standard in this year’s Superbike World Championship. The Panigale V4R is by far the best bike on the grid. What is Gerloff missing with the Kawasaki? “I’ve been watching them (the Ducatis, ed.) and they turn incredibly well – it’s mad. I think that’s where they make up the most time. Of course, they’ve got a decent engine too, but I reckon the advantage comes more from the electronics and the chassis.”

At Donington, it was more or less just Ducati, Bimota and Kawasaki battling it out in the top 10. Yamaha, BMW and Honda were a long way off. “We have to do our job and improve our bikes – whether it’s the Bimota or the Kawasaki. Personally, I’d like to see some changes to the chassis. I think that could be a big help to us,” said the 30-year-old.

How closely do Bimota and Kawasaki work together – do they share data with each other? “Yes. I can view Axel and Alex’s data. Sometimes, though, it’s not that easy to compare because they have completely different chassis,” explained Gerloff. “I can’t see where I’m losing time compared to them – the motorbikes are too different. But it does serve as a benchmark. I’d like to have a team-mate to see whether I’m doing well or not.”

In the overall standings, the Bimota riders Alex Lowes and Axel Bassani are in 4th and 6th place respectively. Gerloff is currently 8th. Is the Bimota a better bike than the Kawasaki? “I think Alex is the most consistent rider out of the three of us,” Gerloff had to admit. “Axel is very fast, but not as consistent – just like me. With Alex, it doesn’t matter whether he’s feeling good or bad – he’s always up there in the top five.”