WorldSSP challenger Maria Herrera joins Supersport 300 riders for first test

Preparations continued this week for WorldSSP challenger Maria Herrera as she completed a two-day test at the Angel Nieto Circuit of Jerez de la Frontera. 

Herrera was joined on track by several WorldSSP 300 riders, including team-mates Bahattin Sofuoglu and Marco Gaggi, and one of their expected championship rivals Indy Offer. 

Herrera was recently confirmed as the Biblion Motoxracing Yamaha championship challenger, meaning she will compete in all the European rounds this season. 

The Spanish rider will compete on a Yamaha YZF-R6, and spoke about her first impressions at the test. "As far as this test is concerned, I’m serene and happy," said Herrera. 

"In these two days we have done a lot of laps and tackled a lot of issues, we have improved from session to session and I have a better understanding of both the bike and the team.

"For sure we need to do a lot of laps because it has been a long winter and with my injury, I haven't been able to ride much. So, we have to continue in this direction to get where we are aiming for.”

Herrera will be aided in her attempt for success throughout the 2021 season, as the team will be an official Yamaha supported team. 

Sofuoglu and Gaggi will be competing on Yamaha machinery too as they are part of the same team as Herrera but in the Supersport 300 class. 

Sofuoglu posted a best time of 1:53,1s which was half-a-second faster than he managed during the Tissot Superpole session last season.

Speaking after what was a very productive test, Sofuoglu said "It was a good test for us, I was very impressed with my team who did a great job after a long winter break.

"We improved a lot of things on my bike and I improved my mentality. I have changed some things that I felt were necessary and now I can trust the feeling I have with my bike and the power of this 'beast' which is now ready to aim for the top.”

Sofuoglu is the cousin of five-time World Supersport champion Kenan Sofuoglu and is one of the big hopes for Turkish racing going forward. 

His team-mate Gaggi was also 'happy' with how the two-day test went saying: "I'm happy with this test, the feeling with the bike has grown more and more and we have been working on the bike and on myself, improving step by step.

"I'm happy with the work done, because it was my first time with the whole team, and I felt really comfortable working to perfection. My thanks to them. We must continue on this path.” 

Hoping to stop the Yamaha pair in 2021 is Indy Offer of SMW Racing Kawasaki. His test at Jerez was just one of several planned shakedown tests ahead of the new campaign. 

"It was good to be back on track with the team at Jerez. Of course, any rider will say that they want to be faster, but the thing I am clear about now is that I know the areas that I still need to improve on and that makes me confident of the season ahead," said the Brit.

"We have another test planned in Italy and then the Dorna supported test at Catalunya and I will be doing as much private riding as possible. After five months out of the saddle it’s great to be back and I am really happy to be riding with the same team as I rode with last year.”