It's back. The Bayer-Bikerbox Racing team, powered by Yamaichi Electronics, with rider Bastien Mackels, has ended its involuntary COVID-19 hiatus and is training for competition in the IDM premier class. First stop: Oschersleben.
So now it’s getting serious again, and Mackels has also developed a strong visual connection to the fast blue bike. “The bike is gorgeous,” said the 2018 IDM Superbike 1000 runner-up, flirting with his Yamaha YZF-R1M. He added: “From the very first lap, the bike felt easy and efficient. It was a pleasure for me to ride it right from the start. Even though we had to share the track with a lot of amateur riders, the lap times were exactly what we wanted right away, without any changes to the settings. First and foremost, we used these days to better understand the new Yamaha electronics and all the setup options. We now have a good foundation. I think if the IDM season were to start in a week, we’d be able to fight for the podium right away.”
Team manager Sepp Buchner felt a weight lifted off his shoulders: “Ever since the equipment arrived last March, all we’ve been able to do is work on the basics. Aside from numerous bench tests, nothing else was possible. Bastien was the fastest rider on the track at Oschersleben. His feedback on the bike is very precise. I haven’t often seen that kind of precision before. But we’re also very happy with the new features and improvements on the new R1. A lot has changed, especially in the area of electronics.”
Testing will take place this coming Thursday at Zolder, Mackels' home track.