As the runner-up in the IDM Superbike 1000 class, Julian Puffe had to leave BMW a year ago. His spot was filled by someone else. Puffe found a new home with Team Holzhauer Racing Promotion on the brand-new Honda CBR 1000 RR-R. The results at the end of the 2020 season were devastating for the racer, who had been accustomed to success up to that point: 13th place in the overall standings and an eighth-place finish at Assen as his best individual result. How does Julian Puffe feel about this, and what plans does the 24-year-old from Schleiz have?
Team manager Jens Holzhauer emphasized several times last season that both newcomer Puffe and the experienced Alessandro Polita had not yet been able to fully harness the Honda’s potential. There was no concrete explanation. But according to Holzhauer, progress is being made bit by bit. Puffe puts it bluntly: “It felt like a massive construction site. We would have needed more time to achieve better results—and also some data or information from higher up.” But Puffe also knows: “Every class races under different regulations.”
The new Honda was touted as a high-flyer in racing before it had even covered its first few meters. The current IDM results are dampening the enthusiasm for now, though Puffe says, “I still believe the bike has potential. We just need to find the right setup. We’re operating in a range of settings that no other IDM bike has.”
Despite his personal setback in the IDM overall standings, Puffe has no plans to throw in the towel as the sole Honda team in the top class. “Our mission is to develop the motorcycle. We’ve just started, and despite the results, I’m not going to give up right away—I’m going to stick with it.”
Puffe is concerned about how he will finance his campaign. “The COVID-19 pandemic has also affected my sponsors. I’m worried that some of them might pull out. It’s difficult, since I don’t have any great results to show for this year.”