The Ducati Panigale V4R’s first two races in the IDM Superbike 1000 are now history. At the Red Bull Ring, rider Daniel Kartheininger failed to finish the first race, while he finished in 18th place in the second. How is the project going, and what does HRT-100 team boss Denis Hertrampf have planned next?
“We’re continuing to develop the motorcycle and hope that Ducati will eventually join the series,” Hertrampf reaffirms his original plan, “because otherwise I wouldn’t be doing any of this.” The dedicated native of Lower Saxony now has the electronics under control. Progress has been made on the suspension settings, but there are always surprises.
At the Red Bull Ring, Daniel Kartheininger ran out of fuel on the penultimate lap of the race. The reason: the Ducati Panigale’s fuel tank was too small for the 69.104-kilometer race distance, plus the drive to the starting grid and the warm-up lap. The elevation changes at the Red Bull Ring require the engine to be pushed to its limits. The maximum incline is 12 percent, and the maximum decline is 9.3 percent.
Before the second race, the engine control unit’s maps were adjusted and the fuel injection was set to a leaner mixture. This, in turn, resulted in a drop in the Panigale’s power, and the engine speeds dropped. At least Kartheininger made it to the finish line. “That’s the compromise we have to make for now,” says Hertrampf, who isn’t giving up on developing the “baby.” Before the team takes to the track at the IDM finale in Hockenheim from September 24–26, 2021, they’ll be testing in Oschersleben, including Wilbers’ shock absorbers.