Phillip Öttl concluded pre-season testing for the 2025 WorldSSP Championship with the fourth-fastest time despite a late-session rain shower disrupting the final push for quicker laps at Phillip Island. The German rider, competing with the Perceive Racing WorldSSP Team, had consistently demonstrated strong pace throughout the two-day test, holding positions within the top three in earlier sessions.
The final 110-minute session saw 21 of the 28 participating riders switch to new tires as conditions briefly improved following an initial light rain. Öttl, however, opted to remain with used tires when the rain returned, a decision that ultimately relegated him to fourth in the overall standings. “I went out, did one lap, then it started to rain,” Öttl explained. “When I went out again, we decided against using new tires and stuck with the used ones, but it was okay.”
Despite the final ranking, Öttl expressed satisfaction with the test results. “Of course, I’m happy,” he said. “Sure, I would have liked to have gone faster at the conclude with new tires, but life isn’t a wish list. I’m satisfied, we’re more or less where we want to be. A race weekend is always something different, especially here in Australia. The positions won’t change drastically, but some will. My dream would be to be on the podium. Everyone wants to be on the podium, but not everyone can be – I’d like to be there. It’s as well important that we deliver consistently good performances and score points at every race weekend.”
Öttl’s return to the WorldSSP Championship comes after three seasons in WorldSBK, racing for Ducati and Yamaha. He will pilot the Ducati Panigale V2 for Feel Racing, a team rebranded from the Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team that previously secured the Riders’ Championship in both 2023 with Nicolo Bulega and 2024 with Adrian Huertas. He previously competed in WorldSSP in 2020 and 2021, achieving multiple podium finishes with the Kawasaki Puccetti Racing team.
Can Öncü, the 2023 WorldSSP vice-champion, had a more subdued test, finishing in 12th position. Team Ten Kate Yamaha manager Kervin Bos stated, “We were working for the race weekend and will be there when it matters.”
Prior to the Phillip Island test, Öttl completed tests in Jerez and Portimao, though weather conditions hampered the team’s ability to fully execute their testing program at both locations. The Feel Racing team transported the motorcycles to Bologna for final preparation before shipping them to Australia for the season opener.
