FIM Moto2 and Moto3 World Championship Test Jerez, Spain February 21, 2013 Day Three Best Times (wet conditions, all on Dunlop tires): Moto2: 1. Nicolas Terol (Spain), Suter, 1:54.860 2. Scott Redding (UK), Kalex, 1:55.145 3. Danny Kent (UK), Tech 3, 1:55.167 4. Johann Zarco (France), Suter, 1:55.287 5. Ricky Cardus (Spain), Speed Up, 1:55.326 6. Xavier Simeon (Belgium), Kalex, 1:55.475 7. Takaaki Nakagami (Japan), Kalex, 1:55.955 8. Dominique Aegerter (Switzerland), Suter, 1:55.995 9. Jordi Torres (Spain), Suter, 1:56.092 10. Anthony West (Australia), Speed Up, 1:56.286 Moto3: 1. Jack Miller (Australia), FTR Honda, 1:58.354 2. Alex Rins (Spain), KTM, 1:58.495 3. Jakub Kornfeil (Czech Republic), Kalex KTM, 1:58.644 4. Romano Fenati (Italy), FTR Honda, 1:59.044 5. Miguel Oliveira (Portugal), Mahindra, 1:59.100 6. Alex Marquez (Spain), KTM, 1:59.193 7. John McPhee (UK), FTR Honda, 1:59.282 8. Zulfahmi Khairuddin (Malaysia), KTM, 1:59.389 9. Athur Sissis (Australia), KTM, 1:59.464 10. Livio Loi (Belgium), Kalex KTM, 1:59.469 Best Overall Times Of The Test: Moto2: 1. Pol Espargaro (Spain), Pons Kalex, 1:42.332 2. Takaaki Nakagami (Japan), Kalex, 1:42.631 3. Scott Redding (UK), Kalex, 1:42.849 4. Julian Simon (Spain), Kalex, 1:43.062 5. Nicolas Terol (Spain), Suter, 1:43.232 6. Esteve Rabat (Spain), Pons Kalex, 1:43.407 7. Mika Kallio (Finland), Kalex, 1:43.509 8. Jordi Torres (Spain), Suter, 1:43.549 9. Johann Zarco (France), Suter, 1:43.671 10. Dominique Aegerter (Switzerland), Suter, 1:43.757 Moto3: 1. Maverick Vinales (Spain), KTM, 1:46.805 2. Alex Rins (Spain), KTM, 1:46.811 3. Luis Salom (Spain), KTM, 1:47.109 4. Jonas Folger (Germany), Kalex KTM, 1:47.719 5. Miguel Oliveira (Portugal), Mahindra, 1:47.958 6. Juanfran Guevara (Spain), TSR Honda, 1:48.176 7. Brad Binder (South Africa), Suter Honda, 1:48.319 8. Efren Vazquez (Spain), Mahindra, 1:48.327 9. Danny Webb (UK), Suter Honda, 1:48.476 10. Jakub Kornfeil (Czech Republic), Kalex KTM, 1:48.699 More, from a press release issued by NGM Mobile Forward Racing: First Moto2 test underwater in Jerez de la Frontera Second 2013 season test for the riders of Moto 2. After testing at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit in Valencia last week, the NGM Mobile Forward Racing team moved to Jerez de la Frontera during the 19th – 21st of February to continue with the preparation for the next championship. The riders have spent the last three days improving their feel for the new bikes and to work on their setup. However their progress was marred due to inclement weather. The first and third day were a wash out until the last session, with the second day providing the riders with drier condtions albeit foggy. The NGM Mobile riders decided to tackle their long-runs, focusing on technical issues without struggling on single-lap pace. Lap times will start to be more significant from next Irta test, when all Moto2 riders will get the same type of engine supplied by their respective teams. Simone Corsi – 3 “I’m happy about the improvements done. The bikes feeling is good even if we still have to work a lot because I have difficulties to follow the top riders on the single-lap time. Unfortunately I fell down during the second day and so the work slowed down but I want to get ready for the Irta test because I want to make a difference.” Alex De Angelis – 15 “We improved compared to Valencia test. We had some problems with the tyres degradation but we found a setup that enabled us to keep the tyre temperature more constant. Unfortunately we are still far from the top five so we´ll have to work harder. Moreover the weather didn’t help at all because we rode only one day in dry conditions which meant that our work was disrupted. ” Mattia Pasini -54 “We are working well and making large steps. The bike is getting better and we are beginning to understand how to ride it and how to set it up. We have to keep working but it feels good. The atmosphere in the team is perfect and we have to exploit all the potential we have.” Ricky Cardús – 88 “We faced several tough days due to the varying weather conditions. Generally I have been feeling good. For the first time I was riding this bike on in the wet and everything went right, furthermore we managed to get a good lap time. Now we have to keep working to improve.” More, from a press release issued by Marc VDS Racing Team: Jerez, Spain – 21 February 2013: All three Marc VDS riders declared themselves satisfied with the progress made during the second preseason test of 2013 at Jerez, despite rain disrupting all but one day of the three tests days. Scott Redding ended the test third on the Moto2 timesheet, just 0.5s off the fastest time set by last year’s championship runner up, Pol Espargaro. The Marc VDS rider was also fifth fastest in the rain of the opening day, after rediscovering his wet weather form aboard the 2013 Kalex. Mika Kallio was initially fast in the wet conditions on the opening day, but dropped to seventh position after encountering problems with the Dunlop wet tyres. In the dry the 30-year-old Finn was also seventh fastest, running a different set-up to normal on the bike, but was unhappy that the gap to the top of the timesheet was more than one second. Livio Loi quickly mastered the tricky conditions on the two wet days at Jerez, running top five until a crash – at turn three on Tuesday and turn two on Thursday – brought a premature end to both days. The 15-year-old Belgian slipped back to 21st on the timesheet while working to refine the set-up of his Kalex-KTM machine in the dry conditions of the second day. The Marc VDS Racing Team will return to the Jerez circuit on 22nd March, for the third and final preseason test of 2013. Scott Redding #45: 3rd – 1’42.849 “We had some problems in the wet last year, so it was great to jump on the bike the first day in the rain and instantly have a good feeling. The same was true in the dry the second day; the bike just felt right from the first pit exit. We tried quite a few things on the bike, to improve it in a couple of areas, including getting the bike to turn better. Overall it’s been a very positive three days, despite the dodgy weather, and I’m looking forward to coming back to Jerez for the final test next month.” Mika Kallio #36: 7th – 1’43.509 “My first exit on wets on Tuesday was good, but as soon as we changed tyres I couldn’t get within two seconds of my own lap time. The same was true today; I just didn’t have the grip to go any faster in the wet. We need to figure out what the problem is, because I have no confidence with the wet tyres at the moment. We had a good base set-up for this track last year, but it didn’t work as well at other tracks. For this test we went a completely different way with the settings, but we simply didn’t get enough dry track time to confirm the changes. We will go to Albacete for two more days of testing, where we’ll decide on a direction with the settings before returning to Jerez in March.” Livio Loi #11: 21st – 1’49.576 “The first day was very good, I was all the time third or fourth, but then I had a little crash. Overall I was happy with day one. In the dry on the second day we had some problems with set-up, but we managed to improve both the bike and my lap time each session, so not the best day but it was okay. Today the first free practice was good and I was running fourth. In the second session I don’t know what happened, but I lost the front into turn two. The track was drying and I didn’t do anything different, so I don’t really know why I crashed. Anyway, overall it’s been a good test and now I head to Le Mans to get more time on the bike.” Michael Bartholemy: Team Principal “Both Scott and Mika had a lot to test on the only dry day here at Jerez, so neither were really pushing for fast lap times. Even so they were both on the pace in the wet and in the dry. I’m confident that when we return in March, with nothing left to test on the bikes, they’ll both be a lot closer to the top of the timesheet. Livio had a good first day, but struggled a little with set-up in the dry. While he’s unhappy not to be closer to the frontrunners, he learnt a lot during this test and, as a rookie, this is more important to his future than a few fast laps on a bike that isn’t set-up properly. He will get more experience testing at Le Mans next month, before returning to Jerez for the final preseason test.” More, from a press release issued by Gresini Racing: RAIN HALTS PLAY AGAIN AT JEREZ For the second time in three days the Moto2 riders at Jerez were restricted to watching the rain hammering down on the track from the confines of their garage as the inclement weather in southern Spain ruined their testing plans. Ratthapark Wilairot managed a handful of laps during a brief respite in the downpour yesterday, just enough to give him confidence ahead of the next test back here at Jerez in March. Ratthapark Wilairot “It has been a real shame that the test has been such a washout here this week. We had a lot of work planned but were able to complete hardly any of it on the wet track. I am happy with the few laps we did and hopeful of better weather at the next test in March.” More, from another press release issued by Gresini Racing: RAIN IN SPAIN FALLS MAINLY AT JEREZ Doni Tata Pradita’s attempts to further acquaint himself with the Suter Moto2 bike were dealt a blow on the final day of a three-day test at Jerez today, when heavy rain returned to limit any meaningful track time. It is a minor setback for the Indonesian rider’s adaptation to the class but he will have the opportunity to make up for lost time next month when the paddock returns to Jerez for a four day session. Doni Tata Pradita “The weather here has prevented me from continuing with my adaptation to Moto2. I need to get kilometres under my belt in order to get up to speed but doing laps in the wet is nowhere near as productive as in the dry. Hopefully we get better weather here at the next test in March so that I can improve my feeling with the bike before the season starts.” More, from a press release issued by Blusens Avintia Moto2 Team: Blusens Avintia Moto2 riders have not been able to progress all they wanted due to adverse weather Elías and Smith must wait until the next test to finish the setting work Jerez de la Frontera, 21 February 2013. It has rained two of three days during this pre-season test week for Moto3 and Moto2 riders at the Jerez circuit. While it is good to be able to try on wet conditions, there is no doubt that the development plan for the setting up of the bikes is diminished with the presence of the liquid element. Despite this, Kyle Smith became confident and had good feeling on the wet track, riding at a good pace and getting in the top ten several times. On his behalf, Toni was also more comfortable than he expected riding in water and he did good performances, but without taking too many risks. Although the Blusens Avintia Moto2 team wished to take more advantage of these days, they leave Jerez knowing that they are doing, step by step, the required work to get prepared for the first Grand Prix of the season. Toni Elías: “We have not been lucky with the rain and we have not been able to work enough on dry asphalt. We could only do it in these conditions yesterday, but it was not enough to progress all we wanted. It was not a test as productive as we hoped because of the weather, but it has been positive for improving in wet and we leave Jerez with lots of information in those conditions. Maybe in dry the result is not very “apparent” but the team and I are not worry. In the last test before leaving for Qatar all of us will ride under the same conditions and then we will see where each one is. Although we still have to improve in some aspects to be totally competitive, I am quite sure that the distance from rivals is not the one that it seems. We have had to coordinate the way of working with a new technician, a new bike, a new working group and with myself, that I am also new in the team! But we have been doing tests two full weeks and we are more united every day. We are very comfortable, there is mutual understanding, confidence and I am convinced that with my enthusiasm, the desire to work and the thrill that the team shows me, we will achieve our goals.” Kyle Smith: “It has been a pity that the rain did not allow us to work more but it was not bad for me to ride in wet and to start to know the reactions of my new bike under these circumstances. The first day I felt very comfortable in water -the truth is that I usually have fun in wet although I have not ridden much-, and this allowed me to check that we are able to ride to a good pace with rain. I think we made good lap times, taking into account that we did not want to risk and have a crash, and you know that in water you can improve lap by lap depending on how much you want to risk, so I am happy. Yesterday, the only day in dry conditions, I rode very well in the morning and later we made several changes on the bike that did not give the expected results. It is also true that I am not used to training so much and at the end of the day I do not have enough concentration to keep trying things and to be able to define. But it is a matter of time and getting the required pace. Today has rained again and we have not been able to progress in dry, but I am happy about how we are doing and I want to return to Jerez -I hope that it will be without rain- to finish the work in the last test before Qatar.”