DRIVE M7 SIC RACING TEAM BACK ON TRACK FOR PRESEASON TESTING AT VALENCIA
Valencia, Spain
Circuit: Comunitat Valenciana – Ricardo Tormo
Circuit Length: 4.0 km
DRIVE M7 SIC Racing Team head to Spain this weekend in preparation for their first preseason test of 2016, with riders Jakub Kornfeil and newcomer, Adam Norrodin.
The team will get their Moto3 campaign underway with two days on track at the Circuit de la Comunitat Valenciana Ricardo Tormo, commencing on Thursday 11th February, before heading straight to Jerez for a further two days of testing.
Making his debut into the Moto3 World Championship, 17-year-old Malay rider Adam Norrodin will be using his time at the Spanish circuits to get a feel for the Factory Honda NSF250RWF, whilst his more experienced teammate Jakub Kornfeil will test a number of parts on the #84 machine. Following a successful end to the 2015 season which saw Kornfeil claim his second podium of the year, the Czech rider is feeling more confident than ever. Raring to get back on track and dialled in to his new bike, the 22-year-old will be looking to get his season off to a strong start.
Johan Stigefelt – Team Manager
“We already have one season under our belt in Moto3, so we are feeling confident and prepared for the year ahead. Behind the scenes we have continued to work hard over the winter and now we’re raring to get back on track. We’re really looking forward to this first test in Valencia and starting the new season, especially now we will be on Honda machinery. Of course the switch means a lot more work in the beginning but I believe both the riders and team will benefit from the change. We have a lot to focus on during these first tests but we are focussed and prepared for the challenge ahead.
Directly after our two day test at Valencia we will go straight to Jerez. There is a lot of work to be done before the first race but I’m confident that by the time we get to Qatar we will be in a strong position.
The team and the riders are feeling confident about the year ahead, especially Jakub who has a lot of experience in the Moto3 field now; he is ready to take the next step. He showed his ability and strength to fight for the podium on a number of occasions last year and his performance continued to improve throughout the 2015 season; I believe he can be even stronger this year.
For Adam, he is new to the Moto3 class and is very young, only seventeen; it will be a tough year for him but he is coming into the World Championship with a great team who will support him; we have the experience that he needs and a great bike with the Honda. It will be a tough learning year for him but we will work together to do the best for him and help him to develop his confidence and make progress. He has a good crew behind him and we’re confident that he can do well with us.
It’s a shame that we’re unable to test at Sepang this year, but they are resurfacing the track so it can’t be helped. We just have to hope for the best weather possible in Spain.”
#84 Jakub Kornfeil
“I’m really looking forward to going to Valencia for the first test. Finishing on the podium there last year was a fantastic way to finish the season, so I’m excited to go back. It’s not an easy track for me but it’s a very good track for setting up the bike properly. I literally can’t wait any more to test my new Honda machine, I’m really excited. It will be great to get back on a race bike after so long. We just have to hope Spain has some good weather for us so that we can really make the most of our time there.
During the off season I have done many different things to physically prepare for 2016. Here in the Czech Republic we’ve had quite a cold winter with temperatures in the minus numbers, so it’s not been possible to do as much training on a bike, so as well as cycling when I could, I also widened my preparation with other sports and exercises. I have spent a lot of time in the gym doing cardio training for fitness and stamina, like running and swimming, as well as working on my core strength to improve balance and stability, including stretching, jumps, and yoga. I have included a lot of sports into my training program over the last few months and I really think that this will help me a lot this year.
I’m feeling very positive about riding the Honda. I’ve heard a lot of good things about the NSF250RWF which makes me even more excited. We have plenty of time at the test in Valencia to set up the bike but I don’t think it will take so long to get a good feeling with it; let’s see.
My crew and I have already made plans for the test at Valencia but I don’t want to say too much just yet. This is only the first pre-season test, so the most important thing is to get the bike in the right position and test as many parts as possible. For sure at this first test we will not be focusing on breaking the lap record. I want to see first how fast I can be on the Honda naturally. On the KTM I had to push a lot from the start to get the fast times, so I am hoping that it will be a little easier on the Honda and I will feel better even with just a basic setup. Once we have this, then we will really try to make me fast!”
#7 Adam Norrodin
“I’m very excited for my first test in Valencia. This will also be my first time riding the NSF250RWF Factory Honda Moto3 bike, so I’m really looking forward to that!
Over the winter I spent some time with my new Crew Chief Thibaut Gravier and some of the team in Malaysia, which was really nice. My teammate Jakub also came out, which was great, as we were able to do some training together. We did a lot of fitness work, as well as race simulations on the Supermoto track. The weather in Malaysia is perfect for training in the off season.
This winter I concentrated on improving my strength and fitness. I did a lot of work with my trainer and also Fahmi, who has been a great help to me. The training we have done over the past few months has really helped to improve both my riding and body performance.
The Honda is a great bike; for sure the factory bike will be different to the Honda’s I have rode in the past but from the experience I’ve had, I think it will be the best bike for me to ride in Moto3.
For the first test in Valencia I will just be focussing on my riding and trying to find a good setting in preparation for Qatar. As this is my first year in the Moto3 World Championship we won’t be trying so many different things with the bike; it is more important for me to concentrate on my riding than set-up.”