Julián Simón and Álvaro Bautista train before heading to Le Mans

Taking advantage of the public holiday we had in the city of Madrid, I went over to the Karting Correcaminos de Recas (Toledo), where Julián Simón had told me he would be today doing some supermotard work to prepare for this weekend’s race at the French Le Mans circuit.

What I didn’t expect was for Álvaro Bautista to be there too, since the Talavera rider usually trains at another circuit in the area, so it was a real surprise to see him there and to enjoy both 125cc world champions together.

After some light stretching, the first one out on track was Simón. The rider from Villacañas knows the circuit perfectly, since he not only trains with the supermotard on this track, but also enjoys his new passion for karts, keeping one of his own stored here at Recas.

Watching him slide through almost every corner, fully sideways, along with the extremely high speed through the corners he carries, is a real spectacle. It contrasted sharply with the training style Álvaro used, since the Talavera rider didn’t slide with his leg on the ground; instead, he always aimed to get his knee down on the tarmac.

Different styles, yes, but one common goal: controlling tire slip so it can be applied in their respective championships, Julián in Moto2 and Álvaro in MotoGP. The only shame was that both had to end their session early, since one bike blew its engine on the straight, leaving a trail of oil across the racing line.

From here I want to thank Félix, owner of Karting Correcaminos, for the freedom he gave me to move around the whole circuit to take photos from wherever I wanted. I also want to thank Julián Simón, with whom I spoke yesterday to arrange these photos, and Álvaro Bautista, who did not expect to have a “paparazzi” at his training and didn’t mind being photographed either.

Photos | David Gómez (Plusmoto)