Moncayo, Faubel, Elías and Terol satisfied after the IRTA Jerez test

The riders of Team Aspar in the Moto2 and Moto3 World Championship closed the IRTA Jerez test yesterday with positive feelings. Héctor Faubel, Alberto Moncayo, Nico Terol and Toni Elías had three full-on days at the Andalusian track, where they fine-tuned their machines ahead of the start of the season in Qatar.

For his part, in Moto3, Alberto Moncayo managed to cut his lap time by seven tenths more, and Héctor Faubel by four tenths. Both improved on that final day at the Andalusian track, and they finish this last test satisfied and eager for the first race of the year after giving their all at the IRTA, testing new developments in geometry, tyres and shock absorbers.

From this work they have improved their lap times and their feelings, and they have been able to solve that small problem in the fast corners, finishing Moncayo 7th and Faubel 11th in the overall test standings. Now it’s time to head to Qatar, so going all out for the Bankia team in this 2012 season.

Statements from 7th place Alberto Moncayo 1:48.045 (48 laps):

This last day the feelings have been very positive. We have finally reached the times we set in the other test. Today we maintained a great pace, even though the engine was already reaching its mileage limit. We have improved a lot in cornering, which I consider a positive step forward.

Regardless of the time, I am satisfied because we have achieved what we set out to do: riding with consistency. Our pace has been optimal. We leave Jerez satisfied, but we must not let our guard down. In Qatar we will keep working as we have so far, knowing that time is gold and that we cannot lose a single minute.

The base we found here is very reliable. We leave with the best setup of the entire pre-season, both chassis and engine.

Statements from 11th place Héctor Faubel 1:48.483 (48 laps):

Until today our situation had been evolving, but not as much as we wanted. On this last day, however, we improved a lot. I have finally found really good feelings. At the end of the day we had decided to fit new tyres for a more aggressive run, but a setback came up, so we stopped. Today we played with the fork’s opening angle, and the bike turned much better. With just a few months of life, the Moto3 bikes are turning out to be frankly astonishing.

I am very happy, basically because I see that the Kalex is a fairly simple bike, which leaves a lot of room for setup work, and I also think it still has room for improvement. Today I was missing a small push, but I am sure that when we arrive in Qatar we will be at the front.

As for the riders of the Moto2 World Championship, Toni Elías and Nico Terol have continued to improve step by step, reducing their lap times from the previous days and facing the work ahead of the first round at the Qatar Grand Prix. Both riders have gone from strength to strength, taking advantage of the last part of yesterday to check the final improvements and gain more confidence with the front end.

Elías finished by cutting half a second from his day-two time, while Terol cut almost a second. Without doubt, a lot of work done, information and conclusions for the team and the riders. In the end, in the combined overall standings, Toni finished six tenths off the best time and Nico just over a second.

Onward to Qatar.

Statements from 8th place Toni Elías 1:42.670 (42 laps):

I feel super satisfied because every day of this test we have made half a second of progress, and today was the first time we have ridden here in Jerez in 1:42. In the last hour we found solutions to the lack of feeling in the front end.

I am convinced we are on the right track; now we just have to keep working hard. We are still at 85 percent of our potential, and even so I think our performance is very positive.

We leave Jerez very happy with the work carried out, and also because we have found the way forward. We know there is still a long way to go, but I feel we will soon have the bike exactly as we want it. This afternoon we discovered two setups that gave us much more grip in the front end. I have been able to verify on track that little by little I am getting closer to the riders who are going fastest.

Statements from 17th place Nico Terol 1:43.129 (55 laps):

I am very happy because we have taken a big step forward, mainly with the pace and also with the fast lap, and most importantly I achieved it completely on my own. This pace has given me a lot of confidence with the bike. The front end gives me much more security; I can lean it over without fear and leave the corners opening the throttle calmly.

Today we tested different suspension setups to improve grip, and we also fitted a fork that I loved. Whether with this fork or with the one I usually used, the times were similar; it is just a matter of feeling.

All the work of these three days will have me arriving in Qatar very motivated. Here in Jerez I was able to reconfirm that Moto2 is a hugely competitive category: if you blink for a minute, ten riders pass you. I think the key is not to lose calm and to keep working with great consistency.

Source | Team Aspar