Repsol riders with good pace in MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3 at Estoril

The Repsol riders in all categories of the Motorcycle World Championship have been among the frontrunners, in MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3 alike. You can see the great pace everyone has at the Estoril Circuit, and the desire to have a calm race after the chaos in Jerez.

In MotoGP, Casey Stoner finished the first day of free practice as the fastest. The Australian didn’t push from the start, especially in FP1 where he wasn’t at the front, but later, with the track in better conditions, he was able to get more control and challenge Ben Spies. In the end, the Champion closed out the day with the best time, a 1:38.396.

For Dani Pedrosa, the day wasn’t easy either. The overnight rain and the track conditions, with some damp patches, meant everyone took things carefully, including the 26. In the afternoon he managed to set fourth place, behind his teammate and two Yamahas.

Now it’s time to push for FP3 and today’s QP at the Portuguese track.

Statements from Dani Pedrosa:

We had a start to the Grand Prix quite similar to Jerez. The first session was on a mixed track, neither completely dry nor completely wet, and in the end we could only do four laps on slick tyres. In the afternoon it was complicated, because due to the rain of the past few days the asphalt was very slippery and there was no grip at all. It was very hard to get precise information from the bike, because the tyres were sliding a lot.

In the asphalt areas the water doesn’t drain well, and that forces you to change your line. It would be good if, if it doesn’t rain again, they could try to dry those areas somehow, because the last corner in particular is very wet. I hope the track improves tomorrow and we can start working on the suspension. If the grip of the track increases, the bike will also improve its response.

Statements from Casey Stoner:

We did a few laps this morning to check that everything was working and, as in Jerez, to see where the water patches were. In the afternoon, unfortunately, there were still some damp areas on the circuit that hadn’t dried completely, but we were able to get more time riding on dry asphalt. The bike seems to be going well in this respect, and we have fairly clear ideas about what we need to do tomorrow.

For his part, in the Moto2 category, Marc Márquez has arrived at Estoril with good pace. You can tell the championship leader knows the track well, he struggled there and has also achieved great results. Now he’s back with more desire, and for the moment he’s among the frontrunners, closing the day in second place behind Redding, who was the fastest in FP2 and overall.

In the first session the 93 didn’t want to take risks, since the track was a bit tricky, with water patches, and he always tends to focus on setting up the bike rather than chasing a good lap time. In the end he set a 1:41.978, being the only one along with Redding to dip under 1:41.

Onward to FP3 and the Moto2 QP.

Statements from Marc Márquez:

In the morning the session was quite difficult, because there were still plenty of wet parts and that forced you to ride with a bit more caution than usual. In the afternoon we were able to enjoy a drier track; only a little moisture remained at the last corner, and it will be important to remember that for the rest of the weekend, because it didn’t rain all day and it still hadn’t dried.

From the start we worked very well and felt comfortable. It’s important to start on the right foot, especially at a circuit with bumps where it’s always hard to go fast, but tomorrow we still have to work more to improve the bike and keep preparing with the race in mind.

The Moto3 category belonged to the home favourite, Miguel Oliveira, who set the best time. You can tell he’s racing at home and in front of his fans; he’s full of strength and desire, pushing hard from the start of the weekend. It has been tougher for Álex Rins and Álex Márquez, although step by step they will get closer to the front and midfield positions; it’s a matter of getting to grips with the Portuguese track.

In the first FP, the protagonists were Oliveira and Maverick Viñales, with the Catalan finally being the fastest, while in FP2 the Portuguese rider didn’t want to waste time and rode as the fastest. For their part, Rins and Márquez, who were riding this circuit for the first time, finished in eighteenth and nineteenth place respectively; while in FP2 they were 14th and 23rd.

Time to keep pushing and improving at Estoril Moto3.

Statements from Miguel Oliveira:

We can be happy with the first day of practice. In the morning and in difficult conditions, we set the second best time. In the afternoon, we were already able to ride on slick tyres, and that allowed us to move the work forward and improve on the morning times. We went out calmly, looking for the feeling with the bike, and together with my team we kept working to complete a final run with a very good pace.

We have room for improvement in the bike’s setup, so we must keep working calmly like this, since for now it’s working for us. The last session is making it very hard for riders to set a fast lap, but the Portuguese circuit is like that.

Statements from Álex Rins:

The truth is this start to the Grand Prix is a bit similar to Jerez, since in the morning we completed the sessions on a wet track. I still need to finish adapting to the circuit, although we’re improving lap by lap. The team is doing a good job and I’m very happy to have their help.

Estoril is a very technical circuit, twisty, bumpy, with slow corners, and we still have to keep working to adapt. Anyway, the conditions are the same for everyone, so all we can do is improve.

Statements from Álex Márquez:

I’m not very happy. I’m left with the feeling of not having achieved what I should have. I’m demanding, but I also have to be aware that, all things considered, we’re not doing so badly. We just need adaptation and track time. We have to improve both my riding and the bike, but this is just a matter of time.

I’m sure we’ll improve our times tomorrow. This morning it rained and slowed our work down a little, but little by little we’ll keep taking steps forward. Here in Portugal I already feel a bit more comfortable, as this is my second Grand Prix.

Source | Repsol Media Service