On finishing the Dutch Grand Prix, the lorries of the Repsol Honda Team 125cc and 250cc haven’t stopped, and have now moved on to the Czech circuit of Brno. There they have been training in order to allow the Repsol riders to improve…
The start of the day saw some rain, which prevented the riders from getting out on the track until 11 in the morning. The riders on the track were taking no chances in the session until lunchtime, as conditions were a long way from ideal for a proper training session. After lunch, the track was dry and although still not ideal, the Repsol Honda Team 125cc and 250cc drivers concentrated on getting a better feeling from their bikes.
Julian Simon tried different options in trying to get a more comfortable riding position. On the other side of the box, team-mate Shuhei Aoyama has focused on improving his riding style. Esteve Rabat also took advantage of the day, weather permitting, to notch up kilometres and try out different adjustments to the bike. At the end of the day, feelings are not as positive as was hoped, as the weather really has conditioned the day’s work. But it has not been entirely fruitless, as they have been able to gather valuable information with respect to forthcoming races.
Julian Simon,
2’04.6 sec, 71 laps
‘It has been a difficult day; it rained in the morning and we couldn’t get on the track until 11. We were riding until lunchtime, and then the track was dry, although still not perfect. We have been making some personal changes in the riding position, because in recent races I did not feel particularly comfortable. In the end we have found some positive things and others not so positive, so we have reached some good conclusions. Lap times have not been very good, but at least we are leaving with the bike setup ready for when we come back here.’
Shuhei Aoyama,
2’05.8 sec, 45 laps
‘Conditions here today have been quite difficult, although they improved as the day went by, so bit by bit I have felt more comfortable on the bike. In the end I didn’t get a good lap time, but the feeling is better and this is important. So we’re leaving here with some good information. I have tried different tyres, and I have also tried varying my riding style, as I have to improve that.Esteve Rabat ‘It has been a complicated day for training, because the track was not very good at any time. But it was good for us to try some things that we had wanted to try and that we couldn’t do in races due to lack of time. Next week we will be racing in Germany and I’m sure these trials will have served a purpose.’
