The Repsol Honda Team Manager analyses the Portuguese Grand Prix after a difficult weekend for both riders.
Not an easy weekend in Portimao.
“We did not have an easy race. We were not able to achieve the perfect setting and probably we needed more time to understand our bike at this track. Certainly, we did not have enough time with consistent conditions, but this is not an excuse because the other riders and teams were fast with the same amount of time in the same conditions. We need to keep working and exploring the possibilities in front of us, we now prepare to head to Jerez with an open-minded mentality.”
Was the tyre choice the riders made the correct one?
“Yes, Pol Espargaró chose the hard tyre and it was good for him. Marc Márquez went with the medium. For their riding styles it was OK in Portugal and they made their choices well.”
What are the positive and negative points from the GP?
“The positive point is that we are two points closer to the top of the Rider Championship, but the reality is that our performance was not as good as we were expecting here. Being 16 seconds from the winner is not the goal. This is not good for us, and we need to improve.”
The next race is the Spanish Grand Prix.
“Yes, now we go to Jerez, a circuit where our riders have traditionally been fast. We have to wait and see what the situation is, aim for a better race and try to understand if we are not there with the group in the race. Portimao has shown that we have to improve our bike further.”
