Repsol Moto3 riders back on track at the Circuito de Jerez on Tuesday, to complete an intense day of testing for forthcoming races.
After the first four races of the season, Jorge Navarro, Fabio Quartararo and Maria Herrera had a productive day of testing at Jerez –the scene of last Sunday’s Spanish Grand Prix. The trio worked on the setup of their bikes on an intense day on track, with a focus on the next round at Le Mans.
Navarro and Quartararo focused their work on testing various chassis configurations for their Honda NSF250RWs, with the aim of analysing different options that they lacked time to experiment with on a race weekend. Despite a light crash at noon, Navarro closed the day with 98 laps to his name –over 433 kilometres. His best time was 1:46.402. The Frenchman also completed 98 laps, setting a best time of 1:46.460. Maria Herrera also took a step forward in the development of her Husqvarna, looking to get more confident and more comfortable when riding. She put in 70 laps –more than 309 kilometres– with a top time of 1:48.4.
The next time the trio will get onboard their bikes will be on Friday of next week, at the first free practice for the French Grand Prix.
Fabio Quartararo, 1:46.460 sec, 98 laps, 433 km
“Today was a busy day because we put in many laps. The conditions were not as good as during the Grand Prix and it was quite windy, but the track temperatures remained high. We worked hard with the team on different adjustments to the bike. We have had a good setup, with which I feel comfortable, from the beginning of the year, and today we found a different option that also meant we were able to ride with confidence. I want to thank them for the work they have done, I think it has been very good and allows us to go to the next races with more options”.
Jorge Navarro, 1:46.402 sec, 98 laps, 433 km
“Testing today was very productive, because in preseason we didn’t have very good weather and we could not try everything we would have liked. Today we did a lot of laps and the work with the team has been very good. We have taken a step forward with the setup of the bike and I was able to ride more comfortably than during the Grand Prix weekend. This test gives us a lot of confidence going into the next race, and we hope to continue moving forward”.
María Herrera, 1:48.4sec, 70 laps, 309 km.
“The truth is that, despite the pain in my foot, the day went pretty well. We were able to try many things that we had planned with the team and drew some quite good conclusions. I felt very comfortable, more than I did throughout the weekend, and I think if I had been 100% fit I could have lowered my times further still. I’m happy with the good work we have done, which will allow us to go to France with a clearer idea about the setup for the bike”.
