The MotoGP World Championship has returned to Europe today after its transoceanic wanderings with events in Qatar and Japan. Today, the top category, after offering a virtuoso demonstration last weekend in Motegi –the first five riders to classify came in with less than ten seconds between them-, has kicked off in Jerez, the scenario of highly intense moments over the last few years. With the Spanish Grand Prix arrive the sun, the heat, a huge audience, excitement and the incredible atmosphere experienced every year in the grandstands at the Jerez circuit.
Out on the circuit, today the two Repsol Honda Team riders have made initial contact. Andrea Dovizioso, fifth at the end of the first 45 minutes of the practice sessions, got into what should be his natural position in the first free practice on his new official Honda: within one second of the best time, and gradually improving every time he went out on the track. Andrea, who has tested some new parts today, developed to eliminate the problems that the two Repsol Honda Team riders are having with the front wheel of their bikes when braking, said that he is very satisfied with the results of the first tests and of the first free practice session.
For Dani Pedrosa, today’s position –tenth-, is obviously not the position he should occupy, in spite of not having completely recovered from the injury to his knee, and his lack of physical form, which he will recover little by little. However, the third on the podium in the Japanese Grand Prix has had several set up problems on both of his bikes today, as well as an electronic problem on one of them, which forced him to go back into the garage and come back out on the track on the second. In the end, Pedrosa finished tenth, a second and a half off the best time, clocked up by the Italian Valentino Rossi.
Dani Pedrosa, 1’41.208 secs, 19 laps, 84 km. >> Audio
“It’s a good feeling to be back in Europe and especially to be riding at Jerez again. It’s only Friday but there are already a lot of fans out on the banking so I know it’s going to be another special weekend for the Spanish riders. The first session didn’t go quite according to plan for us though and I think we can go faster than this tomorrow. We had an issue with one of my bikes and our general machine set-up still needs some work. The Bridgestone tyres seem to be working pretty well though, so set-up will be the main issue for us tomorrow.”
Andrea Dovizioso, 1’40.601 secs, 21 laps, 93 km. >> Audio
“Today the conditions of the track and the weather were perfect and I was able to ride fast from the beginning of the session. For part of the practice I was trying some new parts and I was impressed with the laptimes I could do without a lot of set-up time. Time is very limited with only 45 minutes per session but we’ve found some potential. We need to do quite a lot of work to maximise this potential, but I’m satisfied of this first test session for Spainish Grand Prix”.
