Alex Rins has shown that injury doesn’t always hinder you, as he goes to 9th place on the second day of testing. The Spaniard, who was way down the order on day 1, was keen to try the team’s solution to chassis issues, trying a variety of configurations.
The GSX-RR rider is still getting used to his new surroundings, but reports from the team suggest that his relationship with them is getting better, as his confidence with the bike is beginning to shine through.
The same could not be said for Austrian Grand Prix winner Andrea Iannone, who, after finishing 3rd on day 1, didn’t improve his time on day 2, placing him in 12th place. Iannone is also a new signing, with team boss David Brivio putting it down to “not being able to find a style that suits his needs.
“Today we tried different things; some new specs of the chassis and the new fairings. I feel comfortable. We took a big step since yesterday. Step-by-step, lap-by-lap, I can take better lines and so I can be more consistent”.
The Moto2 title challenger from 2016 went on to say: “We could improve a lot in the third sector. We are more consistent than yesterday, we gained a lot of corner speed and I’m happy we are working in the right direction.”
As for Andrea Iannone, he was not as optimistic. “Today’s been hard because we could not find a way to improve the lap time”, he began. “We are at a point where we still have work to do. Although, looking at the pace, I’m not that bad and it’s better than yesterday. I still don’t have 100% control of the machine; it’s only the second test, little-by-little”.
The Italian went on to say that his understanding of the behaviour of the bike must improve: “I need to understand how to attack the track to achieve a better lap time and how to best read the GSX-RR, but I believe this will come with time, after riding longer and longer. Now, we are focused on many aspects. We have many positives and we are working hard on our negatives.”
The test resumes tomorrow, for the final time.
Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko