Press releases from the Moto2 and Moto3 teams after the two-day test at Jerez:
Oliveira and Binder start 2018 preseason with strong showing
Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 riders begin preparing for next year with two-day test at Jerez Circuit, in which the Portuguese rider was fastest.
11/17/2017 - Jerez Circuit, Spain
The Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 riders transitioned from 2017 to 2018 this week, undertaking two days of testing on Thursday and Friday. The test came just days after the season finale in Valencia, and saw the pair enjoying positive track time at the Jerez Circuit. The results were very satisfactory for Miguel Oliveira -1:41.518- and Brad Binder 1:41.776, who despite dedicating their time to trying out new things ended up first and fourth fastest, respectively.
After a spectacular season finale that saw three wins for Oliveira and three podiums for Binder, the Red Bull KTM Ajo riders started preparing for 2018 this week. On two days of testing under the Spanish sun, the two riders completed around 140 laps each. The setup of the KTM Moto2 was a focal point of the test, and the duo tried out a new chassis, swingarm and suspensions as they began to draw their first conclusions. Inside the Top 5 on Thursday, Oliveira and Binder lowered their times on by more than half a second on Friday.
To take advantage of the last days before the mandatory winter break, the Red Bull KTM Ajo Moto2 team now return to Valencia, where they will have their last two days of testing on Monday and Tuesday.
41 BRAD BINDER
"This first preseason test of 2018 has been very positive. We have tried some new things that have worked really well and, obviously, we have seen that some have not brought the improvements we expected. We had many things to test out and, at the end of the day, we were 0.2 seconds away from the fastest time, in fourth position. I think that's really good. I was almost 2 seconds faster than in the race, so I'm learning more and more everyday and I enjoyed myself a lot today. I'm looking forward to going to Valencia to try out the things that have worked and see where we are."
44 MIGUEL OLIVEIRA
"We’ve had two days of quite positive testing here at Jerez. We have been able to work on the setup of the bike as well as new suspensions, a new chassis, and a new swingarm. We’ve been trying to draw conclusions to improve the bike during the winter break. We have been quick and I felt very comfortable, although we have room for improvement, so it is very positive. Now we have two more days of testing in Valencia to finish defining what we can continue improving."
FIRST TEST OF THE 2018 SEASON FOR THE SKY RACING TEAM VR46
At Jerez del la Frontera, the Sky Racing Team VR46 debuts with Bagnaia and Marini in Moto2 and Foggia in Moto3.
Jerez de la Frontera (Spain), November 17th, 2017 - Positive debut for the Sky Racing Team VR46 in Jerez de la Frontera which hosted the first testing session of the new season.
On track, on his Kalex, Francesco Bagnaia with the pace of the fastest guys, closes the two days of testing with just a tenth of gap from Oliveira, the leader with a best of 1.41.518. With his 1.41.622 (144 laps), Pecco is second overall satisfied with his approach with new suspension.
At his debut with Team, Luca Marini, seventh in the combined standings, with a best lap time of 1.42.115 (149 laps) and motivated to continue his work in Valencia next week.
Before returning to Ricardo Tormo for the last race of the Junior World Championship CEV, debut for Dennis Foggia in Moto3 with a positive 1.46.809 and 119 laps. Nicolò Bulega did not take part in this session due to the consequences reported after the fall in FP2 at the Valencia GP. From Madrid, where last week he underwent a surgery to reduce the fracture of the right talus, Nicolò will back to Italy in the next few hours.
Pablo Nieto - Team Manager
With this two-days of testing, the 2018 season officially started for the Team. In Moto2, we immediately returned to work with commitment and motivation. Pecco and Luca have done good lap times and we have to stay focused to make a further step forward. In Moto3, we started to approch Dennis: I'm happy to see him into the World Championship and I have to say that, in just two days, he made a big step forward. Nicolò is coming back to Italy in these hours and we can not wait to see him on the track.
Francesco Bagnaia - Moto2 #42
Two days of very positive testing: I worked hard and I tried many new solutions. Compared to last year's configuration, I feel much more comfortable and I've been able to being really fast. A pity for my last run, maybe I could improve my time, but I had problems with the tyres. Overall, I had a competitive and fast pace. Two days of work are still waiting for us in Valencia next week: we have to make the most of them and then enjoy the winter break.
Luca Marini - Moto2 #10
The new adventure with the Sky Racing Team VR46 started very well: it was a positive test where I started to know the guys and set the job for the next season. In just two days, we made a good steps forward and, despite an influence that has debilitated me, I was able to ride really fast. The pace was also good and I am happy with the approach with the new bike and the Team. We have to continue to work in this direction and stay focused. The goal for Valencia is to improve performance compared to the race weekend where I struggled to be competitive.
Dennis Foggia - Moto3 #10
I'm delighted with my debut with the Sky Racing Team VR46: two days of productive work where I started to know the new crew. We have tried many solutions, some very useful, some no, but overall I'm happy with my debut. Between yesterday and today I improved my personal record on this track and this is a good start for the 2018.
Márquez and Mir enjoy successful Jerez test
Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS Moto2 riders, Álex Márquez and Joan Mir, both declared themselves happy with the progress made after two days of testing at the Jerez circuit in southern Spain.
Márquez, who will contest his fourth season in the intermediate class next year, spent the two-day test working on the development of the 2018 Moto machine together with chassis manufacturer Kalex and suspension supplier Öhlins.
The 21-year-old Spaniard ran two bikes during the test to maximise testing time and completed more than 140 laps over the course of the two days, as he worked primarily to improve traction and drive through and out of the turns.
Despite a heavy test program, Márquez finished third on the timesheet with a best lap of 1'41.719.
While Márquez concentrated on development his Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS teammate, Joan Mir, was testing a Moto2 machine for the first time in Jerez. The reigning Moto3 World Champion quickly established a rapport with his new crew and thoroughly enjoyed his first two days aboard the Kalex Moto2 machine.
Mir improved both his feeling with the bike and his lap time with every exit, as he worked together with his crew to find a good base set up with which to start next week's two-day test in Valencia. A best lap of 1'42.741 saw Mir finish 16th on the timesheet and just 1.223s off the fastest time of Miguel Oliveira.
Álex Márquez: 3rd – 1'41.719
"I'm happy with these two days and the test was really positive. We've done a lot of testing for Kalex and for Öhlins, working our way through a pretty intensive test program, and many of the things we've tried brought improvements. We focused mainly on improving traction here, with positive results, but there is still more work to be done in this area. But now we have a clear development direction and I think we will see continue to see improvements next week in Valencia and again during the preseason tests in February. Overall a very positive test, during which we amassed the data that both Kalex and Öhlins need to continue development over the winter break."
Joan Mir: 16th – 1'42.725
"I enjoyed riding the Moto2 bike a lot during these two days. I'm also happy to be working with my new crew; we created a great atmosphere in only two days and this is very important. With the bike we just tried a few things with the chassis and suspension to see which is going to be my way to go fast on the Moto2 and the direction we need to take is pretty clear. I improved my lap time every time I went on track and I hope to continue like this next week in Valencia."
Pete Benson: Joan Mir Chief Engineer
"Joan's approach to this test, his first on a Moto2 bike, has been really positive. He knows that adapting to this bike is going to take time and that it needs to be done step-by-step, but he's already made some of those steps here. We tried a few things on the bike; some he liked and we saw an improvement in his lap time while some he didn't like and this was backed up by the data, so his feedback has been good. Given that this was his first time on the bike he was very fast through the first three sectors but lost a little time in the final split, but this will come with more time on the bike. Overall a very positive first test and we're looking forward to making more steps next week in Valencia."
Progress made for Gardner as 2018 preparations begin – Bendsneyder impresses on Moto2 test debut
Remy Gardner took the first steps in gearing up for his sophomore season in the fiercely contested Moto2 class by closing the Jerez test with a solid run to 11th. Gardner tested various setup options for his Mistral 610 and gained an improved feeling all round, which left him six tenths from the top three. Now he confidently awaits the next outing at Valencia.
Meanwhile, the promising rookie, Bo Bendsneyder, concluded a positive first showing aboard the Mistral 610 as he got up to speed in the Moto2 class. The young Dutch rider gained experience on the first day, and then made encouraging steps forward today. He posted his personal best on his penultimate lap, that notably put him half a second behind his teammate.
Remy Gardner
Position: 11th - Time: 1'42.337 - Laps: 55
“Overall, the test was good and I am happy with the progress. I think that after the changes we made, I can run about 2 tenths of a second quicker if I can find a perfect lap. This is encouraging and my end position was not bad, but I am still looking for more. However, I think that we are going in the right direction and I’m certain that we can improve further in Valencia, yet overall, it was definitely a positive two days here in Jerez."
Bo Bendsneyder
Position: 21st - Time: 1'42.898 - Laps: 75
“I had a really amazing time here and I was consistent and managed to advance on every lap. Yesterday was all about gaining experience and then today, I started well and posted a fast time at the beginning. My pace was quite good and we maintained our speed throughout the day. Then I rode 25 laps on the same tyres, and on the last run, I produced my best time which was a 1’42.898. When I set that time, I had completed 31 laps on that rubber and that is very positive, as those old tyres had done more than race distance. I want to thank the team a lot and soon we will be back on the track in Valencia and so I am looking forward to this.“
Jerez Test: 16-17 November 2017
CHAMPIONSHIP: MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
TEAM: MARINELLI RIVACOLD SNIPERS TEAM
CLASS: MOTO 3
RIDER: TONY ARBOLINO #14
BIKE: HONDA NSF250RW
CLASS: MOTO2
RIDER: ROMANO FENATI #13
BIKE: KALEX
DATE: 17 NOVEMBER 2017
CIRCUIT: JEREZ DE LA FRONTERA
The shotgun barrel is still smoking for a World Championship which just ended and that is still hot, but lots of Moto2 and Moto3 teams met at Jerez de la Frontera circuit for 2 intense test days with the new formations. Everything is new even for the Snipers, with Romano Fenati dealing with is new Kalex Moto2 and Tony Arbolino with the Honda Moto3 which brought his box mate to get the second position in the world standing just fired. Romano got a good time, 1.6s from the best. That sounds good considering that the bike was assembled in two days in Valencia, after the race, and that the team is partially new to face the new season. Everything is new and needs to be tested. Excellent time also for Tony Arbolino who improved 1 sec his best lap time got on the same track in the Championship race weekend this year! This guy (17 years old) is really on the right way.
Romano Fenati: "We had two difficult but positive days of test. We improved, step by step, the feeling with the bike and the confidence is increasing. We go now to Valencia to continue the job done until now and do another step forward.".
Tony Arbolino: "Two extremely positive days and I am really happy and satisfied of this first test. I like my bike, I feel comfortable and I like Mirko's working method. I really feel good with him. We finished the day with a good time and, looking at the times registered this year, we could have started form the second row on the grid in the race. I am looking forward to face the second test session in Valencia, next Monday and Tuesday, but at the moment the feeling is perfect".
Can and Deniz Öncü debut with Moto3 project at Jerez
The new Red Bull KTM Ajo lineup for the 2018 FIM CEV Junior World Championship season held a special two-day test this week, alongside World Championship riders.
11/17/2017 - Jerez Circuit, Spain
The last two days have been very special for the Öncü twins, Can and Deniz. The Red Bull KTM Ajo riders, who will represent the team in the FIM CEV Junior World Championship next year, debuted this week with their team and in the class. Can and Deniz completed two days of testing on Thursday and Friday at the Jerez circuit, alongside Moto3 and Moto2 World Championship riders, to kick off the 2018 preseason.
The two days were very positive for the pair, and the weather favourable to their putting in many laps -more than 100 each-, on their first encounter with a Moto3 bike. Both Can -1:47.120- and Deniz -1:47.635- took an important step forward on Friday, improving their times from the previous day by more than a second.
The Öncü twins were accompanied by Darryn Binder, Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Moto3 World Championship rider for 2018, who watched the action from trackside. Binder underwent surgery on his left hand on Tuesday and was thus unable to test. The preseason for the two young riders will continue next week in Valencia.
#40 - Darryn Binder
"Today we finished our two days of testing in Jerez; unfortunately I could not ride due to operation to my left hand, but it was good to be here. I spent two days with the team watching how they work, I met everyone I saw how the team work with their riders, how they respond to them and the things they do. I am very happy with how the team have treated me over the last two days; I have been unable to ride but I enjoyed it very much and I look forward to next season."
#53 - Deniz Öncü
"This was a positive two day test here at Jerez. On my first day with a Moto3 bike I put in a 1:48, which I think is not bad, and during the second day we tested the soft tyre but it was not the best for me. We went back to the intermediate tyre and in the end I finished with a 1:47. I’m very happy about this lap time and with the step forward we have made. The Moto3 bike is very fast and I really like riding it. It’s going to be a good year."
#61 - Can Öncü
"The feeling after these first two days in Moto3 are very good; I have a great team! We have improved a lot throughout these two days and I am very happy. I wasn’t completely satisfied after the first day, because I wanted a better laptime, but it’s normal; it was my first experience with a Moto3 bike. Today we set a 1:47.1, I think it's a good time for only the second day with this bike. I hope to continue making progress in Valencia."
A new moon shines above the skies of Andalusia and the Forward Racing Team.
On the Spanish circuit of Jerez de la Frontera, where the pre-championship private races were held today and yesterday, Stefano Manzi and Eric Granado, the team's new members, raced for the first time on their respective bikes. The riders were accompanied by excellent weather conditions: 22 ° C outdoor temperature in Southern Spain and 25 ° C on the asphalt. The Forward Racing Team team has focused on welcoming newcomers and also studying the new motorcycle.
In fact, the talented Riminese, who also heralds from he VR46 Riders Academy, took advantage of both days before the winter break. On the first day, he gained confidence on his motorcycle which is similar to the one used in the last championship, but with some untested components, and on the second day, studied even the slightest feature of the 2018 Suter MMX2.
However, the Brazilian completed the first day only, leaving at the last race of the European Speed Championship in Valencia, which he currently ambitiously sees himself at the top of the standings and could crown him European Champion.
Stefano Manzi -
“This first test immediately took a positive turn. Yesterday we tested the Kalex 2017 that I used during the season, and I've already had the chance to experiment with technical material for the first time. For example, I worked with the Ohlins suspension. I was able to get to know my new team with which I found myself at ease, finding a balanced mix of professionalism and sympathy. Today we tested the Suter 2017 and I was followed step by step also by a technician from the manufacturer. Along with the guys in the team, we have already been able to find a lot of positive differences over the Kalex 2017 and I can say it’s not bad, indeed! Surely, in order to make the most of all that is new, it will take time and more miles on the track, but I am very confident and positive on all fronts. I want to thank the Forward Racing team for the opportunity they are giving to me, the job we are doing is certainly great, but we are confident that we can do well and achieve ambitious goals together.”
Eric Granado -
"My first day with the Team Forward Racing was very positive. We started to know and understand how we can work optimally with the team and the bike. I would call it an important day in my personal and professional growth. In the first rounds, I progressively tested the bike but without exaggerating. In view of my race last weekend in CEV, where I'm currently battling for the European Champion title, in general I can say that we used this first day to find out as much data as possible on which to base my winter preparation and understand the relationship with the bike and the team. One day is not much, but it was certainly good to leave the Jerez circuit with an idea of how I should behave and what are the points to improve from here at the start of next season. I've been able to score more than 70 laps on the track and now I'm even more loaded and enthusiastic in view of my new adventure with the Forward Racing Team. So I hope to be able to prepare myself well before the start of the February tests and to be able to find the right feeling and set-up as soon as possible to be competitive in Qatar. I thank everyone for this great opportunity to return to the world championship, and especially to Giovanni Cuzari. "
Giovanni Cuzari - Team Owner
"I immediately want to shake hands and thank both drivers who have come to work and have shown the talent that characterizes them on our motorcycle. I am sure that we can grow together and demonstrate all our value and experience that distinguishes us. The tests over the two days have been mainly used by our team's mechanics to accommodate every single detail and to accommodate the new riders, and then to face the best of next season.
I'm sure our pilots will be able to accompany us on this fantastic adventure and to give the best of what we want to achieve. "
