With Marc Marquez still absent, the Repsol Honda Team HRC continues its work and development program on the Losail track with his new addition. Pol Espargarò. In contrast to his brand colleagues Stefan Bradl and the LCR team duo, this is the very first time for the Spaniard on the RC213V. After the fourth day of the official tests in 10th place, eight tenths of a second from the top, pole fell victim to a harmless slip in the opening minutes of the session.
“It was really strange. It wasn’t Honda style,“He specified. “I Would have expected something like this in qualifying when we were pushing the limit, but it happened shortly after the session started. We had a lot of headwind compared to yesterday and we used tires that weren’t suitable for these conditions. I fell while entering the corner but I’m not worried. I just should have been less frenetic. “
Despite the big deficit on the reference from Maverick Vinales, the driver from Granollers was one of the few who did his best lap that afternoon. Suffice it to say that the 1’54’103 go back to the passage from number 22 of the 65 completed.
“The time gained is good, then I came back on the track with the same set of tires and we drove several laps in 1’54 “up and 1’55” deep,“he said.” A pace is interesting from a racing point of view. In the evening we finished a new simulation and tried harder than expected, but overall it was concrete. “
Undoubtedly, adapting to the prerogatives of the Tokyo designer motorcycle will require more time, which confirms the rider’s words.
“Unfortunately, I am still not aware of my true potential. At the moment we are competitive on average. We are close to the top group and that is positive. We are only at the beginning of a long journey. “
Completely different from the characteristics of the KTM, which he rode until last year, the RC213V seems to adapt perfectly to the strengths of the 2013 Moto2 champion.
“I think it’s perfect for my driving style. I really enjoy driving it. With every exit, the feeling increases a lot, I think we could take some satisfaction this season. Now I am beginning to understand how I can realize the potential of the bike. Of course you have to trust yourself to reach certain levels, that’s why Marc is often in limbo and sometimes lands on the ground. With this engine configuration you have to push a lot, and I like that. “
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