MARQUEZ AND DIGGIA SHINE AT PORTIMAO
TWO DAYS OF TESTING, FOUR CRASHES, AN UNFIT RIDER, BUT ALSO POSITIVE FEELINGS AND LAP-TIMES AHEAD OF THE START OF THE SEASON.
Good news first: after being declared unfit to ride this morning, it turns out that Fabio Di Giannantonio will only need a few days of resting before resuming practice ahead of the start of the season – which will get underway in less than two weeks.
The downside was losing one crucial day of testing, in which the Italian would have evaluated a few setup options and if time allowed, he may have even attempted a time attack. As preseason draws to a close, the feeling has undoubtedly been positive in each test.
Very good news also come from Alex Marquez, who is gelling extremely well with the Desmosedici machine and at Portimao was able to confirm the good feeling of previous outings.
Small crash aside (turns 10-11) the test has been overall a positive one. With the seventh quickest time overall and a sprint race simulation, the bike feels more and more his own.
7th – ALEX MARQUEZ #73 (1’38.402s – 123 laps)
“I must say that it has been a very positive test, today even better than yesterday. We’re getting close to the limit of my Ducati and even today’s crash allowed me to get a better understanding. After all, it’s better to crash during testing and understanding how far I can push with the bike. We’re obviously happy with this preseason,we’re now at a top five level at this track so it’s a really good start”
21st – FABIO DI GIANNANTONIO #49 (1’39.641s – 32 laps)
“It was quite the crash, so the doctors advised on taking it easy for 48 hours. It’s a shame things went the way they did as we were working well. It was also a very normal crash but the gravel ruined it all. It’s more like rocks than stones so it was a very painful experience: every year is the same here. We spoke with the organisers to see if security cab be improved, also gravel-wise. Again, it’s a shame but the feeling with the bike is excellent and the two tests have been positive. We’re ready!”
