RODRIGO AND ROSSI ON Q2 FORM AT JEREZ
There is a positive vibe within Team Kömmerling Gresini Moto3’s pit-box as both standard bearers of the Italian squad finished inside the top 10 on the opening day at Jerez da la Frontera. Despite the extremely hot temperatures – that reached a peak of 41°C 105.8°F) on the asphalt during FP2 – Gabriel Rodrigoand Riccardo Rossiwere very active around the fast-flowing Andalusian track.
The surprise of the day was represented by the great performance of the young Italian, who was the quickest in FP1 (1’47.217secs) despite crashing unhurt at turn one. Rossi made the most of a windless morning as he got up to speed on a track that is surely not among his favourites.
After a fourth-place finish in Free Practice one, Rodrigo was seventh-quickest in the combined times of the two sessions and only 0.375secs away from the top of the timesheets – while already lapping faster than during winter testing. The Argentine opted for a race-oriented approached as he mainly lapped with used tyres, ahead of a race that might be more challenging than expected due to the extreme heat.
Moto3 proceedings will resume tomorrow morning at 9:00 local time (GMT+2) with the FP3 session as both riders will be looking to make it directly into Q2 (it would be a first for Rossi).
7th– GABRI RODRIGO #19
“It was a positive day: here everybody is really quick because of previous testing. We worked on our grip in the afternoon – because of the heat – and we decided to keep lapping with used tyres and concentrate on our race pace. We got a big plus with the changes made, especially given qualifying and race will be held under high temperatures. I need to relax more into slower turns, where I know I can be faster, without trying to push in areas where I know I’m fast already. I must say I was struggling in the third sector during testing and I already made a step forward there – so we’re looking forward to the next couple of days.”
9th– RICCARDO ROSSI #54
“We had a great morning session. We tried the new tyres and the feeling is good. I did well in FP1, with lower temperatures and without wind, both on the single lap and on the longer run. Honestly I haven’t made the most of FP2, maybe because of the wind that made turning more difficult. We’re in Q2 for now and the goal is to make sure we do qualify directly for that session, even though I’m aware that everybody will improving tomorrow.”
