TOP-FIVE FINISH FOR GONZALEZ, GOOD RESULT ALSO FOR ARENAS IN EIGHTH
It was a good start to the season for team QJMOTOR GRESINI Moto2 who place both their riders in the top eight: this is a solid result for the opening round of 2024, also considering the new tyre supplier. Dreams of gold came from Manuel Gonzalez for half race as he battled for top position. A drop of grip at the front-end ended up making life a bit more difficult for the #18, who still managed to defend his position and keep the following riders at bay, while bringing home an excellent fifth place.
From third place on the grid, Albert Arenas had also great expectations for this first round. The question marks were many, however: first race with these tyres, still to discover and understand, and the condition of his shoulder. The rider #75 still managed to secure an eighth-place finish and a good bag of points for the championship, but especially a good base to work on ahead of the next race, taking place in Portugal, where the two standard bearers of team QJMOTOR GRESINI Moto2 have ridden already during preseason testing.
5th – MANUEL GONZALEZ #18
“It was a really difficult race, but we knew it was going to be one: we had to slow our pace down at halfway point in the race as I struggled a lot with the front tyre. I tried to stay behind Lopez in order to save the tyre and that helped manage the margin on the following riders, but it wasn’t enough to stay with the leading group. This is a whole lot of experience for the next, we did a lot of learning and we’re going home with a good result from this first championship round.”
8th – ALBERT ARENAS #75
“First race done! We have a good base to work on and especially data to understand these tyres better. We understood our potential and we can grow from here. I’d like to thank the team as they did an excellent job. I’m also happy with myself: when I started struggling in the race, I was able to keep the focus and bring home the best possible result and a good number of points – but also a good base for the continuation of the season.”
