KTM RIDERS COMPLETE FINAL MOTO3 IRTA TESTS

[totalmotorcycle]

#KTM #RIDERS COMPLETE FINAL #MOTO3 IRTA TESTS


With the opening round of the 2015 Moto3 World Championship firmly in their view, Red Bull KTM Ajo riders Miguel Oliveira, Karel Hanika and Brad Binder took to the track in Jerez for three final days of testing. The sessions however were all marred by rain and wind, which at least gave teams the chance to test set ups and settings for wet weather conditions.

Of the nine sessions only Session 5 of Day two saw a full contingent of 34 riders recording lap times, other sessions came and went, sometimes with only two or three riders venturing out of the track. And while the fastest lap time was registered in Session Five at 1:48.189, riders were also relatively fast on the opening session of Day One. Red Bull KTM Ajo riders Brad Binder and Miguel Oliveira were 3-4 on the timesheets with lap times of 1:49.461 and 1:49.508 respectively. The opening session was the only one of the nine that riders took to the track on slicks.

Over the nine sessions, albeit some of which never really got off the ground, it was Sky Racing Team VR46’s Romano Fenati of Italy who was the fastest KTM rider. Brad Binder and Miguel Oliveira finished 10-11 on the combined sheets. Karel Hanika was sixteenth fastest over the three days.

On the final day the Red Bull KTM Ajo riders continued to work on wet setups and finished with Hanika in fourth, Binder fifth and Oliveira eighth on the Day Three combined time sheet.

Oliveira said he felt confident on the wet track conditions, saying: "Today has helped us to find a better feeling in the wet. In the end it has been very positive, because I was fast and consistent. I was riding better every lap and also feeling more at ease on the bike.” Looking ahead to the first GP he said: We are ready for battle. We have a great team that has done a good job. I have great confidence in them and I know that when a problem occurs, they will be there to help. I have to concentrate on myself, have a good race and try to score points."

Binder said the final day had been positive despite the weather. “Unfortunately the weather wasn’t great, but the truth is I'd rather be out there riding than sitting in the garage. I had a small problem with the bike when I opened the throttle fully. We have changed almost everything and we have solved the issue. Now I feel more confident for the first race in Qatar and I’m ready to have a good race. I’m looking forward to returning to 'normal' weekends, because I'm a raced ay rider."

Hanika was also satisfied: “The first session went well, as the track was wet but it was not raining hard, so we worked on improving the setup we had found yesterday. Overall I am happy with how these tests have gone. I think both the team and I are ready for Qatar, because although we have not had too many days to test, we have done enough laps to get used to the new bike and it has been very positive. If we continue to work like this, we will have a good first race."

Team Manager - Aki Ajo: “This winter we haven't been too lucky with conditions in testing, but we have to accept the situation. Luckily we had a test in Almeria and there we did really improve the bike, which is new this year. That means that we need a little time. After the test in Almeria and after what we have learned here in difficult conditions, we face the first race feeling fairly confident. I think we're ready for Qatar.”

KTM rider Ana Carrasco of RBA Racing Team, one of only two women in the field of riders crashed in the morning session of Day Three and broke her collarbone. Medics at the track said she would not need surgery.

With track temperatures around 11 degrees Celsius, and rain and wind that saw sessions red flagged because of bad conditions, teams were left with little alternative but to stay in the garage.
***
Combined results of all nine sessions
1, Jorge Navaro, ESP, Honda, 1:48.189
2, Danny Kent, GBR, Honda, 1:48.930
3, Fabio Quartararo, FRA, Honda, 1:49.033
4, Niccolo Antonelli, ITA, Honda, 1:49.055
5, Jorge Martin, ESP, Mahindra, 1:49.265
6, Enea Bastianini, ITA, Honda, 1:49.277
7, Isaac Vinales, ESP, Husqvarna 1:49.301
8, Livio Loi, BEL, Honda, 1:49.401
9, Romano Fenati, ITA KTM 1:49.433

Other KTM
10, Brad Binder, RSA, KTM 1:49.461
11, Miguel Oliveira, POR, KTM 1:49.508
14, Philipp Oettl, GER, KTM, 1:49.954
16, Karel Hanika, CZE, KTM, 1:50.135
22. Jakub Kornfeil, CZE, KTM, 1:50.628
27, Niklas Ajo, FIN, KTM, 1:51.405
28, Gabriel Rodrigo, ARG, KTM 1:51.881