FIRST MOTOGP PRACTICE SESSIONS IN AUSTRIA

TOP TEN FOR MAVERICK, ALEIX IMPROVES BETWEEN THE TWO SESSIONS, LORENZO IS FAST AND CONTINUES THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE RS-GP

The Austrian MotoGP weekend didn’t start off on the best foot weather-wise. The overnight rainfall did not let the asphalt dry off in time for the first timed practice session, forcing the riders to go out in wet configuration. The conditions improved slowly, until all were able to ride on slicks, albeit with rather indicative times.

It was almost completely dry for the second session in the afternoon, on the other hand, with a clear improvement in performance and extremely compact final standings. Maverick Viñales’ performance was good, ninth in the combined standings and a positive feeling in the saddle of his Aprilia. Aleix was just 34 thousandths behind, barely enough to be out of the provisional top 10. The Spaniard, lying second in the Championship, struggled to find the right feelings, but improved significantly in the finale. This makes him optimistic for qualifying tomorrow. 

Good performance for Lorenzo Savadori who, continuing his development work on the RS-GP, kept the gap down to just over a second, finishing ahead of five regular riders.

ALEIX ESPARGARÓ
“I struggled a bit today, especially interpreting this track. Not just in terms of the chicanes, but this is a very particular circuit that demands a riding style that is just as specific. In any case, toward the end of FP2, I began to feel more competitive. We’re still lacking just a bit on the more hard braking sections but I think we’ll be able to improve tomorrow. I don’t particularly like the new chicane as a rider but I must say that they did an outstanding job in terms of safety and that’s the most important thing”.

MAVERICK VIÑALES
"I’m satisfied in general, even if it wasn’t an easy day. In the morning, the conditions were a bit complicated with the track drying out, whereas in the afternoon we struggled to find the right grip. I also made a few mistakes braking, but nothing too worrisome. I’m working on braking to be as incisive as possible in the race, because it will be extremely important for overtaking. In the finale of the FP2 session, I was able to repeat my best time, albeit without progressing, but it was enough to stay in the top ten, which provisionally puts me straight through to Q2. I really like the new chicane and we know that we still have plenty of margin for improvement, so we’ll keep working hard tomorrow to try and start from the front rows”.

LORENZO SAVADORI
"A good day. We moved forward with our work both to help Aleix and Maverick and also in view of 2023, also managing to be fast. My shoulder isn’t bothering me too much, but it obviously penalises me a bit. I’m pleased because we were able to test everything we had scheduled. The new layout isn’t bad. The chicane is rather slow, but it seems like an acceptable solution."