Team Quotes Ahead Of Le Mans

 In News


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Álvaro Bautista:
“I’ve never been on the podium at Le Mans so hopefully I can keep up the good form I’ve started the season with and it would be nice to get this particular monkey off my back. I feel highly motivated after Jerez because it was a fabulous race in which we proved that we are ready to take on anybody in a head to head battle. Hopefully the weather is good to us in practice so that we can work on the bike because Le Mans is a twisty circuit that tends to suit the Hondas. We have to work really well on the chassis if we want to compete with them. Le Mans is a circuit that features a lot of direction changes, and you need a really sweet handling chassis so that you can get through the corners well.”

Mike Di Meglio:
“The weekend didn’t end well at Jerez because I had a problem with my right forearm but I have tried to rest and stretch it out as much as possible so that I’m fit for my home race at Le Mans. I’ll continue with the stretching exercises and the physiotherapy and hopefully I’ll be fully recovered. I love Le Mans as a circuit and I really hope I can perform well in front of my fans. The weather is usually quite changeable so I hope it doesn’t rain so that we have chance during practice to prepare for a good race. I love the chicanes and there are a few different kinds of corners here – it is really important to base the set-up around having good acceleration.”

Gábor Talmácsi:
“Having analysed the last Grand Prix I am not totally satisfied because we had some problems with the rear end of the bike that we didn’t mange to completely solve. Seventh place was a decent result at Jerez but I honestly believe that both myself and my team have the potential to compete at a much higher level. To be honest Le Mans is not a circuit that particularly captures my imagination. I crashed out of the lead there last year so this is the ideal opportunity to make up for that. I suppose there’ll be a few question marks when we first get there because this is my first time at this track on this bike but I’m looking forward to learning some more. In Japan we showed that we have the potential to be up at the front so there is no reason why we can’t target a top five finish this weekend.”

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Julián Simón:
“I feel highly motivated and I’m looking forward to putting what happened at Jerez behind me. Hopefully after the strange events in Qatar, Japan and Jerez this can be a more normal race for me. Le Mans is a circuit I like and I’ve always gone well here. Last year I was fighting for the podium and this year I think that if we can find a good base set-up on Friday we can be very competitive. As far as I am concerned I need to make sure I learn from my mistake in Jerez, not hinder my prospects of a good result by being impatient and ensure that I come out of the French Grand Prix with as many points as possible. At Le Mans it is important to be really hard on the brakes, so I think it is a place that suits my riding style.”

Bradley Smith:
“I’ve really enjoyed the past week reflecting on the win and I think it’s going to give us a huge boost for the rest of the season. I’ve always had good results at Le Mans in the past – I finished third here in 2007, which was my first podium, and in 2008 I was second. I’m sure that it won’t be easy but I’ll be trying to repeat the result from Jerez. We need to prepare perfectly from the moment practice starts on Friday to make sure that everything is in place for us to go into battle on Sunday. Le Mans is a fairly straightforward circuit but it’s always difficult to squeeze those last couple of tenths out of the bike, which is what makes the difference. But personally I like it because the level of performance between the bikes is very similar and it is up to the rider to make the difference.”

Sergio Gadea:
“We had a magnificent result at Jerez and to go to France on the back of second place a week ago gives me a lot of confidence in my chances. I’ve always gone well at Le Mans and I’ve got great memories of my first victory there and my first World Championship podium. I always seem to go fast from the first moment I get onto the track and get on the pace straight away. It would be perfect to put a couple of podiums together – I know I can do well so I’m going out to try and win. It is too early to make any predictions but when we get there and put a couple of laps on the board we’ll soon know what we’re capable of.”

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