Ricky Cardus and QMMF Racing ready to start season after private test at Qatar
The new QMMF Racing Team, which will debut in the 2011 World Championship with riders Mashel Al Naimi and Ricard Cardús, has recently completed some extensive days of testing at Losail circuit, the stage of the first Grand Prix of the season.
Al Naimi and Cardús met with all the members of the outfit and did four days of technical training, followed by eight days of riding at the famous circuit in Doha, where they could fully analyse the qualities of the Moriwaki prototype.
The team, which has been launched with the support of Qatar’s Motorcycle Federation, is run by the Federation President Nasser Khalifa Al Attiyah, and has Spaniard Luis Rodríguez Solano as team coordinator.
At the end of this long private test, Rodriguez Solano explained that the technicians and riders now feel ready to tackle the next challenge of the preseason, the three-day official test at Jerez, starting on the 4th March, where all the Moto2 motorcycles will have their official engines for the season and will measure their force for the first time this year.
Luis Rodríguez Solano: “We put the new structure together in only three months and when we arrived at Doha we were just a group of people with individual skills. But in a very short time we grew into a team with a smooth workflow and the determination to succeed.
It is fantastic to have the full support of QMMF and the people of Qatar who have become very passionate about Motorcycle Grand Prix Racing. Their expectations are simple and straightforward: To build on the experience of Mishal’s first year in the Moto2 category and to perform stronger than before. Moriwaki’s Moto2 prototype has won many races and the title, and with the Moriwaki family backing us in every possible way we have a great technical package.
It’s our job now to get our young riders as close to the top as possible. At the same time, we have to be realistic: Last year, the top 20 of the Moto2 class were running within one second per lap on numerous occasions – the category is extremely hard-fought and there is so much talent that a race finish in 22nd or 23rd place would be something to be proud of!”
Ricky Cardus: “This test was only my second time with the bike and the team, but I have even more than I need, with very good people around me and with the support of the Qatar federation. They are very professional and eager to be successful. I am very happy to be able to get into their culture and explore the dunes and the real desert. On the track, things have gone very well. Physically I am 100% and I don’t get tired doing many consecutive laps. The Moriwaki feels good, but it was too early to compare laptimes because it was very windy and there was a lot of sand on the track and we tested with standard engines. In Jerez we’ll have the official engine and other race components. My goal is to improve a lot this season and to stay in the championship. I am very happy about all the support I have, the team and the advice from my friend Jorge Lorenzo.”
Following this unveiling the team plans to make a formal presentation during the inaugural Grand Prix, on 17 March.
Source: motogp.com
