Tricky Friday Conditions As Barbera Works On Setup
Less than a week after the last round in Barcelona, the MotoGP World Championship today made a quick turnaround with the first practices for the British GP, and things remain pretty much the same as they were left in Catalonia. Stoner leads the way once more, with Simoncelli and Lorenzo giving chase. Today saw two very different sessions however, the first with a dry track, the second in the wet. The rain had stopped by the time the MotoGP riders were ready to go out on track, but the asphalt remained wet throughout. It was important for the riders to put in some solid test laps today, with forecasts looking gloomy for the rest of the weekend. With the water, the cold and the longest track on the calendar in Silverstone, the differences between the first and last riders (5.5 seconds) was accentuated more than at other events.
Well aware of the task ahead of him before his arrival in Silverstone, Héctor Barberá today worked on settings to improve the grip levels on his bike. It was ‘mission accomplished’ this morning, as the MAPFRE Aspar rider concluded the morning session with the eighth quickest time, and remarked how comfortable he felt with the improvements. Unfortunately the rain came in the afternoon and he was unable to continue the tests. During that second session Héctor preferred to ride more cautiously as he felt his way around the track in the wet in preparation for tomorrow, where more mixed weather is forecast.
8th Héctor Barberá 2.06.158 (32 laps):
“This morning I went much better than in Montmeló, we made lots of successful modifications. There were improvements in several areas and so I felt much more comfortable than on other occasions. In the afternoon it all changed a bit due to the rain. We tried to use the set-up improvements from the dry, but it didn’t work in the wet. The bike became quite aggressive and I could really feel the bumps. In any case, my main worry was my feeling in the dry, so I think today we have found the right way to go with this. We’ve finally seen the light. Although we weren’t that quick on the wet track I think we have a lot more things to try out and I am sure we will improve tomorrow. At the end of the second session it looked as if the track might dry, but that wasn’t the case.”
Source: Aspar Media