Terol Sets Day One Pace At Indianapolis
The legendary Indianapolis circuit opened its doors to the MotoGP World Championship for the fourth year in succession today, with the 125cc riders the first out onto the newly relaid asphalt. An alarming lack of grip was thankfully less of a problem in the afternoon as rubber was gradually laid throughout the opening free practice sessions and the two leading title candidates, Nico Terol and Johann Zarco, were able to resume their battle for superiority.
It was BANKIA Aspar rider Terol who set the pace today, the Spaniard knocking more than two seconds off his best lap from the morning to the afternoon to establish seven tenths of daylight between himself and the rest of the field. Nico was the only rider to break into the 1’49s today, proving that his mechanical setback at Brno is well and truly behind him. His team-mates Héctor Faubel and Adrián Martín also worked hard to deal with the difficult track conditions, the experienced Faubel lapping seventh fastest, 1.6 seconds off Terol, after running into traffic at the end of the session, and the youngster Martín thirteenth but confident of challenging in the top ten tomorrow.
1st Nico Terol 1.49.381 (33 laps):
“I was struggling a little at the start of the second session but I managed to get my rhythm together in the end. The track is quite abrasive and uses up the tyres quickly but we are only seven tenths off the best time here so that is good. The bike is working well despite the intense heat and we have worked hard in the team. The track isn’t in the best shape but it is the same for everybody and we have to try to make the best of every situation. Despite the setback at Brno I have come here motivated to do well at a circuit I love and I want to be fighting for the win again on Sunday.”
7th Héctor Faubel 1.51.048 (35 laps):
“It was really hot today but I don’t think that was our biggest problem. The track is very slippery and at times it feels like you’re riding in the wet. We thought the new surface would be more grippy but it is not and it also uses up the tyres quickly. It seems tyre choice could be the key to the race. Other than that I am happy with our performance so far, I would just like us to get more out of the engine tomorrow. I was running at the top of the time sheets for the early part of the session this afternoon but ran into traffic at the end, so I am satisfied with the job done.”
13th Adrián Martín 1.51.938 (32 laps):
“The first session was quite positive and then we had a few problems this afternoon that we overcame on the last run. I felt pretty comfortable and I think by working on a few small areas we can break the top ten tomorrow. I have struggled a bit to get the bike set up but the team have done a great job and we have a new part for the engine to try tomorrow. I spent the day lapping on my own without trying to get a tow, setting my own pace, so I think we’ll be ready to push hard in qualifying tomorrow.”
Source: Aspar Media