Terol “Really Happy” At First Day’s Practice At Aragon
Electrical problems at Motorland this afternoon caused a fifteen-minute delay to the second 125cc free practice, although when it finally got underway it was business as usual as Nico Terol set the pace ahead of his young compatriot Maverick Viñales. The BANKIA Aspar rider was the most consistent man on track throughout the day although the youngster closed the gap eventually, the Spanish pair being the only riders able to dip inside the two-minute mark today.
Even though qualifying doesn’t take place until tomorrow BANKIA Aspar man Terol has already lapped inside the circuit record with a time of 1.59.509, with a relentless rhythm in the 1’59s that has set a high standard for his rivals to try and follow. His team-mates Héctor Faubel and Adrián Martín both improved as the day progressed, Faubel eventually finishing up as the fourth fastest rider of the day having conceded crucial tenths in the final corner – an area he will look to improve on tomorrow.
1º Nico Terol 1.59.409 (29 laps):
“We had a fabulous session this afternoon and I am really happy. As soon as I had done my sighting lap I started to push and got into a good rhythm, lapping consistently around the two-minute mark on used tyres. As soon as I put a new tyre on I pushed again and the lap times dropped suddenly. I have improved on my best lap here and the fastest lap in last year’s race so I am very satisfied with the first day. It was a tough battle with Maverick and it made for some incredible lap times. Even though it is very hot I think the times will be even quicker tomorrow and even though Maverick is my main rival at the moment I am sure some other riders will get involved tomorrow.”
4º Héctor Faubel 2.00.710 (32 laps):
“I was a little worried after this morning but now I am happy again. My team made a few changes to the bike on my advice over lunch and it worked perfectly in the second session. We finished fourth even though I kept the same tyre in for the whole session to help get a feeling for the race. We still have to work on the set-up but I think we have room for improvement, especially in the last corner because the rear is sliding a lot through there and I can’t open the gas where I want. I am sure we will fix this tomorrow.”
9º Adrián Martín 2.01.454 (31 laps):
“I think we can be happy with this first day because we have tried a few things and they seem to have worked. I felt comfortable on the bike all day and even though we still have work to do we have taken a big step from the morning to the afternoon and I am sure tomorrow we can set a consistent 2’00 pace. I am happy we have started the weekend well, things are looking good and I am keen to keep improving.”
Source: Aspar Media
