Terol: “You Have To Be Ready For Anything At Phillip Island”
Phillip Island: a circuit where only the brave prosper. The ante-penultimate round of the MotoGP World Championship takes place on one of its most demanding and intimidating circuits, made up of dramatic changes in direction, elevation and mind-boggling speeds beneath the constant threat of an unpredictable weather front. The 125cc teams and riders head ‘down under’ for the fifteenth chapter of an exciting season with Nico Terol ready to take aim and serve for his first ‘match point’.
The maths required for the BANKIA Aspar rider to be proclaimed 125cc World Champion with two rounds to spare are complicated but far from considering the permutations the experienced Spaniard is focusing solely on the job at hand. After narrowly missing out on victory in Japan he is merely aiming to finish on the top step at Phillip Island, especially having finished third there last year. Héctor Faubel’s neck and back problems from a crash at Aragon last month have improved further and after finishing third at Motegi he is keen to help secure only a second double-podium for the team next weekend. Adrián MartÃn’s objective is to continue with the excellent progress he has made in recent weeks, having finished in the top ten for the past two races.
Nico Terol:
“We did a good job in Japan but when you finish second there is always room for improvement. Zarco was very strong there and we have to stay focused in the next race. Phillip Island is a circuit that suits my riding style and I love to visit Australia, for the atmosphere and for the memories I have there. The objective is to keep working as we have been up to now and get the most out of our bike to fight for the win again. You need a fast bike at Phillip Island and you also need to get lucky with the weather. Even if it is not raining it is usually windy so you have to be ready for anything. You have to respect the circuit, especially turn one, and make sure you have good rear grip in the blind entries. We have a good margin at the top of the championship and the possibility of wrapping it up in Australia, which gives us more motivation as opposed to a tendency to back off.”
Héctor Faubel:
“I still hadn’t rested as much as the doctor ordered before Japan so it was a long race but I was able to put up with the pain of the injuries from Aragón. Hopefully I can be back to 100% in Australia so that I can fight for the win. We have to prepare ourselves to be fast especially in the final third of the race. For the past three races we have started from the front row and fought for pole so I am happy with our pace, we just need to back it up on race day. I love Phillip Island as a circuit. You need a good set-up for the fast corners and good engine for the long straight. Hopefully the podium in Japan can be the start of a good run to the end of the season.”
Adrián MartÃn:
“I am happy with the results in the last couple of races and the change of telemetry engineer has been a very good move. I felt comfortable at Motegi for the first time in a while and after seeing that I can fight with those guys I want to continue to move forward to the point where I am fighting for the podium. Phillip Island is a very pretty circuit, it wasn’t bad for me last year and I can’t wait to get there and get to work. After getting my confidence back over the past two race snow is the time to push a little harder and take some more risks. We have two top finishes behind us and that’s where I think we belong, so let’s see if we can keep it that way.”
Source: Aspar Media
