Rosell still recovering from injuries but eager to do well at home race
Under the watchful eyes of FIM vice president and team owner Nasser Khalifa Al Attiyah, Anthony West presented QMMF Racing Team with its best ever practice result so far. The 30-year-old Australian, who is known for his incredible speed and skills in wet conditions, took fourth place in the wet first free practice session on Friday morning and repeated this performance in even trickier conditions in the afternoon.
Spanish team-mate Elena Rosell, who battles with a pelvis injury and an inflamed right shoulder, also stood her ground within the fierce competition of the Moto2 category. From 28th in the morning session, she improved to a promising 25th place in the afternoon, which put her in 30th position in the combined standings.
“We did some changes to the bike after the season-opening race at Qatar, and Anthony now shows the true potential of this bike”, said Mr. Al Attiyah. “Even though we still need to improve the bike in a similar way for dry conditions, today’s result is a milestone for our team. We appreciate Anthony’s support and the work he does, because results like today really boost the confidence of the entire team, including his team-mate Elena. She is doing a good job and she is improving day by day!”
Elena Rosell – 30th in 2.00,896
“This afternoon, the conditions were really difficult with the track being half dry, but this morning, things went really well. It was my first time in the rain, and lap by lap, I managed to build up my confidence in this kind of weather. It was strange in the afternoon, with a narrow line drying up and then a drizzle starting again, but at least I managed to get experience under all kinds of conditions, which could well be the same again on race day. I am happy I brought the bike back in one piece because it would have been easy to make a mistake!Apart from that I am recovering well from my pelvis fracture. It is much better than during the first race in Qatar, even though I have to move more on the bike than others because I am not as tall and this is still painful at times. I am suffering more from the shoulder inflammation that I have since the Qatar Grand Prix. Riding on a wet track helped me today because you don’t need to use as much force as in dry conditions!”
Source: QMMF Racing