Nico Terol & Jordi Torres ready and eager for Qatar

After a relentless winter of testing the 2013 season is finally upon us as the MotoGP World Championship fires up for another year in Qatar this weekend. The Losail International Circuit plays host to the season curtain-raiser as it has done every year since 2007 and once again it holds the unique honour of being the series’ only night race. At 5.380km in length and with one of the longest straights on the calendar Losail is one of the most demanding for the riders, especially with the varying level of grip due to the sand that blows onto the track from the surrounding desert. Last year’s runner-up Pol Espargaró starts the season as the title favourite but as always the intermediate class promises to be unpredictable and exciting.

The MAPFRE Aspar Team head to Qatar in top form after a successful preseason, with their laptops packed with data and set-up information from hours on track. Nico Terol and Jordi Torres have been a constant presence at the top of the Moto2 timesheets throughout the winter, giving them huge confidence going into the new campaign. Nico’s progress puts him amongst the podium candidates in the opening round whilst Jordi can look forward to a competitive showing and a possible top ten finish on his debut at Losail.

Nico Terol:
“Preseason has been brilliant. We have made a lot of progress throughout winter testing and it has given a huge boost to team moral. We knew we could be strong but we struggled more than we should have last season and it took the podium at Valencia to change our mentality. We have been on the pace in every session during preseason in both wet and dry conditions and now we know we can be up there we need to keep working to try and improve even more. Losail was always a good track for me on the 125 and even though I was a bit lost there on the Moto2 last year I am sure it can be different this weekend.”

Jordi Torres:
“I am excited by the idea of racing at Losail for the first time. I have never raced at night or in the middle of the desert so I can’t wait to get there and see what it’s like. Everything will be new for me but we won’t be using that as an excuse. We have worked hard in preseason and we are ready for anything. The team have done a great job to help me and I feel well prepared for the start of the year. This will be my first full season as a World Championship rider. It has taken a long time for me to get an opportunity like this and I don’t plan to waste it.”

Source: Aspar Media