Terol and Torres take fantastic fifth and seventh for Aspar at Jerez

For those who had believed that Moto2 times had been fast this weekend, today during the race the pace was increased yet further. Unlike the race in Austin, at Jerez there were few surprises. Fastest in qualifying and practice, Esteve Rabat dominated the 26-lap intermediate category race. He blasted away early and set a blistering pace. Most in the top ten were riding virtually solo, with late excitement coming from a battle between Takaaki Nakagami and Pol Espargaró. Intense heat and tricky track surface conditions, which produced a series of crashes, were obstacles overcome by the Moto2 competitors. Rabat won the contest, ahead of Redding and Espargaró.

Today the MAPFRE Aspar riders ended a positive weekend with solid results. Both had been working hard to find solutions to a rear grip issue, but Nico Terol and Jordi Torres reaped the rewards for their efforts. Fifth and seventh on the grid, Torres and Terol sought to maintain position on the early laps and avoid problems in the frenetic opening stages of the race. With that aim achieved, they rode together for a time. Terol managed to break free eventually, focusing on riding his own race, and placed fifth. Torres was accompanied by three riders, ceding position to Xavier Simeon on the last lap as he was forced to sit up on the brakes. He finished seventh in the race, taking nine points from Jerez. Terol claimed eleven points and both are ranked in the Moto2 top ten after three races.

5th Nico Terol:
“The truth is that it has been a difficult weekend here. In practice and qualifying we had problems due to a lack of grip. With that in mind, we have to take fifth place as a very positive result. Yesterday in qualifying we worked hard to find the best setup possible. This morning, during the warmup session, we had a good pace, although it was slightly slower than the front runners. Of course you can always aim for more, but we are satisfied with this result. This week has been tough for me on a personal level, so I want to thank my family and the team for all their support. I want to send a big hug to my uncle; I’m sure you are sending me strength from wherever you are. We’ve had two very good races, we have gained the confidence we needed and surely now we will find it easier to keep this up. I’ve also learned to start solidly and and control the first stages of the race, which are always crazy in Moto2.”

7th Jordi Torres:
“I’mhappy because I started pretty well and this allowed me to hold position. I was finally able to get a good start and keep that up on the early laps, which is a big plus. My idea was to increase the pace as the race went on, but as the temperature rose it was harder for me to control the bike -both under acceleration and under braking. I made a couple of mistakes, but luckily I was able to adapt my riding style to the circumstances today. At first I stuck on Nico’s rear wheel, but when I saw that he was escaping I kept calm. My pitboard said that I had a rider behind me, so I tried to shut the door and keep my position covered. It’s hard when you are always thinking about what is going on behind you. On the last lap I tried to defend my position, but at Dry Sack I was almost thrown off under braking and Simeon got past me. Nevertheless, I am very happy about the result. I learned a lot this weekend and I was always amongst the top riders. Overall, it’s positive.”

Source: Aspar Media