Team Suzuki Press Office – June 28. It’s nearly the halfway through the Championship for Team SUZUKI ECSTAR, with riders Andrea Iannone and Alex Rins heading to Germany directly after the last race in The Netherlands. The second back-to-back races of the season are the last ones before the summer break. This will give the chance not only to the riders to rest and train, but also to the Factory to proceed with the development according to the latest results.
In this sense, the last race in Assen was a positive one, with important feedback collected from the riders that gave the engineers the guidance towards which direction to work. The return of Alex Rins was warmly welcomed by the team, and the young Spaniard was able to make his own contribution with feedback, although he is still getting used to being back on the Factory GSX-RR.
The Sachsenring circuit is unique on the calendar, with ten left-hand turns and only three to the right. This year the track has also been resurfaced, meaning more grip. It will make the early laps very interesting for the riders who are getting to know it. For this reason, both Friday’s sessions of free practice have been extended by 10 minutes, starting five minutes earlier and ending five minutes later, enabling riders and engineers more time to make the necessary adjustments.
Andrea Iannone
“The Sachsenring circuit is very peculiar; it´s tight and closed. It looks like a kart racing track for some reason, but perhaps it is delightful in its incongruity. The new asphalt will be a question mark for everybody, so I’m curious to see how the grip will be during the early laps on Friday. I’m arriving in Germany in a positive mood. We are working hard in the garage and the last race in Assen gave us important indications. These will be useful not only in the next race, but even more so during the summer break, with more time to work on development.”
Alex Rins
“The weekend in Assen has been very positive for me as I was able to verify that the arm is fully recovered. I had no problems throughout the entire distance of the race and this gives me a good feeling about Germany. It’s good for me that we aren´t taking a break and go immediately to race again, because I feel very eager to race and to continue my racing development program. Sachsenring is a good track for me; I have good memories of the place, although I have no experience with a MotoGP there. I need to get more and more confident with the bike. It’s important for me to work hard and do as many laps as I can, to get perfectly fit, and also to polish my riding skills.”
