MOTOGP QUALIFIERS AT LE MANS
EIGHTH AND NINTH ROW FOR BAUTISTA AND MELANDRI
Le Mans (France), 16 May 2015 – The unpredictable weather conditions, with cold and a less than perfect track, after the rain late this morning and the resulting poor grip, did not help the work Bautista and Melandri were trying to accomplish, still looking for the right direction to go in development of the Aprilia RS-GP bikes.
After the morning free practice session where the good time Bautista put on the sheets (16th in 1’34.341) was a sign that the work being done in the Aprilia Racing Team Gresini garage was headed in the right direction, a light rain decidedly worsened the condition of the French asphalt. Although the track had dried off when the qualifiers started, the poor grip definitely hindered the performance of the Italian bikes and ended the session – which decided the order on the starting grid for the race tomorrow – with Bautista in 23rd place (1’35.458) and Melandri in 25th (1’37.522), positions which respectively place them on the eighth and ninth row for the start of tomorrow’s GP.
ROMANO ALBESIANO (Aprilia Racing Manager)
“The poor grip conditions, precisely in the qualifiers, certainly didn’t help since our main problem at this time is tyre performance. It’s obvious that significantly poor grip like what we have today penalises us more than the others. It’s a shame because the morning went rather well with Alvaro, who was then unable to repeat the performance in the decisive session. We are well aware of the problem and we absolutely must improve this aspect which is decisive in order to improve the overall performance of the bike.”
FAUSTO GRESINI (Team Manager)
“It’s quite clear that here at Le Mans today we paid the price for the poor grip, also due to the low temperature. In these conditions it’s difficult to get power to the tarmac. But it’s no surprise and what we need to do is take steps to fix the situation for tomorrow. We have some changes in mind and we’ll try them tomorrow during warm up. The goal is to improve for the race.”
ALVARO BAUTISTA
“After the free practice sessions we had to face rather unfavourable conditions in the qualifiers. Poor grip, despite the fact that the asphalt had dried off, put us at a distinct disadvantage, especially in terms of traction. I’m disappointed because in the morning I had put in a good time and I thought I could improve even more. For the race everything is hinging on the weather: if it’s dry let’s hope for some heat as well, which would eliminate some of the disadvantages that hindered us today.”
MARCO MELANDRI
“I’m facing the same problems as I had at the beginning of the season. I need some significant changes that will help me gain more confidence on the bike. This is a fundamental condition for me to think about pushing hard to try and achieve results.”
