After more than a month of inactivity, the Moto3 riders were back in the saddle today with two practice sessions for the Indianapolis Grand Prix. The track didn’t provide them with the best of conditions to start off with, as overnight rain had left numerous puddles on the surface of the asphalt. Things dried off later on, but the surface remained dirty and there were a series off crashes –fortunately without injuries. Sandro Cortese recorded the best time of 1’49.307, whilst traffic halted the progress of those looking to match the German. The top eight was tightly packed, boding well for the weekend.
German rider Jonas Folger debuted for the MAPFRE Aspar Team today, starting strongly. On a completely new machine and with a completely new team, Folger nonetheless managed to place third in the opening session and seventh in the afternoon run. Very satisfied with his welcome to the team and the opportunity to ride the Kalex, Folger will continue his adaptation tomorrow.
Teammate Héctor Faubel returned from vacation with a renewed optimism and also had a positive first day at The Brickyard. He was eighth overall, just behind his new teammate and with a best time of 1’50.368.
Jonas Folger:
“These first two sessions for the MAPFRE Aspar Team have been very positive. I felt really good. I am still learning with this bike, which is completely different to that which I had previously ridden this season and has its own character. The first encounter with the bike has been fantastic. Now I need to adapt my riding style to this machine. The team have welcomed me with open arms, everyone here is very professional and they know what they have to do at every moment. This is important for us as we look to improve steadily. Now I have to get as many laps under my belt as possible and adapt to the Kalex/KTM as soon as possible. We have made a good start and I hope this continues tomorrow.”
Héctor Faubel:
“This morning we started out with a wet track and had to ride for most of the session with wet tyres. In the afternoon the track was more slippery and a little dirty because of the rain from yesterday. We started the weekend working hard, picking things up again from Germany and Italy. Today we mainly focused on the front end of the bike and we will analyse the data this afternoon to see where we can get more grip. In general we are satisfied with things, as the chassis is working well and it is giving me confidence. We will look for some new solutions tomorrow with our gearing.”
Mapfre Aspar Moto3 Press Release
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