The final test of the Moto3 preseason got underway at 1:30pm this afternoon at Jerez, signalling the start of the final countdown to the opening round of the 2013 campaign in Qatar on April 7th. Whilst the track time was split with the Moto2 teams today, tomorrow will see all riders on track throughout the day and they will be hoping for a repeat of today's conditions, which were sunny and warm throughout.
MAPFRE Aspar rider Jonas Folger clocked the fastest lap of the day with his final effort of a productive first afternoon, most of which he spent in the top two or three positions on the timesheets. After a month's break since the last test the German was keen to ride without making too many changes to his Kalex but after 38 laps he went six tenths quicker than in the last test here, registering an impressive 1'47.149. His team-mate Eric Granado equalled his best effort from the team's last visit to Jerez, the young Brazilian gradually building his pace on used tyres and finishing the day in positive fashion.
Jonas Folger 1.47.149 (38 laps): “I am happy because we have improved by six tenths since the last test here and considering there are no major changes to the bike that is very positive. We have a new exhaust available here but we decided to save it until tomorrow. We didn't get many laps done because we didn't have much track time available to us today but we got a lot of information. We will try some chassis updates tomorrow. At the end of the day I set the fastest lap and could have gone even faster if it wasn't for another rider holding me up in the final sector."
Eric Granado 1.49.505 (44 laps): “I got a bit lost at the start of the session. The bike was fine but I just struggled to get on the pace. We made some basic set-up changes, mainly with the swingarm and ride height, to get me a little more comfortable. We also worked on developing the bike and hopefully tomorrow we can make some progress with the suspension. At the end of the day I finally managed to get in a group and pick my pace up and even though I was on used rubber I felt more comfortable. I am happy that we made progress as the day went on and I was able to match my time from the last test here. We have done a good job so far and we'll pick up tomorrow where we left off today.”
Mapfre Aspar Moto3 Press Release
