Mapfre Aspar Preview Austin Moto2

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The MotoGP World Championship heads to the Hermann Tilke-designed Circuit of the Americas this weekend and that can only mean one thing: long straights, a wide track and a technical blend of tight and fast corners. Just like Sepang and Motorland, COTA measures over five kilometres in length and represents a huge challenge for the riders and engineers alike, as they discovered on their first visit to the impressive facility in 2013. After kicking off their season in the desert on the outskirts of Doha, Qatar, the Moto2 World Championship riders head west across the Atlantic with Tito Rabat on top of the points standings but with any number of contenders capable of toppling him as the season progresses. 

After starting from the front row last season before going on to take victory and set the lap record, MAPFRE Aspar rider Nico Terol heads into the second edition of the GP of the Americas as a leading candidate for the win. Despite failing to finish the opening round of the season in Qatar due to a mechanical problem, Nico is relaxed and looking forward to making up for his disappointment at a circuit he loves. His team-mate Jordi Torres is hoping to join him in the chase for honours at the front, having salvaged eighth place from a difficult weekend at Losail. The Spanish rider is keen to put on a much stronger showing this weekend and knows he can use Nico's success from last season to his own benefit.

Nico Terol: 

“Even though we had a tough weekend at Losail we found the feeling we were looking for in the race and I really enjoyed it. We made a change to the front fork that was really positive and we would have been fighting for a top ten finish if it wasn't for a problem with the engine. I spent last week training hard at home and completed a fitness test that I was really happy with. I really like COTA and I am going there with my batteries fully charged and with plenty of motivation. The aim is to start strong from the first session and to be fighting for the win on Sunday, like I did last year. I am feeling relaxed because I know we have the set-up. It is a technical track with some twisty sections on some hard braking. That's good for me because I am strong on the brakes. Everything went perfectly last year in  Austin and I am sure we will have the same feeling this weekend.”

Jordi Torres: 

“Looking at last year's results, COTA is a circuit where we simply have to do well. Nico had a brilliant race and found a great set-up. It's a fun track, especially some of the corners, but the down side for us is the long back straight, where we lose out a lot compared to the lighter riders. The corner onto the straight is also very tight so you need good acceleration but I am confident we can be competitive there, unlike Qatar where we really struggled to find a set-up. We will use the data from last season and if it doesn't work we will go with Nico's because it was good enough for him to win the race last year in Austin”.

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Mapfre Aspar Race Review Losail Moto2

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At around twenty past eight in the evening in Doha the green light for the Moto2 season finally illuminated the starting grid at the Losail Circuit, where Tito Rabat lined up in pole position only to be beaten to the holseshot by Takaaki Nakagami. With Kallio in close pursuit his team-mate Rabat recovered from a bad start to form a group of three that escaped from the rest and set a strong pace at the front, including a new lap record (2.00.168). Rabat and Nakagami battled for the win until the final lap, the Spaniard coming out on top to lead the championship after one round.    

The weekend did not go to plan for the MAPFRE Aspar Team, who had Jordi Torres starting from sixteenth place and Nico Terol from 21st.  The Spanish pair did their best to recover ground in the race and they were in twelfth and thirteenth respectively after one lap, already stepping up their pace from practice, but two laps later Jordi missed a gear and lost positions, coming back to take ninth. Nico was up to tenth place on lap eleven but he lost positions after running wide and was then forced to retire with a technical issue on the 16th lap.  

9th Jordi Torres:

“It was a tough race because we started from so far back but we improved in every session and we knew that our potential was good for the race. I made a fast start and I was in a good position to make up ground but I made a mistake and hit neutral in a fast corner, which cost me a lot of positions. I had to take a lot of risks to make the ground up and my tyres suffered as a result so ninth place was the best I could do. In general I am happy with the result because it has been a difficult weekend but we have worked hard to improve and achieved a good result from a long way back. It was a shame about the mistake because without it we could have been close to a podium.”

Nico Terol (DNF): 

“I made a good start tonight and I pushed hard over the first few laps, I was happy because it was the first time I had felt happy on the bike all weekend. We made a positive change for the warm-up, going back to some of the settings from last year, and I was able to make up some positions to move up to tenth until I had a big slide. A lot of riders came past but I made some positions back again, and then the engine started cutting out before stopping altogether. It was a shame to finish like that but after such a tough weekend I am happy with the feeling I had with the bike in the race. That is the big positive to take from today and I hope it can be the start of our progress.”

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Mapfre Aspar Review Losail Moto2 Day 3

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Qualifying practice for the Qatar Grand Prix took place on a dirty track this afternoon after light rainfall this morning and high winds made it a difficult quest for the opening pole position of the season. Despite the tricky conditions the extra competitive edge of qualifying saw the lap times improve again and the final ten minutes of the session saw an intense battle for top spot between Rabat, Cortese and Nakagami, with Rabat beating the previous pole record here (Bradl/2.00.168/2011) with a lap of 2.00.081 to take the honour. 

MAPFRE Aspar rider Jordi Torres was involved in a nasty incident at the end of the session when he ran into the back of Cortese after the German had shut off the throttle in the middle of the track. Kallio then collided with Cortese's stricken bike and suffered the biggest impact, Torres thankfully escaping unhurt but with his best lap ruined. However, having already improved on yesterday's best by seven tenths he qualified sixteenth on the grid, from where he will look to mount an attack from in the early stages of tomorrow night's race. His team-mate Nico Terol enjoyed his best laps at the end of the session and qualified 21st.

16th Jordi Torres 2.01.111 (17 laps): 

“We continued to improve the set-up of the bike today and I felt more comfortable, which had a good effect on our pace. I spent most of the time lapping alone but the wind was particularly strong during qualifying and with us already struggling with my size and weight in terms of top speed, it didn't help. We are constantly evolving though and each day that goes by here I have a better feeling. We could have perhaps gone a bit quicker at the end but another rider decided to shut off the throttle in a dangerous place and when I went to pass him he closed the line and I couldn't avoid the crash. Luckily I got away with a few bumps and bruises.”

21st Nico Terol 2.01.319 (15 laps): 

“We have made small steps forward in every session so far but in qualifying we went backwards. It is annoying because myself and the team are working hard but we are still not finding the right way forward with the new bike. The wind aggravated our situation tonight so now we need to try our best to pick the right setting for the race, make a good start and fight. I am sure we can turn this situation around. We have to keep working hard and try to enjoy riding the bike again.”

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Mapfre Aspar Preview Losail Moto2

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Thankfully the long winter wait for MotoGP action is slightly shorter than usual and this year's World Championship starts two weeks earlier than last year in Qatar this weekend. The floodlights at the Losail International Circuit will burst into life on Thursday evening as the teams, riders and media arrive at the track, ready to enjoy a new season of Moto2 racing that promises to be as wide open as ever, especially after the departure of last year's top two riders Pol Espargaró and Scott Redding to MotoGP. MAPRFE Aspar pair Nico Terol and Jordi Torres will look to do battle for the title with a strong and experienced field that includes the likes of Tito Rabat, Mika Kallio and Thomas Luthi. 

After finishing seventh and tenth, with four and three podiums respectively, last season Nico and Jordi have gathered crucial experience and data for their Moto2 challenge this year. They will be MAPFRE Aspar teammates for the second successive season and their preseason pace and consistency suggests they can be amongst the favourites for success in 2014. Both riders epitomise the hard work ethic of the Spanish team and they will be giving their all to step up their performance levels now the serious business is underway.

Nico Terol: 

“My strong point is racing – it is the time when I find my form and enjoy myself so I can't wait to get out to Losail, a circuit I like and have always had a good feeling for. I had a good weekend there last year but didn't manage to top it off with a good race but I am sure this year will be different. It is a wide track with all different kinds of corners, normally I take to it like a duck to water. I am excited to get started, it has been a long and hard preseason because we have struggled more than we thought to find our pace but I am still feeling the confidence from my victory in the final race of last season at Valencia and we have a lot of information to work with. We know how to go fast and our motivation is sky high.”

Jordi Torres: 

“I am really keen to start the 2014 on the front foot. We have worked hard throughout preseason to get a bike that is competitive in every aspect. The job was to make the bike adaptable and we are happy with the result. The foot injury from the end of last season is water under the bridge now and the results we enjoyed last year and the experience gained should help us make a strong start to the new campaign. I have only ridden at Losail once before and the long straights mean I lose out a little but we know our bike works well in the fast corners so we will work hard to maximise our strong points.”

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Mapfre Aspar Preview Moto2 Valencia

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After seventh months, sixteen races and a journey across four continents the 2013 season makes one final stop this weekend as Valencia plays host to the MotoGP curtain call. Just as it has done every season since 2002 the Spanish circuit provides the perfect setting for a dramatic weekend ahead and even though the Moto2 World Championship is the only category that has already been decided, with Pol Espargaró crowned two weeks ago in Japan, the battle for honours promises to be as close as ever in the combative intermediate class.

MAPFRE Aspar pair Nico Terol and Jordi Torres are two of the riders with their eyes on the top step of the podium this weekend as they look to sign off from the season on a high. Both riders have won races already this year and they are desperate to add another trophy to the collection in their home race. Terol has great memories of this track, having been crowned 125cc World Champion here in 2011 before adding his first Moto2 podium here last season. Like Terol, Torres knows this circuit well from his early days of racing on home soil and the man from Rubí knows that he has another chance to impress at the end of a stunning rookie season.

Nico Terol: 

“The Gran Premio de la Comunidad Valenciana is always very special for me and I am always very highly motivated for this race. At Motegi we scored a good result and the feeling with the bike was fantastic so I am sure it will be just the same at Valencia. The bike is perfectly suited to the characteristics of the track and so is my riding style so I am sure we can be fighting for a top result on Sunday. It will be a tough race because everybody wants to finish the season on the podium. I managed to do it last year for the first time in moto2 so hopefully I can repeat that result this weekend, with a victory if possible. To race in front of my fans at the circuit where I grew up and where I was crowned World Champion is something magical and I can't wait to get started on Friday.”

Jordi Torres: 

“I go into the GP de la Comunidad Valenciana feeling very optimistic even though the foot injury I sustained in Japan is still recovering and I won't be sure exactly about my fitness until I get on the bike. Luckily I will have the attention of Doctor Anna Carreras, who has been caring for me since I got back. I love the circuit and it has been good to me in the past. Knowing it as well as I do will be a great advantage although we will still have to work hard on the set-up. The good thing is that we have some data from preseason testing to work from. The objective is to finish the season with the best possible result. Racing at Valencia always gives me extra motivation and I can't wait to get out on track.”

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Mapfre Aspar Moto2 Review Phillip Island Practice

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MAPFRE Aspar riders Jordi Torres and Nico Terol were putting in the laps today, with 44 and 43, respectively, upon arrival at Phillip Island. Torres has the good memories of his comeback last year to fall back on, so started with a buzz on Friday. He concluded the first two practice sessions for the Australian GP in fourth. His best time came in the morning and he was just four tenths off Rabat. Teammate Nico Terol established his best lap in the morning as well, although an issue with his tyres prevented his improvement in the second session. He placed eleventh and will look to move higher up tomorrow.

Jordi Torres

"Last year we had a good feeling at this track and made a big comeback. If I remember correctly, I went on to finish in eleventh place. You have to be ready and take advantage of those good memories to push strong all weekend. Obviously you also need to rectify the mistakes made then, to avoid a repeat. So far we have done well today, our result has been positive and we still have room for improvement. The wind has been bothering me all day, but this is something inherent to this track, so I will get used to it soon. The wind made us imprecise when taking some corners but the rest of our work has been very productive. Tomorrow we will work to try to make the bike turn in a little more at maximum lean. I'm happy because today we found a good feeling and a good pace, so I hope we continue like this tomorrow." 

Nico Terol

"Today I had a good pace, and followed an upward progression for most of the day. However, I destroyed three tyres, which took us slightly away from our intended workload. If this had not happened, then I think I could have gone quicker, but late in the afternoon I noticed that the bike lost a lot of grip. Fortunately, this problem happened to us the first day rather than later, and I’m sure that tomorrow both my mechanics and the Dunlop technicians will work to ensure the situation doesn’t repeat itself. The new asphalt Phillip Island is really good; it means the track has more grip and this gave me much better feeling when opening the throttle. We have to keep working, and I think we can get the bike turning in more. On the fast turns I have very good cornering, but we have to improve on the slow ones."

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Nico Terol and Jordi Torres aim to celebrate with a positive result at Misano

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Two of the riders hoping to make life difficult for the Brit as he chases the title over the final six races are MAPFRE Aspar Team pair Nico Terol and Jordi Torres. The last race at Silverstone didn't reflect the potential they had shown in practice but both riders are in good form and they are hoping to demonstrate it this weekend. With both riders having freshly signed contracts for next season they go to Misano with extra confidence, looking to build momentum through the final third of the season. Terol is currently ninth in the championship on 77 points and Torres eleventh on 73; positions they would both like to improve on before the campaign is out.

Nico Terol: “I have made the most of the week off to train hard and get back into my cycling routine. I am feeling very fit and motivated and I am looking forward to getting back to work at Misano. We did a great job at Silverstone and it was just a shame that a problem cropped up in the warm-up that spoiled the race. That is water under the bridge now and I am looking forward to going to Misano, a circuit that was always good for me on a 125 and will hopefully prove to be so again this weekend on the Moto2. Last year it rained almost all weekend so hopefully we have better luck this year and I am sure if we continue to work like we did at Brno and Silverstone we will be fighting for the podium. In any case, Misano is a cool but difficult circuit and we will have to work hard to get a good feeling from the start.”

Jordi Torres: “To have my future clear and to know that I will be continuing with the MAPFRE Aspar Team next year gives me peace of mind for the remainder of the season. We go to Misano looking forward to working hard and getting on the pace from Friday onwards. We have to work on the bike to make sure it is just as fast at the end of Sunday's race as it is at the start. We have a good set-up but we need to perfect it and make sure it is flexible enough to react to things that happen during the weekend. Misano is a nice circuit and I have good memories from last season so I hope we can gain some more.”

Mapfre Aspar Moto2 Press Release

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Terol and Torres Head to Silverstone Feeling Full of Confidence

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After travelling straight to the Czech Republic from the USA the Moto2 World Championship riders continue their relentless pursuit of glory this weekend as the series heads directly to the UK and the county of Northamptonshire for the eleventh round of the 2013 season. At 5.9km Silverstone is the longest circuit on the calendar and although it is much flatter than Brno its wide, open and fast nature is reminiscent of the venue of last Sunday's race. With the title favourites missing out on the podium on that occasion, they will be keen not to let more points slip away this weekend.

MAPFRE Aspar Team rider Nico Terol is currently eighth in the championship on 72 points with his team-mate Jordi Torrres just one position and two points behind him. The healthy rivalry between the pair is getting the best out of both of them and at Brno on Sunday Nico was back to his best, leading the race and fighting for the win before eventually finishing in a solid sixth. Jordi is taking giant strides in his first full season as a Grand Prix racer and he is looking forward to fully experiencing Silverstone for the first time this weekend.

Nico Terol: “We did a lot of work at Brno and that allowed us to run in the front group in the race and fight for the win. The feeling was really good, we just didn't manage to finish the job off but I was happy with our performance and the goal is to continue at the same level at Silverstone and try to fight for the podium again. Silverstone is a long and wide circuit, not dissimilar to Brno, with one fast section and one that is more tight. Last year I didn't feel comfortable there but I liked it on the 125 and I am sure it will be different this time around because we are in much better form.”

Jordi Torres: “I have done a lot of physical training this summer so three races in a row is not a problem for me in that sense. In fact I am already looking forward to getting to Silverstone and riding. It's a tricky circuit and I didn't race there last year so I will have to work hard on getting a feeling back for the track. It will probably rain at some stage so we will have to be ready for anything but I like the track and I am sure it can suit us. We need to find a good balance in terms of the bike set-up and my riding. The goal is to work hard from the start on finding a strong, consistent race pace.”

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Torres and Terol in the top ten and ready for a good race

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Reaching the top spots in Moto2 today was highly competitive and the MAPFRE Aspar riders rose to the challenge. Yesterday they both worked on grip and corner stability and today they put their improvements into action. On Saturday morning both Jordi and Nico improved their feeling with their bikes and lap times subsequently improved too, as they finished FP3 9th and 7th respectively. Early in the QP session they both still sought improvements but managed top 10 positions with late efforts in the final minutes. Jordi ended up 6th and Nico 9th, with both ending the day pleased with their results and impatient to start Sunday’s race in the Czech Republic.

6th Jordi Torres 2’02.690 (18 laps): “It’s amazing that at such a long track we are all so close in terms of lap times, especially the top riders, but that shows how good this category is. You would think there would be bigger gaps at this circuit but it’s the other way round. We haven’t quite got there on set-up but we are nearly there. The bike is competitive but let’s see over a race distance. Tyre life is key but that’s the same for us all. In warm-up if the weather is good we’ll work on braking stability. Other than that the bike is great and the team has worked really hard. We can take advantage of slipstreams if we’re in a group race tomorrow. It’s going to be war from start to finish and I hope to be up front.”

9th Nico Terol 2’02.852 (17 laps): “We did a great job and were so close to the front row, but that’s how it goes in Moto2. We had a chattering issue this afternoon and we fixed it but on the final lap I lost control and had a light crash. If it wasn’t for that I could have improved my best time more but anyway I’m still pleased with our work and the top ten position. I like this circuit and if I get a good start I hope to finish the race well. It’s going to be tight as we saw from QP today, with so many riders who hope to be up front. We need to be alert as it looks like it might rain. If the race is dry we have to fight from start to finish, if it rains we all start from scratch.”

Mapfre Aspar Moto2 Press Release

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Torres and Terol Positive After Day One at Brno

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The Moto2 World Championship continued apace at Brno this afternoon where two extra names in the shape of Gino Rea and Lucas Mahias were added to a packed entry list for the tenth round of the season. The more familiar name of Pol Espargaró was the dominant force on the opening day, however, the Spaniard on top of the standings for the majority of both free practice sessions before being dislodged by Mika Kallio in the closing stages.

With less than a second covering the top twenty riders the weekend is far from decided, however, and MAPFRE Aspar riders Jordi Torres and Nico Terol are still confident of having their say on Sunday despite finishing down in sixteenth and seventeenth place respectively. Nico was ninth this morning and Jordi tenth, before completing an exhaustive programme of set-up alterations aimed at improving traction and corner speed. The hard work done today should facilitate improvements tomorrow in the final free practice before qualifying takes place in the afternoon.

16th Jordi Torres 2.03.904 (35 laps): 

“I know we can be fast here at Brno but after the first session this morning we knew we had to make some changes to the bike to improve corner speed in particular. Overall we have a good set-up but I need to feel a bit more confident on the bike in the turns. This is a wide circuit with some long straights so we also need to improve our corner exit so that we don't lose out so much on the straights. We set a good pace this morning and then spent the afternoon playing around with the setting so even though we are in sixteenth we are not in bad shape and I think we've done a good job.”

17th Nico Terol 2.03.925 (31 laps): 

“I had a good feeling with the bike as soon as I went out this morning but then we had a tyre turn on the rim and it broke our rhythm. In the afternoon we went with a shorter wheelbase We wanted to see if we could get the bike handling better but with the harder front we didn't get the required response so we went back to the soft front and rear. We will take a step backwards towards our base setting tomorrow because it tends to work well at most tracks.”

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Jordi Torres and Nico Terol ready to consolidate progress as series returns to Europe

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With no time for rest or even an opportunity to consider jet-lag the MotoGP World Championship moves swiftly across the Atlantic this week and after round nine of the Moto2 season at Indianapolis last Sunday, round ten takes place just seven days later in the Czech Republic. It is the second leg of a triple-header of races that continues next week at Silverstone, putting the fitness and concentration levels of the riders to the test. Whilst Scott Redding and Pol Espargaró continue their intense battle for leadership of the intermediate category the Indianapolis race showed once again that there is more than one rider ready to pick their pocket if they take their eyes of the game.

MAPFRE Aspar rider Jordi Torres is certainly one of the men of the moment in Moto2 after following up his maiden victory in Germany two races ago with a solid top ten finish at Indianapolis. The Spanish rider always knew the American circuit would present certain difficulties and now he is looking to competing at a circuit he loves and where he expects to be competitive once again. His team-mate Nico Terol was only denied a podium challenge by a stomach problem on Sunday but he is confident of making up for lost points at a circuit where he took 125cc victory in 2010. 

Jordi Torres: 

“We knew we would struggle to find a set-up at Indianapolis but in the end the feeling was quite good. I think the bike will be much more stable and a better all round package at Brno because of the fast and flowing nature of the track. The only downside for me is the long straight, where I will lose some time to the lighter riders because I am a big guy but we will work hard to compensate for this by trying to get as much grip as we can in corner exit. We know the bike handles well so we are not worried about that aspect. Brno is one of the nicest tracks on the whole calendar in my opinion so I hope to enjoy myself there this weekend.”

Nico Terol: 

“We did a fantastic job at Indianapolis and came away from there feeling really good. It was a shame that the result wasn't a bit better but all the little solutions we found out there have given us a nice boost going to Brno. We know we have more room to improve and we will keep working on that but since Germany we have been making constant progress. I love this track because it has some fast and flowing corners and it suits my riding style. I have great memories of Brno, having won there in 2010 and I am sure we can achieve another good result this weekend.”

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Nico Terol finishes runner-up in Italian GP

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The Moto2 race lived up to expectations in Mugello, following the close practice sessions that had preceded it. Takaaki Nakagami tried to lead the way early from second on the grid, whilst poleman Scott Redding stuck with him as expected. The two opened up a small gap, closed first by Nico Terol and then by Johann Zarco, as the podium battle began. Nakagami crashed out and Terol and Redding exchanged the lead, leaving Zarco behind later on when the latter upped the pace. Terol completed the race second, behind Redding, as the rostrum places were decided in a great contest. 

MAPFRE Aspar rider Nico Terol took his second podium of the season today, with a superb second place. He was steady during every practice session, albeit unspectacular, but showed his racing spirit with a great performance from fifth on the grid. He responded to the early push from Nakagami and Redding with a fastest lap to catch them up. He battled with Redding and led for four laps of the Italian Grand Prix, eventually finishing runner-up and gaining another World Championship podium.

Jordi Torres also gave a great showing at Mugello. He held onto his starting position and moved up into fourth at one stage in the race. The Spaniard diced with various big names in the Moto2 class, and continued to learn how to best defend places. He rode with a battling chasing pack and crossed the line sixth, equaling his best ever result for the MAPFRE Aspar Team from Valencia 2012. 

2nd Nico Terol: 

"I am very happy with this great result. From the start I showed a lot of determination and was explosive. The last corner of the third sector had been holding me back throughout the weekend, so today I tried to address it in a thousand ways so as not to lose touch with Scott. But with an empty tank the bike did not load much weight on the front, and I noticed that a gap was slowly opening up. I tried to stick with him, but he found four tenths on the final laps. In any case I am very satisfied with both the podium and with the work done the entire weekend. This result confirms that our mentality has changed, that despite Moto2 being a very difficult category this year we are doing a great job, and progressively we are gaining consistency. Tomorrow we have a very important test that will help us finish off adjusting to the chattering that we experienced this weekend. We have climbed back up to second in the championship, which gives us great morale for the next round at Montmelo."

6th Jordi Torres: 

"I had great fun in the race today. We had sensed it would be an ordeal, because the long straight hinders us a bit, so I had to get stuck in from the beginning. The mentality throughout the race was to nip at the riders ahead of me and try and work my way up the order by making things uncomfortable for them. Every time that I got onto the straight I could feel people slipstreaming me, so I had to defend in any way I could, bringing out my aggressive side. I am delighted with the way this weekend developed; on Friday we were lost and yesterday we turned the situation around completely. I have to say that the team have done a great job and gave me a bike with which I gained a lot of confidence. Today we learnt many things that will be useful in the coming races. My teammate also achieved a great result, and to see him on the podium motivates me to think that maybe one day I too can be there. Congratulations to Nico, because he ride brilliantly."

Mapfre Aspar Moto2 Press Release

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Nico Terol and Jordi Torres are hoping to resume their fantastic start to the season in Italy

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The European roadshow stops off at Mugello this weekend as the MotoGP World Championship gathers pace. Already at the fifth round of the new campaign the series visits one of the most picturesque circuits on the entire calendar, sitting as it does at the foot of the rolling Tuscan hills. Its fast, flowing corners, dramatic elevation changes and one of the longest straights on the calendar make Mugello a unique challenge for the riders, who love to perform for the Italian 'tifosi'. Moto2 has seen four different winners from the opening four rounds of the season so far, Scott Redding adding his name to the roll call at Le Mans to move clear at the top of the championship.  

The delicate state of the Le Mans asphalt saw MAPFRE Aspar's riders slip up in their otherwise excellent start to the new season. Nico Terol and Jordi Torres are both looking for a swift return to their best form in Italy, with Terol currently sixth in the championship on 38 points thanks largely to a breakthrough win in the category in round two in Austin. Jordi Torres lies fourteenth in the championship in his full rookie season but having visited this circuit in 2011 he at least has prior knowledge to work from. 

Nico Terol: 

“I am going to Mugello in good spirits, with my batteries fully recharged and looking forward to putting Le Mans behind me. I know we are in great form, I feel very comfortable with the bike and we seem to be finding what we need to go fast at every circuit at the moment. Mugello is a fast track, I love it and I think it is well suited to my riding style. I am going there with the clear aim of returning to the fight at the front of the pack. France was nothing more than a bump in the road and other than the incident in the race we did a great job there so I am hoping to do the same in Italy. Mugello has a lot of flowing corners with blind entries and it's always great fun to ride. When you are having fun on the bike that's when the lap times come. We need to get the engine running a little better because there is a long straight and even though the set-up is good at the moment we will need to work hard to adapt it to the fast zones at this track.” 

Jordi Torres: “We came away from Le Mans with a bittersweet feeling but we are highly charged for the next round. We found out a lot about the set-up in France and that's what we took away from the weekend. I am looking forward to racing at Mugello, a circuit I raced at two years ago and was really impressed by. It is as difficult as it is fun, I love it and I think most of the other riders do too. Regardless of what happened in France our objective remains the same, which is to work hard in every session and try our best to be consistently in the top ten at least. Even though I didn't race at Mugello last year I am sure we can find a good feeling for the bike there from Friday. We'll try and get as much acceleration as we can out of the bike so that we don't lose too much down the straights.”

Mapfre Aspar Moto2 Press Release

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Nico Terol Finds Consistency in France

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Just a second covered the top fifteen Moto2 riders at the end of the first day of free practice at Le Mans although Scott Redding seems to have the edge at the moment, the British rider ending both sessions on top of the timesheets and inside the circuit record from 2011. With rain forecast for the rest of the weekend, however, it promises to be another unpredictable round of Moto2 action.

The MAPFRE Aspar Team made a strong start to the weekend with both riders satisfied with their performances. Each rider clocked up 44 laps, with Nico Terol fast and consistent throughout and Jordi Torres adapting quickly to a new circuit for him. Terol was fifth fastest this morning and sixth this afternoon, comfortably maintaing a position in the higher reaches of the timing screens. Torres has enjoyed his first outing here at Le Mans and he did a great job to lap within a second of pacesetter Redding and clock the fifteenth fastest time overall. 

6º Nico Terol 1.38.907 (44 vueltas): “We set a good consistent pace today and were constantly in touch with the top guys. I am happy about that and also about my feeling for the bike here. We still have some corners to improve but that is what the second day is for and we can be satisfied so far. Redding is the only guy who seems to have a bit more pace than the rest but otherwise it is extremely close. I have changed my riding style a little today to try and improve in certain areas compared to last year but there are still some places where I need to improve more. We are on the right lines though and tomorrow we will work hard to find what we are missing. We need some more grip and there are two corners in particular where we need to find the right gear ratio.”

15th Jordi Torres 1.39.271 (44 laps): “After seeing the track so many times on television it was different to how I expected it. It is quite unusual and a lot of fun and it was quite easy to learn. Our pace is good but we need to get a better understanding of some of the linked corners and then we will be a few tenths quicker still. This morning was a good shakedown and then this afternoon we made some important changes to the set-up and pushed from there. We have worked on improving the response from the rear shock and I think this is the way for us to go, although we need to confirm it tomorrow. The lap times are close here, you only have to look at the fact that I am a second off the top even though I am in fifteenth. It will be a tough battle tomorrow but I am happy and I know we can be even more competitive.”

Mapfre Aspar Moto2 Press Release

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Nico Terol and Jordi Torres Plan More Hard Work in France

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The legendary Le Mans circuit, home of perhaps the most famous motorsport event on the planet in the 24 Hour race, this weekend plays host to the fastest sport on two wheels as the MotoGP World Championship paddock rolls into France, The fourth round of the Moto2 season sees no fewer than six riders with podium form already this year, with Tito Rabat leading the championship by a single point from Scott Redding and with the likes of Pol Espagaró, Nico Terol and Takaaki Nakagami in close attendance. After three sensational and unpredictable races so far Le Mans looks set to provide the stage for another classic on Sunday lunchtime.

It has been a superb start to the season for the MAPFRE Aspar Team, with both riders already showing signs of a potentially successful season. After taking his first victory in the class in Austin a month ago Nico Terol fought stoically for a valuable fifth place at Jerez, where he had struggled all weekend to find a set-up for his bike, meaning he currently lies fourth in the championship. His team-mate Jordi Torres also had to fight adversity before coming through to take a positive result at Jerez, crossing the line just two places behind Nico to move up to tenth in the championship and another step closer to the battle at the front.

Nico Terol: 

“I feel in great form at the moment, I feel like we have taken a big step forward. We scored our first win in this category in Austin but then had a tougher weekend at Jerez because of some grip problems but in the end we came out with an excellent result. I left Jerez feeling very happy with fifth place because we showed that we can react to problems. We know we can run at the front now and it is fundamental for us to finish either on the podium or close to it every weekend. All the hard work we have put in so far means that we can aspire to this level of consistency and the goal is to be up there fighting. I love Le Mans and last year I started to find my feet with this bike there. It sounds repetitive but Moto2 is always a lottery. Even so Le Mans is a good track for me and I will be going out there to get the best possible result. It is tight and has some hard braking zones so I think it ould suit our bike well.”

Jordi Torres: 

“We go to Le Mans feeling more motivated than ever after another good result at Jerez. We also worked out a few things with the set-up there and found a really good feeling for the race, which was very satisfying. Now that we understand the bike better we are ready to take another step forward at Le Mans. It is a new circuit for me so I have had to try and learn it on the games console but it looks interesting and not too complicated so I am looking forward to riding it for real. Hopefully I can find my reference points quickly and start to work on the bike as soon as possible.”

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Jordi Tores Matches Best Moto2 QP Result

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Jordi Torres showed again on Saturday that he is always more comfortable on Spanish soil, equalling his best ever grid spot of fifth, the same he achieve last year at Aragon and Valencia. A good reward for his weekend’s work so far, improving his set-up gradually Jordi pulled out a great late lap in QP to achieve fifth and he is ready to race. From the second row he will aim for his best ever Moto2 race finish. Behind him in seventh Nico Terol has also been working hard all weekend to be ready for Sunday. His good pace in free practice and his confidence from his Austin victory mean he is aiming for the podium again.

5th Jordi Torres 1.43.990 (21 laps): 

“We worked hard on Saturday morning to ensure a good setting for QP especially focussing on rear grip. The heat in the afternoon meant it was slippy out there but the good preparation we did meant we were able to stay in the top ten constantly. Fifth is good, I’m pleased with that and we can get a good result in the race by fighting hard. We need to concentrate hard in the opening laps, which will be crucial and being up towards the front is very motivating. I want to gain the máximum possible experience from this. It’s hard running with the top guys as they know the track so well. Rabat looks strong enough to pull away at the front but there should be a good fight for the podium behind him.” 

7th Nico Terol 1.44.008 (20 laps): 

“We’ve put the graft in throughout the weekend to be honest, but I’m still annoyed as I lost some time in T4 because of an error. That tenth of a second takes me from third to seventh. Overall I have to be satisfied with my good pace throughout the weekend though and the bike is improving gradually. I was enjoying sliding into corners which was helping me get round but we need more grip really. We need to work hard in warm-up but my team guys are doing well. Engine responsiveness is good and we’re ready to race. I need to be focussed for the start and to fight well. There are plenty of laps in the race and we need to save our tyres, so we’re pushing hard at the end.”

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Jordi Torres fifth and Nico Terol ninth on opening day in Jerez

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If the three world Championship classes had something in common on day one at Jerez, it was that times were somewhat lower than previous visits to the Spanish track. Perhaps this was down to high temperatures –particularly during the Moto2 sessions. The intermediate class had many riders going faster in the morning than in the day-closing afternoon session. Redding and Rabat battled for the top spot all day, with the latter eventually taking it. Six chassis manufacturers placed in the top ten, in a varied day for the Moto2 field. Times were close, promising a great qualifying session tomorrow and race on Sunday.

The MAPFRE Aspar riders today experienced similar feelings with their machinery and the track, even though Jordi Torres put in his fastest time in the morning session and Nico Terol in the afternoon. Torres began strong at Jerez and was fourth quickest in the opening session. His workload focused on improving the rear of his bike and at the end of the day he placed fifth on the combined timesheet –one second off the top spot.

Terol found it slightly harder to find the best solution for the lack of rear grip, but in the closing stages of the second session of the day he had made headway and stopped the clock at 1.44.413. Both riders were happy with their performance on the first day, and expect to continue to improve on Saturday morning in preparation for qualifying.

5th Jordi Torres 1.44.231 (38 laps): “Before arriving in Jerez we were confident that we could be in the top ten from the start, because preseason testing went well here and we were at the top every day. We drew some conclusions from that, but we had a different plan for today based on findings from the first two races. I rode pretty fast this morning, although I was lacking confidence with the rear. We decided to see if the problem could be changed in the second session of the day. We decided to play around with the swingarm and, although we weren’t as fast, we found some good data regarding weight transfer. Based on that, we know which direction to take tomorrow and for the rest of the weekend. I am happy and I can see that a good result is possible here, so we will work towards that.”

9th Nico Terol 1.44.413 (34 laps): "The day has been positive. This morning we struggled a bit to find feeling, but as the day went on we got closer to the leading times. Throughout the day we looked to improve the grip on the rear and we have been getting there, progressively. The last ten minutes of the afternoon session were very positive, both in terms of the times and the pace. We still need to improve stability in order to open the throttle earlier, but we are happy. It seems that most riders have had trouble with grip. That may partly be because of the heat, or because it's the first day and the track is still dirty. In fact, in general the times have been slow. Our engine has improved a lot, I'm happy with it and, when we find a solution to the grip issue, we can think about having a good race. We have also worked with various tyre compounds already. I am satisfied and I think tomorrow we will be on the road to fighting for the top positions. Although it is true that at this round, more than others, times are going to be very tight.”

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Nico Terol Targets Another Podium at Jerez

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After back-to-back flyaway races the MotoGP World Championship returns to more familiar ground this weekend as the European summer kicks off in earnest with the Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez. After an opening round that went very much to form in Qatar, the Moto2 class was back to its most unpredictable best in Texas, where Nico Terol picked up his first victory in the intermediate category. The MAPFRE Aspar rider now heads to his home Grand Prix in top form, leading a strong Spanish charge that also includes his team-mate Jordi Torres, not to mention the likes of Pol Espargaró, Tito Rabat and Julian Simón, who all have designs on local glory.

Terol remains on a high after his morale-boosting dominance of the inaugural Grand Prix of the Americas last week. He arrives in his home country lying second in the championship and with a clear target of being a consistent podium challenger for the remainder of the season. Torres is equally eager to get out on track in front of his family, friends and fans after suffering from a faulty tyre in Texas. Having been one of the men to beat in preseason testing at Jerez, Jordi is confident of kickstarting his season this weekend.

Nico Terol: 

“It is taken some time for the win in Texas to sink in but I have been able to enjoy it at home with my family and friends. It has taken longer than we hoped to happen but sooner or later it had to happen. We have been doing a good job for a while now but hadn't managed to follow it up in a race. Now we have done that it gives me even more motivation to continue like this and my morale is sky high. The win last time out was reward for our hard work and now we have to work hard to maintain this level of performance. We know we can win races now so the target is to be on the podium every weekend. I am looking forward to going to Jerez, where I am sure we can be competitive again. We have a lot of dat from preseason, when we were on the pace.”

Jordi Torres: 

“I am very excited about the second round of the season. We spent most of preseason there and I think we have a good set-up. We had plenty of time to try things in the winter so Friday will be a case of refining the set-up and hopefully setting a competitive pace from the start, which will be important. This is a big race for us. We need to make another step with the set-up and start to compete closer to the front. The fact we are starting out with a good base setting will help us a lot because we have a clear idea about what we need to do. I love the grip at Jerez in the dry and wet conditions and I can't wait to get out on track.”

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Nico Terol Takes First Moto2 Win in Dominant Fashion

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The first Moto2 race at the Circuit of the Americas exceeded all expectations, and was the only contest in the three categories that make up the World Championship to stray from the script. Scott Redding pulled away from pole position on the grid, but was unable to break free of his rivals. Pol Espargaró suffered an ugly crash on lap 3, Redding faded inexplicably, and Nico Terol pushed through on lap 4 to take the lead. In the space of two laps he had established a clear advantage, with a 3-second cushion between him and his rivals. He won comfortably, with Tito Rabat and Mika Kallio joining him on the podium.

MAPFRE Aspar rider Nico Terol took yet another victory in America –a talismanic country for the Spaniard. A year and a half after his last victory (Aragon 2011, in the 125cc class) he topped the rostrum for the first time in Moto2. Terol’s win is also the MAPFRE Aspar Team’s first triumph in the Moto2 class. Indianapolis 2008 –also a debuting track at the time- was the scene of Terol’s first GP win, and it was fitting that he should repeat the feat in Moto2 at Austin. He needed just three laps in order to get up to first, and the next four saw him riding in the 2’11s to break free. He set the fastest race lap on the sixth time around, then took his bike home for a memorable victory. He is now second in the World Championship, with 27 points.

Less fortunate was teammate Jordi Torres, who struggled in the race today with a defective rear tyre. Nevertheless, the Catalan fought to maintain positions and finally concluded the day 14th.

1st Nico Terol: 

"At the start of the race I was a little nervous, because I did not want to make any mistakes and was hoping for a good result. At the end, when I saw what I had achieved, my confidence soared. In Valencia I managed a podium on a wet track, but I had not been at the front in the dry before –let alone won a race. My first GP victory was in America, my first win in Moto2 has also come here, so I'm very happy, I wish I had more races on American soil! This circuit is very technical, but I felt really good throughout the weekend. I knew that the key would be the first few laps, so I tried to stay as focused as possible. I managed to keep calm and wait for my moment to push hard. Redding had some problems I think, so when I picked up on them I set a goal to get past him and open up a gap. I knew that I had good pace, so I limited myself to trying to keep it up. When I saw what my advantage was and how it was increasing, I enjoyed the race a little more. Throughout the weekend we did a great job, using worn tyres for the most part and looking to find a strong pace. That was one of the keys to the win today.”

14th Jordi Torres: 

"This morning in the warmup session we made a couple of changes that allowed us to climb through the field and up our pace. That has made us highly motivated when it came to race time, but it seems that we had a problem with the rear tyre -it would not let me lean the bike over well. I had to do wonders to turn the bike in. At first I thought it could be a temperature problem, and that it would steady up as the laps went by, but it actually got worse. Then there was shaking on the straights too. I stayed up as best I could and tried to keep my position, and in the end I finished fourteenth. I saw at the end that the tyre carcass had dented. Dunlop are investigating this in order to give a diagnosis. We had a difficult day, but the team are very happy with Nico’s win. I give my sincere congratulations to him; I'm so happy for him."

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Nico Terol Achieves Best QP Result in Moto2 in Third

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In the Moto3 and MotoGP clases there were clear margins for Rins and Márquez at the top, but things were a lot closer in Moto2. Each free practice session has had a different leader (Terol, Redding and Espargaró), and ultimately it was Redding who repeated the trick in QP. The lead was not changing much in the last part of qualifying, just like in Qatar, before the dying seconds things got interesting and Redding took pole ahead of Nakagami and Terol. The Briton took the glory with a great last lap effort but it looked like any of the top five might snatch it, meaning there is great interest in what should be an open race on Sunday.

It was at Valencia last year that Nico Terol was last on the front row, in fourth spot specifically. Today he picked up his best ever Moto2 qualifying result and his last front row start saw him reach the podium so he will aim to repeat that feat. The MAPFRE Aspar rider was fastest in FP1 and with the great pace he’s showing this weekend he has a shot at the podium again. Given his good record on American soil, where he took his first career win in 2008, he will push for another top result on Sunday. His teammate Jordi Torres, meanwhile, starts three rows further back. The rider from Rubí has taken steps forward throughout the weekend and will aim for the top ten in Sunday’s race. Starting from 12th he has some rear end improvements to make as he fights for a good finish.

3rd Nico Terol 2.11.287 (15 laps): 

“We’ve had solid pace throughout the weekend and I’ve felt good since we got here. I felt good in Qatar too but the race wasn’t easy. Before qualifying my target was the front row, given how confident I’ve felt during practice. Since yesterday things have been working really well and I’m pleased to have taken third. Tyre wear is crucial here, I saw that today that even as grip improves the rubber degrades quickly. In warm up we’ll finalize our setting to take care of the tyres a bit more and in the race I’ll have to keep an eye on that aspect. It’s going to be a tough battle, we’ll have to fight hard but I’ll aim to find my pace and enjoy it as much as posible.”

12th Jordi Torres 2.12.346 (16 laps): 

“We lost our way a bit yesterday so we went back to square one today and things got better. The front end still needs some work as its closing up at some points but it’s better than Friday. In the morning we worked on that a bit and in the afternoon we made some more gambles which paid off. I’m not happy with the grid spot but I’m pleased the feeling on the bike is improving. We have some ideas for the warmup so we’ll work on those and see what happens. I need to make sure I start well and don’t lose ground so I’ll be aiming to follow the riders in front of me. The race will be hard but I think we can do well.”

Mapfre Aspar Moto2 Press Release

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