Less than 24 hours after the conclusion to the 2012 Moto2 World Championship, the Tech 3 Racing Team was back on track in Valencia today to commence preparations for next season with an all-new line-up featuring Danny Kent and Louis Rossi.
Fresh from his stunning victory in yesterday's Valencia Moto3 race, British rider Kent and Frenchman Rossi acquainted themselves with their new Team and the Mistral 610 machine on a positive and productive first day of winter testing.
After a cool and cloudy start to proceedings, most of the session took place under gloriously sunny skies, which was a stark contrast to the wet conditions that dominated the final weekend of the season.
Improved conditions enabled Kent and Rossi to put in almost 140 laps together, with both quickly getting to grips with the heavier and more powerful Mistral 610 machine.
Kent set a best time of 1.38.2 on the unofficial timesheets, which placed him 22nd, while Le Mans Moto3 winner Rossi was just 0.5s behind and 24th in the final rankings.
Kent and Rossi will now head to the Albacete track in Spain for a further two-day test on Wednesday and Thursday before the Tech 3 Racing Team embarks on an intensive winter development programme back in France ahead of the 2013 pre-season campaign.
Danny Kent 22nd 1.38.2 – 74 laps:
“It has been a fantastic experience to start my career in Moto2 and I immediately felt at home in the Tech 3 Racing Team. Today was just all about getting a feel for the Mistral 610 because it is quite a bit different to the bike I've been riding in Moto3. There is more power but the thing I noticed more than anything is the extra weight, particularly in the fast changes of direction. I already have a plan to build up my strength in the winter but after 74 laps today, my upper body is aching a bit. I really enjoyed riding the bike though and today was all about getting comfortable and familiarising myself with the Mistral 610 and my crew. I have so much to learn but it is good that I am back on the bike later this week and that's when the real work will start now that I have a better understanding of what to expect from the bike.”
Louis Rossi 24th 1.38.7 – 65 laps:
“It was a very positive day because I have been really excited to discover my new Team and new bike. It is a big step up from Moto3 to Moto2 and after 65 laps I am very tired because the bike is much more physically demanding to ride. Normally I can lap quite easily until the end of the day but today it was very difficult. Mainly it is because of the extra weight and the force you need to turn and change direction but also because of the extra power. I am just trying to get comfortable on the bike and slowly build up my confidence and experience. It was a good start today and now I'm looking forward to the next test in Albacete where we can continue the positive progress made in this test.”
Tech 3 Racing Press Release
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