The end result may not have been spectacular for Alvaro Bautista and Team GO&FUN Honda Gresini, but the main goal of completing the Dutch TT was achieved. After two DNFs at Mugello and Barcelona, the Spaniard was looking t o take the chequered flag at Assen, and did so with seventh place –despite a rear brake issue midway through the race. Bryan Staring also had difficulties, but was able to gain experience and conclude the contest in 21st.
Alvaro Bautista (7th)
"We finished the race, and this was above all the main goal of this weekend. It’s a small consolation, but after two setbacks this was very important. In the race I didn’t have a perfect feeling with the bike, because it was unstable and moving around a lot. Unfortunately, with the weather conditions being so variable we did not have the time required to find the best setup. At first I tried to stay calm by getting heat into the tyres, trying not to take excessive risks. Maybe I lost a bit too much time then, and later from the middle of the race I had problems with the rear brake and I could not slow down as well as I would have liked. It took a few laps to be able to adapt to the situation, and after that I tried to finish in the best possible way. It was not really a good race but it was important to finish, in order to think about the future with greater serenity."
Bryan Staring (21st)
"I was convinced that I could do much better. For a while I battled as part of the group but then I was not consistent enough until the end. For this reason I am a little disappointed with my performance. It’s further experience but I would have preferred to end it with a different result. However, I’ve learnt some important things that I hope to put into practice in future races.”
Fausto Gresini
"After two races that we could not finish, the good thing today was that we completed the distance. Of course, the result does not really satisfy us, but we must also bear in mind that for over half of the race Alvaro had a problem with the rear brake that affected him a lot. We certainly haven’t had much luck recently, so let’s hope that this spell ends soon and that we can look forward to better days. We are working well and we would like that the results reflect our efforts. Staring gained further experience, even though we were expecting better. We know that we will not be lacking in focus to get better results soon.”
Go & Fun Honda Gresini Press Release
