MotoGP Mugello Go&Fun Honda Gresini Preview

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The Team GO&FUN Honda Gresini is back in action this weekend for the first of the two home races on the calendar, the Italian Grand Prix at the Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello: nestled in the Tuscan hills, the circuit is less than 80 km from the Team’s base in Faenza.

After the fantastic podium finish clinched at Le Mans, Alvaro Bautista arrives in Italy driven by a strong motivation, aiming to reverse the trend in a race that saw him struggling in the recent years: in his MotoGP career the Spaniard MotoGP has in fact a tenth place as best result at Mugello, obtained in 2012.

His team-mate, Scott Redding, will try to confirm himself as the best rider aboard the Open Class Honda RCV1000R machine, an achievement he has already obtained in the opening round in Qatar and in the recent French Grand Prix. The British rookie, who won the Moto2 race last year at Mugello starting from pole position, collected 18 points so far, 5 less than his direct rival, Nicky Hayden.

Alvaro Bautista

“In Le Mans we had a great race, but we want to keep our feet firmly on the ground, so we look at Mugello with the same attitude as always, working step by step. The podium obtained in France, however, allows us to be more relaxed on a track with long, fast corners which might be difficult for us. Our bike has improved in several areas after the Jerez post-race test, especially regarding suspension and brakes: improvements which helped us on a track like Le Mans; if they will prove to be useful also in Mugello, we can say  that we start from a really good base. It will be difficult to get on the podium, we have to be realistic, but we will try to stay as close as possible to the factory bikes, as always. This Grand Prix is also really important for all the team, so it would be nice to get a good result in front of so many people who will come to support us, for the sponsors and for all the guys of the team”.

Scott Redding 

“I won the race last year at Mugello in Moto2 quite comfortably: I enjoy the track a lot and I’m sure that it’s going to be even more exciting with a MotoGP bike. I’ve tested there with a MotoGP in the past, so I already know a little bit the reference points. Mugello is a very phisical circuit, with many changes of direction, and also it’s going to be hot there, so I’m going to prepare myself for that, in order to be ready to fight again. Finally, the track needs to be smooth and flowing, so it could be a little bit more difficult for our bike, but we never know what can happen, so we will see how it goes”.

Go&Fun Honda Gresini Press Release

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MotoGP Le Mans Go&Fun Honda Gresini Preview

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One of the most famous motorsport venues in the World, Le Mans, awaits this weekend the Team GO&FUN Honda Gresini riders, Alvaro Bautista and Scott Redding, for the French Grand Prix, fifth round of the 2014 MotoGP World Championship. The event is held, since 2000, at the Bugatti circuit, located in the immediate outskirts of the town of the Sarthe region, famous all over the World for hosting the 24 Hours automobile race.

Alvaro Bautista - fresh from the sixth place finish in the recent Spanish Grand Prix, and who also finished sixth in the last two editions of the Grand Prix of France, in 2012 and in 2013 - is looking for another good result: in this respect, could be helpful the recent testing session completed at Jerez the day after the race, during which the Spaniard tried several new suspension and brakes parts, working closely with Showa and Nissin engineers.

His team-mate, Scott Redding, will be back on a track on which last year he triumphed for the first time in the Moto2 class: the Briton, who has collected points in three out of his first four races in MotoGP, is determined to return the fastest rider aboard the Open class Honda RCV1000R after two complicated races, albeit useful for his apprenticeship.

Alvaro Bautista

“Le Mans is not one of my favourite tracks and probably this is due to the fact that often the bad weather makes it difficult to work properly on the bike during practice. In any case, our goal remains the same we set ourselves before Jerez, that is collect as many points as possible. It’s difficult, however, to make a prediction, because the weather forecasts predict rain for Sunday. During the test we have carried out the day after the Spanish Grand Prix, we could test several new solutions that have worked well: therefore, we hope that they will prove useful also on this track”.

Scott Redding

“Last year, in Le Mans, I won my first race in the Moto2 class, so I am very happy to return to this circuit. The only concern is related to possible difficult conditions because of the bad weather: I never had the opportunity to ride a MotoGP bike in wet conditions, so this would be a completely new situation for me. Otherwise, if the track will remain dry, I think that it can suits well the characteristics of our bike, as long as we can find more grip than we did in Jerez. Like Jerez, Le Mans is quite a narrow and small track, so it will take a little time to adjust the electronic controls and to adapt my riding style, but I think that we learned a lot from this point of view from the Spanish GP weekend, also considering the positive day of testing carried out after the race”.

Go&Fun Honda Gresini Press Release

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Go&Fun Honda Gresini Review Jerez MotoGP Day 2

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Team GO&FUN Honda Gresini’s Alvaro Bautista and Scott Redding will start respectively from the tenth and eighteenth place on the grid of tomorrow’s Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez de la Frontera.

In a very hot and sunny day, Alvaro Bautista was able to enter the QP2, which decides the first 12 positions on the grid, setting the second fastest time during Qualifying 1 with 1’39”595; then the Spaniard failed to improve his time in the decisive session, eventually closing it in tenth place with a fastest lap time of 1’39”751. Alvaro complained about a lack of front grip in corner entry together with a strong rear wheel spin under acceleration: tomorrow, during the warm up, the team will try some big changes to the RC213V set -up ahead of the race, looking for an improvement .

His team mate Scott Redding, author of a harmless crash, finished QP1 in eighth place with a time of 1’40”453, therefore tomorrow he will line up his bike on the sixth row.

Alvaro Bautista (10th - 1'39"751)

“Unfortunately the situation has not changed compared to yesterday: we tried several different settings, without finding a solution. I have no front grip into the corner, then when I open the throttle the rear wheel starts immediately to spin and therefore I lose a lot of time. Too bad, I was hoping for a better weekend, but this is the reality at the moment. Tomorrow will be a very tough race, especially for me, that I am not comfortable on the bike; our goal, however, doesn’t change: we want to cross the finish line and collect some points. Perhaps tomorrow morning, during the warm up, we could try a last set-up modification, in an effort to improve, although actually all the work carried out so far have not had any effect. Unfortunately we can’t go beyond a certain limit”.

Scott Redding (18th - 1'40"453)

“There is still much work to do if we want to find more grip: I have no traction and I struggled a lot today, so tonight we will analyze all the data with the team in an attempt to improve. I also had a small crash in qualifying: I was under braking, and as soon as I released the brakes I lost the front. The bike was more or less okay and I managed to bring it back to the pits, then I set my best lap time, but we have to work hard if we want to catch the group of riders in front of us. Since the beginning of the weekend unfortunately the situation has remained the same, with the exception of the braking, which is improved; at the rear, however, there is too much spinning at the moment”.

Go&Fun Honda Gresini Press Release

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Go&Fun Honda Gresini Preview Jerez MotoGP

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The Team GO&FUN Honda Gresini is willing to open a new chapter of his so far unfortunate 2014 campaign with the arrival of MotoGP on the European continent, this weekend at Jerez de la Frontera for the Spanish Grand Prix. All the three events in Qatar, Texas and Argentina saw in fact Alvaro Bautista involved in a crash that forced him to retire from the race. For the Spaniard this first home Grand Prix becomes therefore crucial to start collecting the first important points aboard the Factory Honda RC213V machine.

Even his team-mate, Scott Redding - who grabbed a second place finish in last year’s Moto2 race - is looking for redemption after the 2 points collected at Termas de Rio Hondo thanks to the 14th place, a result below the expectations considering the speed shown by the English rookie during practice.

Alvaro Bautista 

“I really hope that the first European race can finally put an end to this bad period: the only thing we can do right now is to continue to believe in ourselves and work hard, like we have done so far, in order to try to reverse the trend”.

Scott Redding 

“I’m looking forward to the first European race of the season because I like to travel on the road to the circuits and the atmosphere. I also like Jerez, because it’s quite fast and it suits well my riding style. It’s quite a demanding track, but I also think that it’s one of the tracks that could be good for the characteristics of our bike. We are getting closer to our rivals and we want to be back on top among the Open Class Hondas: this is our target and we need to achieve it”.

Go&Fun Honda Gresini Press Release

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Go&Fun Honda Gresini Review Argentina MotoGP Race

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Alvaro Bautista was involved in a crash on the first lap during today’s Grand Prix of Argentina: started from tenth on the grid aboard the Team GO&FUN Honda Gresini RC213V, the Spaniard crashed at Turn 5 after a contact with the rear wheel of Aleix Espargarò’s bike.

Bautista therefore leaves Argentina with zero points in the standings, as a result of three retirements in as many races: the hope of the team is to reverse the negative trend already this weekend in the first European Grand Prix of the season at Jerez.

His team mate, Scott Redding, hoped to be able to confirm himself today as the fastest rider aboard the Open Class Honda RCV1000R after showing good potential during practice, but could not get a better result than 14th place, slowed by a lack of feeling with the front tyre under braking.

Alvaro Bautista (DNF)

“I really don’t know what to say, I am very sorry. It's a shame, because today I had a good feeling ahead of the race. The only thing we can do now is continue to work hard, as always. We hope to reverse the trend the next weekend in Jerez”.

Scott Redding (14th)

“It’s been a difficult race, because I couldn’t stop the bike as I was struggling a lot with front grip under braking. I already had a little bit this problem this morning during the warm up, but the situation in the race was worst: I went wide a lot of times and I couldn’t really overtake anyone. This problem basically spoiled my whole race: I lost half a second on my pace compared to this morning warm up, so I’m disappointed. Also, I was not feeling really great physically: yesterday I started to feel something like a cold, with a lot of sneezing, and today my energy level came down. It’s annoying, because we thought we had a good chance today”.

Go&Fun Honda Gresini Press Release

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Go&Fun Honda Gresini Review Argentina MotoGP Day 2

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Team GO&FUN Honda Gresini’s Alvaro Bautista and Scott Redding will start tomorrow’s Grand Prix of Argentina from the fourth and fifth row of the grid respectively.

Bautista finished the breathless 15-minute QP2 to decide the top 12 grid positions in tenth, with a personal best time of 1’39”429: a result no doubt below expectations, however, mitigated by the fact by having found a good rhythm with the hard tyre during the fourth and final free practice session, thanks to some changes to the bike set-up shown to be very successful.

His team mate, Scott Redding, narrowly missed the entrance to QP2 for a few thousandths of a second, showing a great potential. The young Briton will start the race from thirteenth place with a time of 1’40”238.

Alvaro Bautista (10th - 1'39"429)

“The situation has improved a lot compared to yesterday: we made many changes to the bike set-up and already this morning I felt much more at ease than yesterday. Even the track conditions have improved a lot, but we made a big step forward regardless. Thanks to the good work done on the bike, during the last free practice session I managed to keep a good pace and I was very consistent with the hard tyre, so I’m very confident for tomorrow's race. Unfortunately, in qualifying I made some mistakes during my fastest lap and there was a lot of traffic, so I have not been able to set a reasonably good lap time. However, tomorrow we can do a good race: I would like to thank my team because they are working hard to help me”.

Scott Redding (13th - 1'40"238)

“I’m happy with my qualifying: we checked the split times and it’s clear that my ideal lap time would have been quicker than Hayden. When I went out on track I didn’t push hard enough with the new softer tyre in the beginning: it was my own fault, and it’s a good lesson for the future. Then, I lost the rear a couple of times in my last two fast laps, losing 0.5 seconds in only one sector. All in all, I’m satisfied, but also a little disappointed because Nicky is in front of us. During Free Practice 4 I felt really good and I was pretty consistent with the hard tyre, thanks to a set-up change made on the fron end, so today we made big improvements. Regarding tyres, I think that the only option for the race is the hard compound; anyway, the track is coming better, so is the tyre life, therefore tomorrow’s race could be really interesting for us”.

Go&Fun Honda Gresini Press Release

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Go&Fun Honda Gresini Review Argentina MotoGP Day 1

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The first day of the Grand Prix of Argentina on the new Termas de Rio Hondo circuit represented a difficult challenge for Team GO&FUN Honda Gresini’s riders: after a good first free practice session - held on a still very dirty track -, who saw Alvaro Bautista third fastest and Scott Redding in 11th position, the Spanish and the English, despite lowering their lap times in the afternoon, closed the first day of practice in 11th and 22th position respectively.

Tomorrow both rider will work on bike set-up trying to overcome the problems encountered today and they will focus on tyre choice for Sunday’s race, a work that couldn’t be done today because of the changing track conditions.

Alvaro Bautista (11th - 1'42"029)

“Today we faced a very dirty track: in these conditions it’s very difficult to understand which tyre can work properly. In any case, we need to work hard on the bike set-up to improve its behavior: In this moment I am forced to use a lot the throttle to make the bike turn, and doing so I stress a lot the rear tyre, and as a result the tyre performance drops quickly. As happened today from morning to afternoon, the track conditions change very quickly: today, the other riders were able to improve more than us. Surely tomorrow the conditions will be even better, but we need to do our best regardless. After that, we will wait until the last minute to decide which tire to use for the race”.

Scott Redding (22th - 1'43"165)

“The first free practice session was good, despite a very dirty track, while in the second session I struggled with bike set-up: we tried various solution to try to find the right direction, and we have already some ideas ideas on the changes to be made tomorrow, especially regarding the suspension. The situation is complicated even with regard to the tyres, which drop a lot after only 4 laps: therefore, we don’t know yet which tyre we will for the race. We’ll decide it tomorrow, when the conditions will be definitely better, with more rubber on the asphalt”.

Go&Fun Honda Gresini Press Release

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Go&Fun Honda Gresini Preview Argentina MotoGP

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Two weeks after the ill-fated Grand Prix of the Americas, the Team GO&FUN Honda Gresini heads to Argentina this weekend for the third round of the season, on the new Termas de Rio Hondo circuit. A good opportunity to make up the disappointment suffered in Texas, where both riders were forced to retire due to a crash.

Alvaro Bautista is one of only four riders (along with Cal Crutchlow, Stefan Bradl and Hector Barbera) to have already visited the Argentinian track aboard a MotoGP bike, during the tests performed last year in July: the Spaniard will therefore start the weekend with a slight advantage, which intends to use to be able to notch up on Sunday his first World Championship points, after two retirements collected in the first two races.

His team mate, Scott Redding, will instead discover a whole new circuit aboard his Open Class Honda RCV1000R: a challenge that fascinates the young rookie, usually at ease at first contact with circuits he has never seen before.

Alvaro Bautista 

“During the tests carried out last year on the Termas de Rio Hondo circuit I could immediately appreciate some very technical parts of the track: I like it a lot, because it’s characterized by many fast corners that suits my riding style. However, it should be said that last year we were able to take advantage of only one day of testing, because we had rain on the second day: therefore we haven’t been able to work on the bike set-up. I also remember a very dirty track, as it had just been finished, anyway I believe that it will be okay for the race. In this Grand Prix our priority is to finish the race without taking risks: after the first two races we are still at zero points, so this time we absolutely need to collect some points”.

Scott Redding 

“The fact that the track of Termas de Rio Hondo is unknown to anyone - apart from the few riders who carried out the tests last year - I think it will make things a bit easier for me, because we will all start the weekend on the same level. In addition, I enjoy a lot riding on a new track: it’s always an interesting challenge trying to be fast on a new circuit, it’s a new motivation. I look forward to start the first free practice, to see how the bike works on this track”.

Go&Fun Honda Gresini Press Release

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Go&Fun Honda Gresini Review Austin MotoGP Race

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The Team GO&FUN Honda Gresini leaves the United States with a bitter feeling as both Alvaro Bautista and Scott Redding didn’t manage to see the chequered flag of the Grand Prix of the Americas, being forced to retire after a crash respectively in the 6th and 20th of the 21 scheduled laps.

After a difficult qualifying, in the early stages of the race Bautista was keeping a pace similar to the riders fighting for the third position, until he lost the front at turn 6.

On the other hand, his team-mate Scott Redding suffered a problem with the right side of the front tyre, which dropped a lot after only a few laps, forcing him to slow down before the crash occurred in the final stages of the race.

The team will now look to forget this complicated weekend to face with the maximum concentration the Argentinian Grand Prix in two weeks time at the new Termas de Rio Hondo circuit.

 Alvaro Bautista (DNF)

“We knew that it wouldn’t be an easy race: I got off the line pretty well and I found myself in the group battling for third place. I could keep a good rhythm and I was able to stay with them, so much so that I even overtook a few riders. Unfortunately, I continued to have the same problems encountered during practice and qualifying: at a certain point I lost the front and I couldn’t avoid the crash. It’s been a really difficult weekend for us, however in the race I might be able to get a top six finish. We will try to forget this weekend as soon as possible: we need to reset everything and start again from scratch, with the highest concentration ahead of the next round in Argentina, where the priority will be to finish the race”.

Scott Redding (DNF)

“I felt comfortable for the first 7-8 laps, but then I started to lose more and more grip on the front tyre and my rhythm started to drop a lot. I tried to resist, but after losing the front several times in the end I crashed: I’m okay, nothing serious, just a small crash. After the race, we checked the front tyre and we noticed that the right side was completely ruined: it’s strange because we already had a lot of laps with this kind of tyre during practice and we haven’t had any problems, so we need to investigate more if there’s been a problem with the tyre. The bike was fine, although the battle with Hernandez, who was passing me everytime on the straights, broke my rhythm, taking away the possibility to try to catch the group of riders in front of me”.

Go&Fun Honda Gresini Press Release

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Go&Fun Honda Gresini Review Austin MotoGP Day 2

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Alvaro Bautista will start from 12th on the grid on tomorrow’s Grand Prix of the Americas. The Team GO&FUN Honda Gresni rider ended the opening three practice sessions in 11th position, a result that meant he just missed being seeded straight through to QP2 by one place. A good lap during QP1 put him into QP2, but then the Spaniard continued to struggle, closing the 15-minute session which decides the top 12 grid positions with a lap time of 2’03”923, just over a second off the pace.

Scott Redding will start the race one place behind his team-mate, having set during QP1 an impressive best lap time of 2’04”617, over 0.4 seconds faster than Nicky Hayden, who rides a similar Open Class Honda RCV1000R.

Alvaro Bautista (12th - 2'03"923)

“Today, like yesterday, we had another difficult day: we worked a lot looking for a set-up that could give me a better feeling with the bike together with some more rear grip, but despite various attempts we have obtained nothing positive, and I continue to have the same feelings of yesterday. Tomorrow morning during the warm up we will try the hard tyre: it’s strange, but as soon as I tried it for the first time during QP1, I was immediately fast, so we want to understand whether it can be a good option for the race. If my feeling will improve, we can be more competitive, but we start from a bad position so it will be important to make a good start. I’m still confident, the race is always a story in itself, and of course we will give the maximum to take as many points as possible”.

Scott Redding (13th - 2'04"617)

“I knew that the qualifying lap was one thing I needed to work on, but today we did a really good job: I didn’t expect to make this lap time - I expected something like 2’05”0, but in the end I was feeling good and relaxed, so lap times came easily. I’m happy to be the fastest ‘Production Racer’ Honda again, but now we have to see how the race goes tomorrow, because maybe is going to be more difficult with the hard tyre. Maybe we could also use the softer tyre, but I’m going to try the hard one: if it’s not good, we will learn something. Now it’s the time to do these kind of things, because we are still early in the season”.

Go&Fun Honda Gresini Press Release

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Go&Fun Honda Gresini Preview Austin MotoGP

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The Team GO&FUN Honda Gresini flies to the United States in a good frame of mind: despite the crash two laps from the end of the Grand Prix of Qatar, Alvaro Bautista is confident that he can replicate the podium potential he has showed during the opening round, while Scott Redding, who has resulted the best rookie at Losail thanks to an excellent seventh place finish, will try to confirm himself as the fastest rider aboard the Open Class Honda RCV1000R.

Alvaro Bautista 

“Despite suffering a fall, the entire race weekend in Qatar has been very positive, so we head to Texas with a great optimism. Unlike last year, when we have raced here for the first time, this year we already have some data from 2013, although Austin still remains a complicated track in terms of finding a good set-up. We will have to work well if we want to find a good compromise between the first part, characterized by many quick changes of direction, and the slower part, where there are three or four very tight corners. Last season we have struggled a lot, not being able to find a good compromise, but this year we can count on a very good package, so we are confident. The goal is to try to stay with the fastest since the first practice session, like we did at Losail, then we will give our best, as always, hoping for better fortune this time”.

Scott Redding

“Riding a MotoGP at the Circuit of the Americas will be very interesting. I feel very comfortable on this track, in fact last year in Moto2 I was really fast, setting the pole position with a 0.6s gap on anyone else. I also think that the track could suit well to our bike’s characteristics, both in terms of handling and in terms of stability under braking. We will also focus our work on the tyres, because this track is quite demanding from this point of view, so probably we will need to start to work more on the hard tyre for this race, rather than the softer option, which we used in Qatar”.

Go&Fun Honda Gresini Press Release

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Go&Fun Honda Gresini Race Review Losail MotoGP

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The first Grand Prix of the 2014 MotoGP World Championship at Losail International Circuit in Qatar saw Alvaro Bautista fighting for the podium in a thrilling race until two laps to go, when the Spaniard suffered a crash that forced him to retire. After a good qualifying, the Team GO&FUN Honda Gresini rider was an absolute protagonist also during the race. The crash happened when Bautista was running in third position, closely folowing Marc Marquez and Valentino Rossi, who then finished the race in the first two positions.

His team-mate, Brit Scott Redding, has completed his first MotoGP race with an excellent seventh place, after a great battle with the experienced Nicky Hayden, who is also riding a Open class Honda RCV1000R.

Despite Bautista’s crash, the performance shown by both the Spaniard and by his English team-mate confirms the high competitiveness of the entire team, which is now already focused on the next Grand Prix, scheduled in two weeks at the Circuit of the Americas, in Austin.

 Alvaro Bautista (DNF)

"Luckily I’m fine, but It was a strange crash: I entered corner number 2 in the same way as the previous laps but I suddenly lost the front. I had some problems with the brakes during the race: I don’t know if this has contributed to the fall, however I am very sorry for the team. Until the cras I was having fun battling for the first positions: my start was not so good, but gradually I was able to charge through the field. At one point I found myself in second place and surely we could get on the podium. Too bad we haven’t finished the race. I apologize to the team and my fans, and I hope to bring home the result next time”.

Scott Redding (7th)

“I am very happy! I was expecting to be able to follow Hayden for a few laps, not for the entire race and even beat him! In the first laps I wanted to exploit the potential of the softer tyre and I was pretty aggressive, making some moves. At that point I followed Hayden for a lot of laps, then I felt that he let me pass, only to overtake me soon after. I knew, however, that I could be faster than him, so in the latter part of the race I tried to overtake him on the fast sector, with a big move, then I pushed as much as I could for the last two laps. We reached our goal, which was to be the best Open class Honda”.

Go&Fun Honda Gresini Press Release

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Go&Fun Honda Gresini Review Losail MotoGP Day 3

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Alvaro Bautista showed an outstanding performance tonight during the qualifying of the Grand Prix of Qatar at the floodlit Losail International Circuit, conquering the second place on the grid and missing the pole position for just 57 thousandths of a second.

Bautista took the lead in the latter part of a hard fought qualifying session with a fastest lap of 1’54”564, then beaten at the end of the qualifying only by current World Champion Marc Marquez. Team GO& FUN Honda Gresini’s rider will then start the inaugural Grand Prix of the season from the front row: an extremely positive sign that confirms the excellent work done during practice and confirms the competitiveness of his technical package.

His team-mate, Scott Redding , will start tomorrow from sixteenth position. The English was slowed down by an untimely problem: a stone has indeed damaged the front wheel speed sensor on his bike n.1, causing sudden power cuts . Rose on his RCV1000R number 2, Scott had only the time for a single attempt, in which he nevertheless signed a promising 1’56”555, just six tenths of a second off the fastest Open class Honda.

Alvaro Bautista (2nd - 1'54"564)

“For me this second place on the grid feels like a pole position, because in this circuit I’ve always struggled in the past. During this weekend instead I have always felt comfortable with the bike, closing each practice session in the top positions, which means that we have worked very well in winter testing. Too bad only to have lost the pole position, but in the end Marquez has been capable to overtake us. Tomorrow I expect a very tough race, but definitely interesting, because there are many rides who can keep the same pace. Moreover, it will be important to start from the front row. I hope you continue to enjoy myself like I’ve been doing so far: I will try to stay in the leading group and trying to achieve a podium finish”.

Scott Redding (16th - 1'56"555)

“I am satisfied with regard to the improvements shown today, but unfortunately I was slowed down by a problem with the electronics just as I was busy in the qualifying session. When I entered the track, I felt that something was wrong: the engine cut power continuously, so I came back to the pits to try to solve the problem, but it was still there in my second exit. Therefore I got on the second bike, with which I set my fastest lap, but unfortunately there was time only for one attempt. However I’m happy because I found myself even better with the bike n.2, which I will ride again tomorrow in the warm up, during which we will also try to figure out which tyre we can use for the race. It would be nice to get some points tomorrow”.

Go&Fun Honda Gresini Press Release

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Go&Fun Honda Gresini Review Losail MotoGP Day 2

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This evening, at the Losail International Circuit, venue of the first Grand Prix of the 2014 MotoGP World Championship, both riders of the Team GO&FUN Honda Gresini have been able to take advantage of two practice sessions on the track getting positive feedback ahead of tomorrow evening, when will take place the fourth and last free practice session, followed by Qualifying 1 and Qualifying 2.

Aboard the “Factory spec” Honda Factory RC213CV, Bautista was once again the protagonist of a great session, setting the third fastest time with 1’55”240. As a further demonstration of his competitiveness, the Spanish resulted also the fastest with the medium tyre, beaten only by two bikes that can use an extrasoft compound as per regulation.

The second evening in Qatar was positive also for Scott Redding: the English MotoGP rookie closed just six tenths away from the best Honda RCV1000R Open, despite losing almost the entire first practice session yesterday night. 1’56”997 was Scott’s fastest lap, which improves the one obtained in the recent Losail tests.

Alvaro Bautista (3rd - 1'55"240)

“I'm happy because at the moment I continue to be the fastest rider with the medium compound tyres, just behind the motorcycles that can use the extrasoft option. In addition, my feeling with the bike has improved slightly compared to the recent tests. We need to further improve the behaviour of the bike with worn tyres, because after only 3 or 4 laps the rear tyre performance drops a lot. Tomorrow we still have one more free practice session to try to improve the situation, then we will give the maximum in qualifying to try to get a good starting position, even though it will be hard to beat the bike that can use the extrasoft rear tyre, which offers an advantage of about 4 tenths of a second”.

Scott Redding (17th - 1'56"997)

“Today was definitely better: we fixed the problems with the electronics and we were able to take advantage of these two practice sessions. I am comfortable on the bike, although I still struggle a bit going into the corner: every time I try to push more, I lose the feeling with the front end. Tomorrow, during the last free practice session, we will focus on this aspect, trying to improve the situation. Finally, we will try the harder tyre, to evaluate its behaviour”.

Go&Fun Honda Gresini Press Release

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Go&Fun Honda Gresini Review Losail MotoGP Day 1

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The 2014 MotoGP World Championship kicked off tonight in Qatar: both riders of the Team GO&FUN Honda Gresini, Alvaro Bautista and Scott Redding, used the first 45 minutes of practice under the spotlights of the Losail circuit working on their bikes ahead of Sunday’s Grand Prix.

Alvaro Bautista closed the session with the second fastest time in 1’55”667, resulting  moreover the fastest rider with a Factory spec bike. The Spaniard spent most of the session trying different tyres with the aim of identifying the best option for the race, while tomorrow he will start to make some set -up adjustments on his Honda RC213V looking for a better rear edge grip.

His team-mate Scott Redding unfortunately has not started the weekend in the best way, completing only a few laps following some problems with the electronic that forced him inside the garage for most of the session. At the end of the session, the Briton was able to do a few laps, closing the night in 19th position with a time of 1’58”495.

Alvaro Bautista (2nd - 1'55"667)

“This first free practice was positive: the bike is working well and the feelings are more or less the same as in the last the tests carried out recently here in Qatar. Today we didn’t change the bike set-up: we just wanted to start the weekend with a good feeling and we succeeded, despite the track tonight was not in the best condition. I tried the harder option of the rear tyre, which I had never tried before, and I was positively surprised because the grip level is not so bad compared to the softer option, but on the other hand it provides a more consistent performance over the race distance. Therefore tomorrow we will continue to try it, and maybe we can use it for the race. Tomorrow our rivals certainly will improve their lap times, so there is still a lot of work to do if we want to stay ahead. We will try especially to find more rear grip because the bike is still sliding a lot”.

Scott Redding (19th - 1'58"495)

“Unfortunately we had a problem with the electronics, so we wasted almost all practice tonight. The problem was partly fixed on the second bike at the end of the session, but I only had time for a few laps. It’s good to get the weekend started, but a trouble free session would have been much better. I’m sure tomorrow the team will have everything sorted and we can start again”.

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Go&Fun Honda Gresini Preview Losail MotoGP

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The Losail International Circuit will light up this weekend for the opening round of the 2014 MotoGP World Championship: after two months of pre-season testing, both riders of the Team GO&FUN Honda Gresini, Alvaro Bautista and Scott Redding, are excited ahead  the Qatar Grand Prix, the only race of the 18 on the MotoGP calendar to take place at night.

This season sees the introduction of new technical regulations, with ‘Open’ machinery racing alongside the ‘Factory’ bikes: the Team GO&FUN Honda Gresini will race both configurations, with the 2014 version of the well known Honda RC213V for Alvaro Bautista and the brand new RCV1000R developed by HRC - the so-called “Production Racer” - for premier class debutant Scott Redding.

The Qatar race marks the beginning of the third season of Alvaro Bautista as a rider of the Team: the Spaniard is looking stronger than ever after some highly competitive pre-season - topping the time sheets on two out of nine days of testing - and he will try to fight for podium finishes right from the beginning.

His team-mate Scott Redding has also had an impressive winter testing: the 21-year-old Briton, runner-up in the 2013 Moto2 World Championship, has spent valuable track time familiarising himself with the bigger Honda RCV1000R. Moreover, the excitement of premier class debut will be double for Scott, as he’s set to make exactly his 100th Grand Prix appearence this Sunday in Qatar.

Alvaro Bautista 

“During the three-day test in Qatar we have made ​​several changes to the bike: during the first day of practice I was not feeling very comfortable, but at the end of the test the situation has undoubtedly improved, so we are confident ahead the first Grand Prix. However, we must consider that the Losail International Circuit for us is one of the most difficult tracks of the season ; unfortunately, here we are still not able to be as fast as we would like. Therefore I expect a tough weekend, in which we will need to work hard if we want to improve, but we will give 110% to try to be protagonists”.

Scott Redding 

“Racing for the first time in MotoGP will be a great thrill, no doubt: after all, competing in the premier class is a dream for every rider. When I will line up my bike on the starting grid, for sure I will feel a little nervous, but also very curious to begin this new adventure and finally see what we can get. Our goal right now is to stay with Nicky Hayden and try to be the best Honda rider in the Open category, although it must be recognized that I still have to learn many things , from tyres behaviour to the electronics. I like a lot the Losail circuit, as well as racing at night: not being able to see anything else around the track is a strange but pleasant feeling, because it helps me to stay focused. Finally, it is very cool to think that my first MotoGP race will be exactly my 100th World Championship Grand Prix”.

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Go&Fun Honda Gresini Review Losail MotoGP Test Day 3

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The official MotoGP Winter Tests came to an end today at the Losail circuit: both riders of Team GO&FUN Honda Gresini, Alvaro Bautista and Scott Redding, spent the final day of testing trying an important race simulation.

Despite a small crash as he lost the front at Turn 4 halfway through the session, Bautista was able to complete his long run of 22 consecutive laps: unfortunately, Alvaro couldn’t keep the pace he desired, due to the persistence of some grip issues that the team will try to overcome during the race weekend. Alvaro finished the day with the fifth best time, 1’55”232.

Scott Redding today had the opportunity to complete his first race simulation aboard a MotoGP bike, a very useful experience ahead his top class debut: the Briton completed 20 consecutive laps, keeping a good pace in the first part of the long run, while in the latter part his times have risen slightly. Today Scott finished the test with a best time of 1’57”009.

Alvaro Bautista (1'55"232 - 50 LAPS)

“In today’s race simulation we have collected some very important data to work on during the first Grand Prix weekend, although we still encountered some problems, like in the first two days of testing here at Losail. We are still struggling because of the lack of grip at the rear, and moreover halfway through the full race distance, the tyre performance starts to drop. Our pace is better compared to last year’s Grand Prix, and this is positive, but in two weeks we absolutely want to improve. Before the long run I crashed as I lost the front, but fortunately it was nothing serious, so that later I managed to complete the simulation”.

Scott Redding (1'57"009 - 50 LAPS)

“I’m pleased that I got my first ever MotoGP race simulation under my belt today, and I’m also satisfied with my performance. I was able to maintain a steady pace and my lap times - compared with that of Nicky Hayden, who is still our reference – they were not bad at all. We are therefore confident ahead of the first race, although we noticed a drop of the tyre performance in the second half of the long run, so we need work to improve this. In this last day I didn’t make any change to the bike, because we focused on the race simulation: it was important for us to complete a first long run, and we did it well”.

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Go&Fun Honda Gresini Review Losail MotoGP Test Day 2

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Team GO&FUN Honda Gresini riders, Alvaro Bautista and Scott Redding, made ​​excellent progress on day two of the official MotoGP testing ad the Losail circuit in Qatar. Bautista was the fastest man on track today with a best time of 1’55”194, which lowers by 0.7 of a second the qualifying lap time obtained by the Spaniard in last year’s Qatar Grand Prix.

Alvaro continued to work on the set-up of his Honda RC213V in order to improve the feeling with the front end, completing a total of 55 laps. Tomorrow the Spaniard will be engaged in a long run to evaluate his own pace over the race distance. Also Scott Redding and his technical staff focused their work on the front of the bike, reaching good results: the British youngster completed 47 laps today, with a best time of 1’57”154, just two tenths of a second off the best ‘Open’ Honda RCV1000R, rode by the experienced Nicky Hayden.

Alvaro Bautista (1'55"194 - 55 LAPS)

“I'm very happy about the fastest time: my sensations on the bike are better than yesterday and my feeling with the front is improved, although some problems still remain. This track, after all, has always been a bit tricky for us. We’re still not one hundred percent, but tomorrow we can take advantage of one last day of testing to try to make another step forward. There are two options: trying a significant change, that means to take a different direction, or keeping the good base reached today and try to refine it. With the regard to the race pace, today I managed to go through a lot of laps under the 1’57” mark, but these results are not significant because today I was trying everytime different adjustments on the bike. Tomorrow we will try a proper long run, in order to understand where we are ahead of the first Grand Prix”.

Scott Redding (1'57"154 - 47 LAPS)

“Today the feeling with the bike was better than yesterday: we worked a lot on the front, which now gives me more confidence when turning, together with an improved braking stability. This is helping me a lot to be more consistent. We have only one day left before my MotoGP debut, and even though we are pretty prepared ahead of the first race, tomorrow we will try a race simulation to see how the tyres works, and also how the bike behave when the fuel drops down: during all the winter tests we closed the gap to Hayden, so tomorrow we will see if we can keep the same consistency as him over the race distance”.

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Go&Fun Honda Gresini Review Losail MotoGP Test Day 1

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Team GO&FUN Honda Gresini riders Alvaro Bautista and Scott Redding completed today the first of three days of night-time testing at Losail circuit, which will host the opening round of the campaign later this month.

After the excellent results achieved at Sepang, under the floodlights Alvaro Bautista continued his working program on the Honda RC213V, looking for important confirmations in completely different conditions from those encountered in Malaysia. The Spaniard completed an impressive 52 laps over the session, setting the fourth fastest time of the day in 1’56”081. His team-mate Scott Redding, at his very first experience aboard a MotoGP bike on this track, resumed his work on the bike starting from the good base reached during last February, spending this first day mostly on front end set-up adjustments: the 21-year-old rookie ended the day in tenth with a personal best of 1’57”922.

The second day of the Test is scheduled to run from 4pm-11pm local time tomorrow.

Alvaro Bautista (1'56"081 - 52 LAPS)

“After the good test at Sepang we were very confident ahead of this test in Qatar, even though I knew that this track would have been difficult for us, because in the last two years we have always found some problems. Unfortunately, some problems were still here today, especially with regard to the front end. I’m struggling to stop the bike under braking and on corner entry my feeling is not so good . Regarding the rear end, we confirmed that the new Showa shock absorber works better than the previous one, but tomorrow we will also have to work in this area in order to find more grip. All in all, we remain confident: the track today was already in good condition, better than many other times, therefore lap times are already dropping quickly. Tomorrow we want to improve the bike to try to make the most of it”.

Scott Redding (1'57"922 - 38 LAPS)

“Today it was really nice to ride my bike on a new track; also the conditions were pretty good compared to Malaysia, where there is a lot of humidity and really high temperatures. Now I feel good with my bike and I was happy with today’s testing session. We need to improve a little bit the feeling with the front end, because when I went faster I started to ‘push’ the front a lot, but we will work on this area tomorrow. Engine power is still not really good, but the situation is not so bad compared with the other ‘Open’ Honda machines. Brakes worked well from the first exit, so I’m happy with them. Tomorrow we will focus on improving the feeling with the front, and we will try to close the gap to the first Honda RCV1000R”.

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Go&Fun Honda Gresini Review Sepang 2 MotoGP Test Day 3

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The Sepang official MotoGP winter testing has come to a conclusion today for GO&FUN Honda Gresini’s Alvaro Bautista and Scott Redding: both riders leave the Malaysian track in high spirits, having obtained a good feeling aboard their bikes, the ‘Factory’ Honda RC213V and the ‘Open’ Honda RCV1000R respectively.

After yesterday’s successful race simulation, Alvaro Bautista spent the last day of testing focusing on different details about suspension, brakes and electronics. The Spaniard finished the day with the sixth best time, 2’00”506, obtained in the morning but also replicated in the latter part of the day, with very high temperatures on track, proving that there’s still room for improvement.

Scott Redding concluded his first two MotoGP testing sessions costantly improving his lap times. The 2013 Moto2 runner-up got to grips with the Honda RCV1000R adopting a smoother riding style, working especially on stability under braking and refining the electronics. The young British rider lowered his lap time from yesterday by 0.4 of a second, with a best time of 2’02”228 after clocking up 50 laps around the Sepang track.

Alvaro Bautista (2'00"506 - 60 LAPS)

“These six days of testing in Malaysia have been very hard because we faced very difficult conditions, but we are really happy because we have improved so much throughout the two testing sessions, reaching a good feeling with the bike. After the great work done in the first two days, today we could focus on some details with regard to the Showa front fork, as well as the Nissin brakes . In addition, we have refined the electronic controls . At the end of the day I managed to repeat the lap times obtained in the morning, when the track was cooler: it means that we are working in the right direction, and that there is still room for improvement . Moreover, even though the new rear shock already goes very well, enabling us to maintain a good pace for several consecutive laps, even when the tyre starts to wear out, we have not yet explored all the possible settings . Therefore in the next test in Qatar we will continue to work on this aspect, also trying to improve our qualifying performance”.

Scott Redding (2'02"228 - 50 LAPS)

“I am very happy with how these three days of testing went! The situation has improved a lot since the first test earlier this month; we found a good direction to work on the bike and now I also feel much more confident when riding. Initially I was very aggressive, but now I'm trying to adopt a softer and smoother riding style, and this is helping me a lot also to work on the bike set-up. Today we have also seen progress under braking, where, however, we need to work on consistency, and also in terms of electronics. We are confident ahead of the next test in Qatar: we will start from the data collected here in Malaysia and we'll see how it goes, considering that we will face a completely different track and conditions”.

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