Drive M7 Aspar Preview Austin MotoGP

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After kicking off at Losail (5.380km) the MotoGP World Championship continues this weekend at another circuit measuring over five kilometres as the Circuit of the Americas (5.513km) in Texas hosts the second round of the season. With the longest straight on the calendar (1.2km) and a technical combination of fast and slow corners, COTA represents another major challenge for the teams and riders, although nothing presents a sterner test at the moment than stopping Marc Márquez, not only the defending World Champion and new championship leader following his victory in Qatar but also the winner of the inaugural race here last season.

The DRIVE M7 Aspar Team made a solid start to the campaign with solid points finishes for both riders. Nicky Hayden took eighth place after constantly improving his pace all weekend and he is now looking forward to building on that progress in the first of two races on American soil, with this round to be followed by the Indianapolis GP later in the year. His team-mate Hiroshi Aoyama finished eleventh in Qatar after overcoming a series of technical setbacks during practice but he is confident his crew have found the right way forward at just the right time.

Nicky Hayden:
“A home Grand Prix is always something very special and I really look forward to getting there, seeing all the fans that support me so much and getting back on track. Austin is really a great track, it is a very state of the art facility - safe, long, and wide but honestly last year there I didn't get on with it great and was never able to be fast, especially in the first half of the track. That's got to change this year and even though I know the acceleration off those slow corners won't be kind to us all the changes of direction should suit me and this bike well. So let's hope we can get a result to make the home crowd proud!”

Hiroshi Aoyama:
“The result at the first race of the season was pretty positive. Even though we had a few problems with the bike at the start of the weekend we found the right way forward. This is only the second time any of us have been to COTA so that should level things out a little amongst the riders. I think the final part of the track, with its flowing corners, should suit our bike and the chassis should allow us to feel comfortable through the tight turns. Sunday night in Qatar was a boost for us and the objective is to keep this going and to continue improving the bike. I think we can take another step forward in Austin. It is a demanding circuit from a physical perspective so I put some extra training in last week and even had a medical so I definitely feel ready.”

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Drive M7 Aspar Race Review Losail MotoGP

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If there was one thing that the 2014 season promised it was excitement and the first race of the season did not disappoint, with a race that saw Jorge Lorenzo burst into the lead only to crash out, followed by Stefan Bradl on the ninth lap. With the Spaniard and the German out of the race Valentino Rossi took control with a group of four riders behind him (Márquez, Pedrosa, Bautista and Smith). Bautista and Smith would eventually slide out of the group and as Pedrosa settled for third place there was an intense battle for the win between Márquez and Rossi that saw the 'apprentice' once again overcome the 'sorcerer'. 

DRIVE M7 Aspar riders Nicky Hayden and Hiroshi Aoyama started the new season in strong fashion with top ten finishes, the American overcoming the challenge of Pol Espargaró before battling with Scott Redding in the latter stages, eventually settling for eight place. Hiroshi Aoyama took advantage of a big step forward with his set-up yesterday to take eleventh place and pick up five important points following a race-long battle with Yonny Hernández.

8th Nicky Hayden: 

“We had to change our start procedure tonight and it wasn't easy, there were riders everywhere but I managed to get into a better rhythm than the test and practice here, setting consistent 1.56s. I tried everything to stay with Espargaró, but in the end I had worn out the left hand side of the tyre and ran off. It ended up a straight battle between me and Scott, we passed each other a few times and he got me on the line. A few riders crashed but we made it to the end and picked up eighth. We set a great pace at the start of the race, now we need to work on the second half and try to improve on what we have learnt here. I want to thank the team, Honda and all the sponsors for their efforts. Now we need to look ahead to the next race.”

11th Hiroshi Aoyama: 

“It was a tough race because as the night progressed the temperatures dropped and the feeling with the tyres worsened, which is why so many riders crashed. Personally I chose the softest option tyre and it was difficult to adapt my pace according to the temperature but I got in a fight with Hernández and even though my pace was better than his I couldn't get away. If I didn't get embroiled with him I might have finished higher up but anyway I am happy because it has been a tough weekend and the team has done a great job. We found a good setting yesterday and it has paid off today with eleventh place.”

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Drive M7 Aspar review Losail MotoGP Day 3

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The first qualifying session of the 2014 season provided a memorable night in the history of the MotoGP World Championship as the top three riders on the grid qualified within a tenth of a second and the top nine were covered by less than half a second. With up to twelve riders showing podium potential here the first race of the new season promises to be as spectacular as the last lap from Marc Márquez that saw him snatch pole from Alvaro Bautista. 

DRIVE M7 Aspar riders Nicky Hayden and Hiroshi Aoyama both saved their best laps of the weekend so far for the all-important qualifying session, the American clocking his best time on his penultimate effort and the Japanese on his last. Nicky even managed to light up a red third sector on his fast lap but, as he later admitted, he lost out in the fourth. A 1'55.894 was still four tenths quicker than his best lap yesterday and is enough for thirteen on tomorrow night's grid. Hiroshi made an improvement of half a second to his best lap and lines up two places behind his team-mate on the fifth row. 

13th Nicky Hayden 1.55.894: 

“I didn't expect to get down to the 1.55s without a tow, especially with the problems we have had in corner exit in T4, but it still wasn't enough to get into Q2. I would like to be starting the season from a better position on the grid in the first race but considering how new everything is to us we have to be satisfied and now we have to keep working to improve. It will be a tough race, I'll try to get a good start and keep up a fast and consistent pace for 22 laps. I haven't been focused on other riders while riding this bike so the first few laps should be interesting tomorrow night. Hopefully we can learn plenty and gather lots of useful data to help us in future with this bike.”

15th Hiroshi Aoyama 1.56.479: 

“From yesterday to today we made some set-up changes and I was able to ride more comfortably. Yesterday we knew exactly what we had to change and to be honest it had the desired result. We put a new tyre in at the end of the session that gave us a bit more grip and confidence. I was quite surprised actually, I didn't expect to have such a good feel for the rear end. The last two laps were very positive and we were able to take a big chunk out of the lap time. I felt we could have improved again with another lap but unfortunately we ran out of time. Anyway, I am happy with our improvement and finally now it's time to go racing.”

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Drive M7 Aspar review Losail MotoGP Day 2

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It’s only the start of the Qatar Grand Prix and of course the riders who recently tested here have something of an advantage, with a big debate going on in the paddock about the tyres available for the ‘sub-categories’ in MotoGP, but the usual order has been upset in the desert and that trend continued on Friday. There were two sessions today with a place in Q2 up for grabs, with the Factory riders having to work extra hard to go through and with some big names still with a lot of work to do on Saturday. It was another interesting day and Aleix Espargaró emerged on top again.

The DRIVE M7 Aspar riders made some setting improvements and were both able to reduce their times on the second day. Nicky Hayden and Hiroshi Aoyama are working hard over the course of the weekend and FP3 was good for both of them. Hayden made a 0.3s step forward to end up 14th, whilst it was a bigger improvement for Aoyama, who overcame some difficulties from Thursday to take a second off his best time and conclude in 16th.

14th Nicky Hayden 1.56.357 (29 laps): 

“In the second session of the day we slightly improved, despite starting with used tires. It was very strange to see rain here at one point in the last outing. On our third run we made a change in geometry gave me a good feeling, similar to those found in the test week. We knew that today we would improve our times, but we also knew that the test performed here give us some initial advantage, but then the other riders would also catch up. In any case we are working the right way and trying to improve a little more each day. In the second session the grip was better and that helped us work better.”

16th Hiroshi Aoyama 1.56.939 (37 laps): 

“Thanks to the work of my mechanics today we resolved the electronics problems from yesterday, and we were able to work properly in both sessions today. In the first session we worked to improve our set-up, found some things, but were not been able to find the best solution. So in the second session we worked to adjust various aspects of the bike and it seems that the changes have been productive because I improved my times and feeling on the bike. So tomorrow we will continue working in the same direction to see where we can improve.”

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Drive M7 Aspar review Losail MotoGP Day 1

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The first exchanges of the 2014 MotoGP World Championship took place under the floodlights of the Losail International Circuit tonight, where a single free practice session for the premier class saw several surprises and a fast pace that was close to the lap record (1.55.153 – Stoner 2008). Having missed the test here last week there was no sign of Márquez, Rossi, Pedrosa or Lorenzo at the sharp end of the timesheets in the opening session as Aleix Espargaró, Álvaro Bautista and Bradley Smith benefitted from their preseason work and occupied the top three positions.   

DRIVE M7 Aspar Team's new rider for 2014 Nicky Hayden is well known for his work ethic and it was in evidence today as he racked up more laps than any other rider (twenty) within the 45 minutes available. The American clocked his best effort on lap eighteen, stopping the clock at 1'56.670 to secure a place in the top ten overnight and almost match his fastest time from the preseason test at this track. Hayden reported improved performance from his machine thanks largely to some small changes to his gearing and chassis set-up but there were reverse fortunes for his team-mate Hiroshi Aoyama, whose evening was ruined by a series of electronic problems.

10th Nicky Hayden 1.56.670 (20 laps): 

“At the start of the session I was struggling to get comfortable with the engine braking in corner entry but after a few laps and especially after the red flag we managed to slightly improve the situation. We have more or less got the same setting and feeling that we established by the end of the last test, with some changes to the gearbox setting that have helped us in the straights. That has helped us to close the gap to the guys at the top, the bike is working better in the higher gears and pulling harder down the straights. We also made a chassis set-up change that is helping me get the bike stopped. To be honest it feels better than expected, which is a nice way to start the first Grand Prix of the season. The test we had here was obviously very useful, we are making progress every day and the relationship with the team continues to get smoother and stronger.”

17th Hiroshi Aoyama 1.58.182 (13 laps): 

“It was good to get the first free practice session of the season under our belts. We started the session with a lot of motivation but unfortunately after just a few laps we had an electronic problems and had to change bikes. We had more problems though and had to come in three times for the electronics. It is a bit of a mystery because we didn't have anything like this in the test so now we need to work out what the source of this problem is. I am sure my crew will be able to fix it and we will have a good feeling tomorrow. Anyway, if you are going to have problems like this it is better that they happen on the first day!”

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Drive M7 Aspar Preview Losail MotoGP

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It has been four long months since the end of the 2013 season for MotoGP fans the world over but finally the countdown to 2014 is over and the curtain will be raised on the new campaign under the floodlights of the Losail International Circuit in Qatar this weekend. This year's battle for MotoGP honours starts with a few question marks, such as the physical shape of the reigning World Champion Marc Márquez following his recent injury and the unprecedented mixture of categories (Factory, Factory 2 and Open…) within the same championship. The answers will start to take shape on Sunday night. 

There are no doubts within the DRIVE M7 Aspar garage that Nicky Hayden and Hiroshi Aoyama are ready to get back to work and continue the process of adaptation and development that they have worked so hard on during the winter. It has not been an easy preseason for the pair as they have had to get used to a new team and completely new machinery but they have both worked against the clock to arrive at the first race of the season in the best possible shape. As former World Champions themselves they know only too well the level of competition they are up against but both are determined and highly motivated to find their best form at the opening round.

Nicky Hayden: 

“Even though the last test went well and we made some important progress I honestly hoped we would be better prepared for the season and closer to the front by now. Anyway, in terms of the level of communication and the relationships in the team we are getting stronger and stronger. This will be my first race back on a Honda and my feeling with the chassis definitely helps, it's fun to ride. We are ready to start a new adventure and I am excited, looking forward to getting started. We know it won't be easy because there is a lot of strong competition but the simple fact that I am back in MotoGP for another season is a source of satisfaction and also motivation to do a good job. As a team we are hoping to get more and more competitive as the season progresses. Losail is not one of my favourite tracks but I like the feeling of racing under the lights.”

Hiroshi Aoyama: 

“Everything is new to me this year in terms of the bike and the team so we are still in a transitional stage but we were in Qatar just two weeks ago for a three day test and we gathered a lot of information that will be important this weekend. The aim is to put everything we learned in the test into practice. The first race of the season always has a special and unusual feel to it. I am looking forward to getting there and giving it my best. The level in this championship is very high and there are a lot of strong riders in the Open category this season. Our motivation couldn't be higher and we are looking to make the strongest possible start to the season. I am looking forward to a new adventure with a new team and back with Honda.”

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Drive M7 Aspar Review Losail MotoGP Test Day 3

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Nine intense days of pre-season testing concluded today at the Losail International circuit in Qatar and ready or not the MotoGP riders and teams will be back to kick off the 2014 season here in two weeks' time. The final night of three here in Doha presented the best track conditions of the whole test and the top two riders (the Espargaró brothers) lapped inside the circuit record (1.55.153 – Casey Stoner). Despite the good conditions the eagerness of some riders to end the session with a fast time led to a host of crashes, with Pol Espargaró suffering a broken collarbone.

The DRIVE M7 Aspar Team followed a similar program to the previous two days here, getting work underway at 6pm and continuing without rest until 11. Nicky Hayden completed 44 laps during that time whilst his teammate Hiroshi Aoyama managed 56. For the third consecutive evening the American finished in ninth position, clocking his best time over the three days on lap 37, a 1.56.273 representing an improvement of six tenths on yesterday. One position below him on the timesheets, Hiroshi Aoyama also set his best lap late this evening.

9th Nicky Hayden 1.56.273 (44 laps): 

“Today we found some more improvements and I was able to set more laps in the 1'56s. We have worked more with the tyres and made some setting changes thinking ahead to the race and also qualifying. We tried changing bikes in pitlane and I also did some practice starts. In the end I set my fastest time of the test, which is positive even though the gap to the top is still very big, especially when you consider that the top riders are not here. We have worked hard and found some good things but we still need to take a big step forward in terms of the power. It's not right that we should be losing half a second on the straights. We know what HRC is capable of so I am confident that we will soon have some more improvements. As far as we're concerned we will continue working to get all of the potential out of this motorcycle." 

10th Hiroshi Aoyama 1.57.006 (56 laps): 

This brings to an end nine days of testing between Qatar and Malaysia. Little by little we have improved during this period and I have also tried to adapt to the team and to my new bike. This weekend's test has been very important because in two weeks we have the first race of the season here. Tonight we have tried to improve the setting for the race and we have also been able to improve the feeling in corner exit, which has been a problem here for the last couple of days. We have a lot of information and a plan now in place for the race. In general am happy with the way we are moving, we just need to get the bike turning a little bit better so that I feel more confidence in the corners. Stability is good but we must continue to improve."

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Drive M7 Aspar Review Losail MotoGP Test Day 2

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The Losail International Circuit in Doha was lit up again tonight as a host of MotoGP teams continued to put the finishing touches to their preseason preparations. With just two weeks remaining before the start of the new season at the same venue, the track was a hive of activity as the riders found improved grips and conditions compared to last night. Alvaro Bautista was the fastest man of the night, although after only two riders managed to break into the 1'55s last night, five riders made that benchmark tonight. 

The DRIVE M7 Aspar Team continued working intensely to close the gap to the top before the start of the season, with both Nicky Hayden and Hiroshi Aoyama taking considerable chunks off their best lap times from last night. The American found six tenths as he also completed a race simulation in the low 1'57s, whilst the Japanese worked on the weight distribution of his bike and improved his lap time by nine tenths.    

9th Nicky Hayden 1.56.923 (63 laps): 

“Today we worked on improving our consistency. We had done a few long runs but not full race distance so we did a simulation and the bike and tyres worked well. Obviously we'd like to be quicker but our pace was decent and consistent from the first lap to the last. Hopefully we can improve our speed tomorrow. We have worked with the hard rear tyre and set some pretty good lap times with it. We are still in ninth place so we clearly have plenty of room to improve and we'll be working hard on that tomorrow." 

11th Hiroshi Aoyama 1.57.281 (55 laps): 

“Yesterday we struggled for feel in corner exit so today the main objective was to get the bike turning better and after trying a bunch of different settings we found some improvements at the end of the evening. We still need to improve more in this area but all the data we gathered tonight will be useful as we continue to learn more about this bike and how best to set it up for this track, which is important especially considering that the first race of the season is here in two weeks. We'll keep working along the same lines tomorrow."

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Drive M7 Aspar Review Losail MotoGP Test Day 1

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The final test of the MotoGP preseason began tonight with all riders other than the five present at Phillip Island during the week out on track together in Qatar. Even though the Losail session was scheduled to run from 2pm until 10pm the decision was taken to push things back and the track opened at 4pm, closing at 11pm, given the evening schedule for the Grand Prix. Most teams waited until sunset to begin an evening's work that saw Aleix Espargaró clocking the fastest time ahead of Bradley Smith

At around 6pm the DRIVE M7 Aspar Team's two riders took to the track to kickstart their evening's work, which continued until 11pm and consisted of 48 laps for Nicky Hayden and 55 for Hiroshi Aoyama. Once again their main focus was on chassis set-up, as well as suspension and swingarm adjustments, which all moved forward as planned. Hayden finished the evening with the ninth fastest time, with Aoyama in eleventh.   

9th Nicky Hayden 1.57.574 (48 laps): 

“It was a pretty positive session, we were able to make small improvements every time we went out on track. The engine we had in came to the end of its life and we had to switch it, so we spent some time with the second bike and had to change a few components across. The feeling with the second bike wasn't as good as we would have hoped but even so I am happy that we have taken some important steps forward. We have to keep working to improve the engine braking and gain some more confidence in corner entry.”

11th Hiroshi Aoyama 1.58.151 (55 laps): 

“Today we started out with a similar set-up to Malaysia. For the first few hours the track was pretty dirty but as the evening wore on the conditions improved. We worked hard on the suspension and geometry settings and I am happy because we have gained confidence and stability under braking. Thanks to this I was able to improve my pace. Tomorrow the goal is to get the bike turning better, especially from the middle of the corner to the end.”

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Drive M7 Aspar Sepang MotoGP Test Review Day 3

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The last of three days of testing at Sepang took place today, bringing an end to the Malaysian preseason leg. Only three more days of tests now remain before the season starts, with the factory Honda, Yamaha and Ducati riders heading to Australia next week and the remainder scheduled to ride in Qatar. Today was the hottest of the six days at Sepang, with the thermometers registering an incredible 64 degrees. It was a gruelling day for the riders, many of whom had full race runs to complete, and probably explains why the pace wasn't quite as quick as yesterday, Valentino Rossi and Dani Pedrosa topping the timesheet with an identical best lap of 1.59.999.

DRIVE M7 Aspar riders Nicky Hayden and Hiroshi Aoyama both picked up their pace on the final day, the Japanese rider clocking his best time of the entire six days here (2.02.070), although the American was unable to match his fastest effort from the first session, when the conditions were more favourable. Despite the tortuous heat both riders managed to improve the consistency of their lap times and are looking forward to making more progress in the next test. 

15th Nicky Hayden 2.01.924 (59 laps): 

“We have worked really hard over the last three days here and we have gathered a lot of information that has given us a better understanding of the bike, although we still haven't made the major step we are looking for.  We still don't know why we're struggling so much to get the bike stopped into the corners so we need to work more with the electronics. It has been a strange day and we lost some time making alterations to the set-up to adapt to the heat. We know our potential is much higher than we have been able to show here so we can be optimistic and go to Qatar next week ready to put some more hard work in. It will be interesting to see how the bike performs at a different track but we have a lot to do there to make sure we are ready for the first race." 

17th Hiroshi Aoyama 2.02.070 (61 laps): 

“We had a little setback today and had to put everything on hold at around midday but in the end we fixed it and got back out on track. Our objective today was to continue working on the set-up and we managed to improve the feeling by the end of the day. As well as improving the feeling we also improved the lap times but we still have plenty to test next week in Qatar. We need to have a meeting and work out how we can improve the suspension but in general the feeling is that the bike is good and has plenty of room for improvement - it just needs more laps."

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Drive M7 Aspar Sepang MotoGP Test Review Day 1

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Just two weeks after saying goodbye to the Sepang circuit following the first test of 2014 the riders were back at the Malaysian track today for the second preseason session. In terms of the weather the conditions were very similar to last time but the track surface is much more dirty, which perhaps explains why the pace was around six tenths slower. The fastest rider of the day was Alvaro Bautista (2'00.848) whilst three of the title favourites - Lorenzo, Pedrosa and Rossi -were in fifth, sixth and seventh place respectively. Notably absent from this test is Marc Marquez, who recently broke his leg in a training accident. 

Nicky Hayden and Hiroshi Aoyama had a busy day yesterday at the presentation of the DRIVE M7 Aspar Team and they were glad to be back to the business of improving their lap times today, resplendent in the striking new green and silver colours of the team. Both riders spent today working on setting up their Honda machines but their pace is already quicker than it was after first day of the first test, despite the unfavourable track conditions. After clocking 55 and 59 laps respectively the American and the Japanese were satisfied with their progress, both riders setting their best lap times towards the end of the session.

10th Nicky Hayden 2.02.227 (55 laps): 

“The gap to the top is reducing so that is positive. This morning we lost a little bit of time due to some technical problems which gave us a little more work than we expected. The bike is basically the same as the one we had here for the first test. We have worked on the set up, especially on the front fork to try and improve the stability of the bike under braking. We made some slight improvements. In the afternoon we had to solve an electronic issue which was costing us time in corner entry we spent most of the afternoon just solving this set back. Tomorrow morning we will continue to work on it and then we have some set up things to try. We still need to get more power out of the bike but the chassis surprises me more each day." 

13th Hiroshi Aoyama 2.02.709 (59 laps): 

“The track conditions on the first day of the second test here at Sepang were quite precarious because the surfaces as very dirty. I was hoping that the grip would improve in the afternoon but it didn't. Anyway, that didn't stop us from working on the setup of the bike. Today we focused mainly on suspension and we have found some solutions which have made the bike more stable and more balanced. This helped the lap times come more easily. We can say that we have found a pretty positive base but we still need to find more stability from the front and tomorrow we will continue working to try and improve."

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Drive M7 Aspar Review Sepang MotoGP Test Day 2

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Intense heat and humidity at Sepang did nothing to dampen the enthusiasm of the MotoGP riders present on the second day of a three-day session today as they continued to make the most of their first track action of 2014. The Malaysian circuit was a hive of activity again today as the engineers and riders worked relentlessly on setting up their new machines for the season ahead, with the majority improving their lap times from yesterday but nobody able to match the electric pace of Marc Márquez, who raised the bar again today with a fastest lap of 1'59.926. The World Champion's team-mate Dani Pedrosa was closest to him today with fellow Honda rider Stefan Bradl in third place.

Amongst those to make significant improvements on the second day were DRIVE M7 Aspar pair Nicky Hayden and Hiroshi Aoyama, who are both tackling an entirely new project with great enthusiasm and effort. Nicky continued with the work he had started yesterday on the new machine's electronic package, specifically trying to improve it under engine braking. The 'Kentucky Kid' managed to improve on his best lap from yesterday by over a second, completing 39 laps in total. Hiroshi shaved three tenths of a second off his best effort from yesterday after 42 laps that saw him experimenting with different electronic settings as well as a variety of tyres.

14th Nicky Hayden 2.02.287 (39 laps): 

“I am happy because we have improved the lap time quite significantly from yesterday although the pace in general has been quicker. Once again we focused our work on the electronics and the engine braking, which gave us a bit more in corner entry. You could say that I am still adapting myself because I have spent a long time on a completely different kind of bike and now I have to readjust my riding style, the way I am braking and entering the corner. We are happy with the progress we made today but the gap to the top is still too big so we have to keep pushing to improve. We still have a lot of things to test from a chassis point of view as well as the electronics and also I need to fully adapt to this Honda.”

18th Hiroshi Aoyama 2.03.034 (42 laps): 

“At the start of the day the feeling with the bike wasn't what we were hoping for and we had to play around with a few things to improve it. In the end it turned out to be an issue with the tyres because as soon as we changed them I felt more comfortable. From that point, which was around midday, we started to build our rhythm and turned our focus to the electronic traction control system. It hasn't been easy to start with because we are only just getting to know the new system and today we tried something different to yesterday. Finally we did some work on chassis set-up and made some slight improvements to yesterday and then right at the end of the day Bridgestone gave us a new tyre to test, which gave me even more confidence.”

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