Satisfaction and consistency the buzzwords for Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS in the Jerez Test
Alex Márquez and Xavi Vierge leave Jerez with a good feeling, competitive race rhythms and happy with progress. Base settings are defined, so now it’s down to riding style and a hot lap in Qatar.
Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS have finished the Jerez Test with a fruitful final day of action focused chiefly on the details – as well as confidence and race simulations. Sunny conditions and good temperatures – around 30ºC on track – were the backdrop for an intense day of testing in which both sides of the box hit top gear to get the most out of the track time. The goal? Arriving at the final test in Qatar next week with the best base setting and just a few details left to iron out, so that riding style and preparation for the race weekend can be the focus at Losail. And it’s mission accomplished.
The final day was fruitful but marked by two crashes for Alex Márquez, although both were without consequence. The goal in the first session was to get into the rhythm and prepare for the afternoon session. However, the number 73 didn’t find the same feelings he’d had at the end of action yesterday and he crashed at Turn 2 when out on a hot lap. The crash didn’t cause a change in plans though and Alex was then able to go on to do a race simulation in which he put in some very competitive lap times, although it was interrupted on Lap 11 by another crash at Turn 2. Márquez therefore concentrated on rediscovering his confidence in the front end in the final session and leaving the test with a good feeling.
Xavi Vierge was working on the geometry on his Kalex. The search for good balance and feeling was the task for much of the day, but once found the Spaniard put in a race simulation of 23 laps in the second session. Vierge had a good rhythm, was consistent and maintained that positive feeling throughout. In the third session, the number 97 was pushing to improve his fastest lap but suffered a crash at the same Turn 2 that had claimed his teammate Márquez. Not satisfied, Vierge got back on the bike to try and finish the test with a better taste in his mouth and was able to do just that, improving his time.
Satisfied with the work done and with plenty of information to analyse, Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS will now head for Qatar on Wednesday for the final test ahead of the season opener on the 8th March.
Alex Márquez: 6th, 1'41.256, 51 laps, 226 km.
“After crashing I built my confidence back up quickly”
“Today was a little more difficult than the other days, but I think we’ve seen in which direction we need to go. I think it’s really positive. After crashing I built my confidence back up quickly and I was up there again, so I’m happy about that. But we need to work a bit more on new tyres to be able to make better use of them, but I think in general we’re working well. We’ve got a lot of conclusions from today and we’re ready for Qatar, with everything clear so we can have a good race there. Overall I’m really happy with the test.
Yesterday I made a big step in riding style and consistency to be able to be there, but I’m far from 100%. So I need to make another step in Qatar and try and make the riding style for this bike a bit more natural. When I try to push, I use the old style too much so I need to think a bit more about that because this engine needs smoother lines.”
Xavi Vierge: 16th, 1'41.672, 64 laps, 283 km.
“Finally we’ve found the correct step”
“It was a hard day but finally we’ve found the correct step; we did a race simulation and it was good. But it’s a shame because we only found a good setting on the bike half way through today. We worked really hard but not enough to find the right direction to improve! I wish we had another day tomorrow to make that last step we’re missing, but anyway. I’m really happy because everyone’s worked so hard and now we go to Qatar for another three days before the first race.
After this test we have a lot of information to analyse to arrive to Qatar with a good plan. We’re missing a bit of traction, until today it was impossible for me to ride fast with the hard tyre which was strange because in the last tests it was the opposite. But here until the final day I couldn’t, so now the goal is to find a bit more traction and make the rear tyre work a little better.”