The weekend in Austin was complicated for the Tech 3 Racing team who failed to get into the points with its two drivers. Despite everything, Remy Gardner and Bo Bendsneyder leave optimistic for the next Grand Prix in Jerez.
Remy gardner arrived on the Austin circuit like his teammate: a beginner. Indeed, although this is his third season in the Moto2 World Cup, he has never ridden on the Texan circuit. In 2016 he only started the Championship from the Catalan Grand Prix, and last year he was injured in Argentina, which forced him to miss Austin.
Aware of his disadvantage, the Australian driver worked a lot this weekend, but the demands of the track made his task difficult. Twenty-second in the combined free practice times, he then qualified eighteenth, a result far from what he showed in the first two Grand Prix. Nevertheless, he says he is satisfied with the work accomplished: “We knew we were coming into this circuit at a disadvantage and I feel we have progressed really well since FP1 on Friday. We worked very well throughout the weekend. »
Gardner would have liked to come back during the race but things did not go as planned: “During the race I probably could have had the pace to ride with the group that was in the points, but I was pushed around quite a bit by the others and quickly lost places. Once alone, I pulled myself together and got into a good rhythm. I can't say that I'm delighted with my race, because I really wanted to bring home some points. It would have been nice to finish these three races outside Europe in the points each time. »
In the end, he prefers to remain optimistic: “We worked well this weekend and I think we should keep the positive going into Jerez. »
Will Bendsneyder was also discovering the track in the Moto2 category and had a more complicated weekend than Remy Gardner. Beyond twentieth place throughout free practice, he qualified in twenty-third position.
Hoping to have the pace to get back into the race, the Dutch driver finally finished twentieth: “I finally felt good on the bike. It was just in the last laps where my left hand, which was very painful, meant that I no longer had any power and was no longer comfortable riding. »
Just as positive as Gardner, he remains satisfied with the work done throughout the weekend: “We have to work on some things, but I think we have already made good progress. I can't wait to come back to Europe and start the next Grand Prix in Spain. »
