Before the final pre-season test in Jerez, the Swiss Innovative Investors KTM team stopped in Valencia on Monday and Tuesday for two days of private testing.
Sam Lowes et Iker Lecuona took advantage of the good weather conditions to continue the work they started throughout the winter, making certain adjustments to the geometry of their KTM for the first rounds of the calendar.
The Spaniard, who was fast from the start, managed to complete a lap in 1'35.3, breaking his personal best. He then concluded the opening session with a race simulation in which he proved to be consistent before a small crash. His British teammate, who completed a total of 103 laps on Monday, also felt comfortable on his KTM, although he experienced a slight fall due to chattering in some corners.
The rain unfortunately affected the second day, so the two riders of the Swiss Innovative Investors KTM team decided not to take unnecessary risks. They will be on the track again on March 6 and 8 in Jerez to finalize their preparation for the start of the season in Qatar.
Iker Lecuona (1'35.3 – 78 laps): “This test was very good. I worked a lot on the bike. We worked differently by doing a few short runs of just three or four laps. I changed the settings of the bike a little and I felt good. I had a very good pace, better than my personal best. I had a big crash at the end, but I was definitely faster. I'm really sorry about that, but I'm convinced that we've taken a big step forward. “
Sam Lowes (1'36.0 -108 laps): " It was nice ! We were able to do over 100 laps in one day because we knew we probably wouldn't be able to ride on Tuesday. We focused on evaluating many parts. I think I only did two runs on the same bike once. It was a good testing day. Overall I feel great and I'm positive about the direction we've taken with the bike. It would have been great if we had managed to ride on the second day. The weather looks wet for the Test in Jerez next week, but it will be nice for me to ride in the rain a bit. We couldn't do it here because of the temperature. I think we've done a really good job with the team and the tests have been positive so far. I feel very relaxed and ready for Qatar. “
Paddock-GP translation
