The Dynavolt Intact GP team drivers each had an excellent race after a complicated weekend. Xavi Virginie narrowly missed the podium, and Marcel Schrötter gained thirteen places to achieve a superb top 10 despite his shoulder injury.
However, all was not won when arriving at Jerez, because this circuit is not the one that the Dynavolt Intact GP team prefers, as explained Xavi Virgo : “It's a difficult track for us, because we always lose two or three tenths. We worked on race pace throughout the weekend. »
Fifteenth in the combined free practice times, the Spanish driver managed to qualify in seventh position. Thanks to a good start and an intelligent race, he finished in a very good fourth place: “I knew before the start that I didn't have these two tenths but I was still going to try. That's what I did every lap and when I got closer to Bagnaia in the last ten laps, I thought I could fight for the podium in the last one. I made a mistake losing the front all the time in turn five. Then I had a problem with my front tire. »
Although a little frustrated at not having been able to get on the podium, Virgo knows that he has nothing to reproach himself for, and that this result counts: “I gave everything until the end, but ultimately I couldn't fight for the podium. It was nevertheless a good race and we took important points for the Championship. »
His teammate Marcel Schrötter had an even more complicated weekend. Injured shoulder during the last Grand Prix, he didn't know what to expect in Jerez. And unfortunately, despite an eighth place during FP3, he was beyond twentieth place during free practice, and could not qualify better than seventeenth. Penalized by three places on the grid for having driven too slowly during qualifying, he finally started from twentieth place.
However, the German once again had a very good race. With an excellent start and good pace management, he showed that his experience paid off: “I once again got a good start and arrived quickly into the first corner. I wasn't in a good position because I was on the outside, and in this place you have to be lucky because it can quickly become critical if someone makes a mistake on the inside. I was able to make up five or six places on the first lap and realized my pace was good and I didn't need to push too much. I tried to keep this pace and overtake the drivers one by one. When I got back to Lowes and Mir, we were both able to pass the latter, and I then overtook Lowes. When I saw that he was a second behind me, I tried to maintain that gap. Apart from one or two small mistakes, I had a perfect race. »
He who feared not being able to ride finally finished seventh, after a climb of thirteen places: “I'm very happy with how it went with my shoulder. A week ago I said I wouldn't be able to ride. I am happy to see that my shoulder is feeling better and recovering in a short time. Mental strength is also important in driving, so I tried to stay focused and drive cleanly without making any mistakes. I know it was crucial in the race. »
Xavi Virgo
