This weekend, we'll find out! What ? The real level of the bikes that presented themselves this season. Because if we judge by the comments of specialists, from technicians to drivers, this Jerez track which will play the fourth round of the championship in the form of the Spanish Grand Prix is a true justice of the peace for motorcycles. He tests his qualities and highlights his faults. Its outcome will determine the physiognomy of the rest of this year 2018, promised to be the most contested in history...
In Jerez, we don't lie. The 4.4 kilometers of this route have been redone for this edition of the Spanish Grand Prix. With five left turns and eight right turns, the site is not a playground for Márquez who loves left turns. However, even if the Honda official only has one success on the track of his national meeting, he has never done worse than third.
SO ? So it's Cristian Gabarrini, the Ducati stand man for Jorge Lorenzo which sets the scene: “ if you have a problem, Jerez will tell you. It is a very demanding track. If you are fast at Jerez, then you will be fast on all tracks. Because Jerez requires a very balanced machine ».
Furthermore, going there at this time of year is like jumping into the unknown: “ the times made during the off-season tests are never those of the Grand Prix, because the temperatures at the time of the Grand Prix are always higher " highlighted James Guidotti who serves in the Honda team alongside a Pedrosa four times winner on this circuit. “ You must therefore be prepared to have very different track conditions ».
For the clan Rossi, Silvano Galbussera precise : " it's a narrow and short track, so you need agility and good braking. I hope that the grip of the new asphalt will be better than in other years, as we had problems there in previous editions ».
There are also elements that play their role: “ the track is often swept by the wind so we cannot use all the power of a MotoGP.” adds Marcus Eschenbacher who works at Aprilia for Aleix Espargaró. " It is a route with a traditional design, with very tight turns ».
The conclusion comes down to Paul Trevathan who is the technical lead man of the KTM stand Pol Espargaro : " it's a special track to tackle with a MotoGP. It is narrow and is therefore already a physical challenge for the drivers. The bike is rarely without making movements, because the straight line is very short. You constantly fight with it, trying to avoid rearing up. Cornering is tight, making acceleration difficult. It is important to be able to position the motorcycle correctly to properly exploit the right side of the tire and the exit of the curve. ". On this level, the GP18 has some revelations to make for us…
