When a season doesn't start off in the best way, it's often difficult for a driver to regain confidence as the races go on. Filip Salac is one of the latter. And if he was counting on the second part of the season to restore his image, the latter has not smiled on him so far. The Czech is therefore counting on the Austrian Grand Prix, close to home, to finally assert himself.
Many riders on the Moto2 grid do not have a home Grand Prix to feel the support of their public. Often, the round held closest to their hometown takes the place of this event, and many fans make the trip. For Filip Salac, it's the Austrian Grand Prix, which will be held this weekend at the Red Bull Ring.
Author of a complicated first part of the season – during which he was not spared from injuries – the Czech followed an unsuccessful British Grand Prix, and a heavy fall in Aragon which compromised his day of testing . With two laps on the clock, he has logically not stored any useful information for the future. Spielberg's objective will therefore be above all to regain the confidence he has lost.
“I'm really looking forward to racing in Austria this weekend, entrusts Salac. It's close to home and one of my favorite tracks that suits my riding style. There is a lot of difficult braking at Spielberg. I think that's one of my strengths.
We need to understand how this weekend will go from a physical point of view, he then worries. My knee still hurts after the incident in Aragon last week. I'm sure it won't be a problem. I hope so in any case because I need this weekend to try to restore some of the feeling and confidence that I'm lacking. I believe we can have a good weekend and finish with a good result here. »
Last year, Filip Salac recorded a solid top-10 in Styria, while he has scored points on four of the last five visits.
He will undoubtedly be able to rely on some of the information collected by his neighbor in the garage, Tony Arbolino, in full confidence after a fruitful day in Spain, coming to wipe away the disappointment caused by his abandonment across the Channel.
“I think we have seen recently that our level is improving, continues the Italian. We are taking steps in the right direction to be fully competitive again. Silverstone didn't end the way we wanted, but we were able to quickly put that behind us.
We had a very good test in Aragon and that gives me a lot of confidence and motivation coming to Austria. Spielberg is a very special track with a lot of hard braking and a lot of undulation, but we are up for the challenge and ready for a good weekend” concludes Tony Arbolino.
