The Speed Up team called on two new drivers this year to hope to fight at the front: Danny Kent and Fabio Quartararo. A look back at the start of the season after a first Grand Prix far from the team's expectations.
Last year, Speed Up finished ninth in the world championship with Simone Corsi, and entered the points with rookie Augusto Fernández.
New year, new riders, the team welcomes the 2018 Moto3 world champion for 2015 Danny Kent and French Fabio Quartararo. Both have different backgrounds since after his title, the Briton failed to adapt to the Moto2 category and preferred to leave the Kiefer Racing team, while Fabio only started last year in the category after two years in Moto3. Regardless, both drivers have talent and are eager to show it.
The start of the season is however complicated, since during the winter tests, the team manager Luca Boscoscuro was not convinced by the Kayaba suspensions and preferred to return to Öhlins, after also using the WP, which somewhat handicapped the drivers in their preparation for 2018, not allowing them to arrive in Qatar fully prepared.
The race result was reflected, as Kent finished seventeenth and Quartararo twentieth. Luca Boscoscuro spoke with speedweek and said he took on this responsibility: “It's my fault that our drivers weren't able to do many laps during testing because I wanted to change the suspension. Staying with WP would have been easier, but Öhlins has improved a lot. I hope the boys do a good job in 2018 because I really like them both. »
Confident of having hired the right pilots, he is full of praise for both: “Fabio is very talented, he just needs to train to be able to progress. Danny is world champion. He has what it takes to win races and titles. He hasn't been successful so far in Moto2, and it's my job to help him get there. »
The Briton is known for his impulsive decision-making and his inconsistency of late, but his team manager is categorical: " It's from the past. Now he works with a personal trainer and his physical condition has improved. All that extra training will definitely help. »
