The last tests before taking advantage of the winter break on this same Jerez track had raised some concerns within the clan Ajo KTM. The Mattighofen firm had also recognized that it had undoubtedly gone a little far in the search for rigidity in a chassis which now carries a Triumph engine. Returning to the track showed that we had worked well in Austria. With Brad Binder fourth and debutant Jorge Martin on the outskirts of the top 10, the direction of travel has been rediscovered.
After two favorable days of private testing in Jerez, the Red Bull KTM Ajo riders took part in the first three IRTA tests. By favorable weather conditions, Brad Binder showed good pace this Wednesday and a constant presence at the forefront throughout the three sessions. The South African focused on the bike setup and worked on improving the grip and electronic settings. After a total of 64 laps, he set the fourth fastest time in 1'41,368, almost a second and a half faster than his best lap in November.
For its part, George Martin took advantage of this day to continue to adapt to the intermediate class and gain confidence with his new mount. The Spaniard had a positive day, completing a total of 65 laps and a best time of 1'41,867, which placed him eleventh overall.
« The day was very important " commented Aki Ajo. « In November things didn't go as planned, but we are already on the right track: Brad Binder and Jorge Martin did a good job and although we don't focus on that aspect, the times were also good. "
« The day was rather positive " welcomes Brad Binder. " It was our third day in a row in Jerez. So we were able to complete many laps and try many options. We found a good path forward and I'm very happy with the way the team worked today. Things are going very well and my feeling on the bike is improving every time I go out on a track. In general, the more laps I do, the better I feel on my KTM. Tomorrow we will focus on longer runs. I'm looking forward to the next two days; There are still many things to look at and try, but little by little we are finding a good way forward.".
George Martin did not dampen the mood by adding: “ It was a very positive day, even if I'm not in the best physical shape. We are very happy, because every time we are on the right track, we progress a little more. We were able to test many new ideas and drew very positive conclusions. In addition, we have good pace with worn tires. Although we still have to work a lot on this aspect, we have shown that we are competitive in just one round. Tomorrow the goal will be to continue to progress and gain experience. We must continue to work in the same direction, because this is the way forward ».
Martin, Moto2 test Feb, Jerez 2019
Moto2, Jerez J1 Test: times
1. Luca Marini, Kalex, 1:41,146 min
2. Iker Lecuona, KTM, 1:41,227
3. Sam Lowes, Kalex, 1:41,286
4. Brad Binder, KTM, 1:41,368
5. Alex Marquez, Kalex, 1:41,370
6. Jorge Navarro, Speed up, 1:41,516
7. Marcel Schrötter, Kalex, 1:41,561
8. Lorenzo Baldassarri, Kalex, 1:41,571
9. Tom Lüthi, Kalex, 1:41,666
10. Remy Gardner, Kalex, 1:41,802
11. Jorge Martin, KTM, 1:41,867
12. Enea Bastianini, Kalex, 1:41,908
13. Xavi Virgo, Kalex, 1:41,925
14. Andrea Locatelli, Kalex, 1:42,011
15. Tetsuta Nagashima, Kalex, 1:42,021
16. Simone Corsi, Kalex, 1:42,128
17. Bo Bendsneyder, NTS, 1:42,191
18. Jake Dixon, KTM, 1:42,307
19. Joe Roberts, KTM, 1:42,310
20. Fabio Di Giannantonio, Speed up, 1:42,411
21. Dominique Aegerter, MV Agusta, 1:42,510
22. Nicolò Bulega, Kalex, 1:42,595
23. Augusto Fernandez, Kalex, 1:42,749
24. Lukas Tulovic, KTM, 1:42,815
25. Steven Odendaal, NTS, 1:42,894
26. Stefano Manzi, MV Agusta, 1:43,055
27. Marco Bezzecchi, KTM, 1:43,133
28. Philipp Öttl, KTM, 1:43,180
29. Somkiat Chantra, Kalex, 1:43,255
30. Khairul Idham Pawi, Kalex, 1:43,434
31. Xavier Cardelus, KTM, 1:43,585
32. Dimas Ekky Pratama, Kalex, 1:43,955
