Hervé Poncharal and his Tech3 team returned empty-handed from a difficult Indonesian Grand Prix from which emerged the official KTM rider Miguel Oliveira who survived on the wet Mandalika track to take victory. The French are equipped with the same RC16s and had a very different race. But there are explanations for this big gap. On the one hand, their riders Raul Fernandez and Remy Gardner were discovering how to ride a MotoGP in the rain. And on the other hand, the reigning Australian Moto2 World Champion experienced a surprising problem with the sealing of his helmet which made Hervé Poncharal a collateral victim. And he has a hard time accepting it...
At Tech3, it’s Raul fernandez which finally said the essential at the finish of an Indonesian Grand Prix where no points were scored by the team: “ we have a bike that won today in the rain with Miguel Oliveira, so it's a very good bike and I'm very positive about it. Results will come with time, so we will continue the good work ". The boss Hervé Poncharal analyzed his experience at Mandalika this way: “with our two rookies, we had never tested with this level of water on the track so it was completely discovery time for them, whether to understand the grip of Michelin tires or the handling of the MotoGP motorcycle ».
“Raul got off to an incredible start, but he told us he was a little shy on braking at the start because he only had his wet Moto2 experience as a reference. Throughout the race, he improved his pace, made no mistakes, learned a lot and narrowly missed the points. We know it will happen soon. He obviously wants more and faster, but today was a great learning day. I would like to thank him for his hard work and attitude ».
Hervé Poncharal: “ it's a real shame to miss out on a potential good result because of a helmet problem«
To Remy gardner, the boss's tone was different: "" I feel a little frustrated with Remy Gardner's result because he is normally very strong in rainy conditions, so I didn't quite understand when I saw him lose contact with Raul's group. When he returned to the box, he was unhappy with his helmet which was full of water and significantly reduced his visibility. At this level, when you know the investment that a race represents, it's a real shame to miss out on a potential good result because of a helmet problem like today, and I find it hard to accept it. Apart from that, he managed to finish the race, which is good, and he also learned a lot about his tires and his bike in the rain. I think without his problem he would have fought for points in Raul's group ».
The tricolor ends thus regarding its pilots: “ anyway, we leave Mandalika with two riders who are now more experienced MotoGP riders than when we arrived, which is the goal of our rookies, and we will head to Argentina where I am convinced that they can score points. I would also like to congratulate KTM Factory Racing and Miguel Oliveira on their victory, it's an incredible result ».
Hervé Poncharal also honors his official role as boss of IRTA by playing a little politics: “ The weather conditions were really tough today, so I'm glad we were finally able to race after the heavy rain that fell just before the race. We are very honored to have had the President of the Republic of Indonesia with us today, and I would like to thank him for his welcome and for organizing such a great event for us ". Next meeting, at the beginning of April in Argentina.
