Herve Poncharal and his troops find Portimao. Here we are, two rounds from the end of this 2021 season, with this Grande Prémio do Algarve which therefore marks the penultimate event of the year. It's a return for the MotoGP World Championship to the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve this weekend, after a first visit in April. A place that brings back good memories for the Tech3 KTM Factory Racing team, as they celebrated their second premier class victory there with local hero Miguel Oliveira in 2020…
A good time when the boss Hervé Poncharal obviously refers before the start of hostilities: “lhe Tech3 KTM Factory Racing team begins its final journey with two consecutive races, the first taking place in Portugal. Of course, arriving in Portimao at this time of year will make us think of what happened a year ago, when Miguel and his team won that race and dominated the whole weekend. It will certainly be emotional for all of us, but I believe the focus will be a little different this year…The Algarve Circuit itself has a fantastic and very unique layout. Hopefully we will have the same type of weather as last year, which brought us perfect track conditions ».
Hervé Poncharal sets the goal for the top 10
« Still, Misano was pretty good on Saturday, as it was the team's best qualifier so far this season » remembers the Frenchman, referring to the capricious weather in Emilia Romagna. “ Although the race was a big disappointment with two retirements, we want to keep the positive and I believe Danilo and Iker like Portimao a lot. The KTM handles quite well there, so clearly we're going there with confidence. We really hope that at least one of our drivers will fight in the top 10 ».
« I know that for Danilo and Iker, not being able to finish the race last time in Misano was difficult to digest and I think they will be even more eager this time, not only to qualify as well as last time, but also to see the checkered flag in a decent position ". The boss of Tech3 finished : " I think they both know their future now, which will help them start the weekend with a positive mind. They will be able to push with a free mind and without distractions, just aiming to have fun and enjoy the moment on a MotoGP ».
