To avoid discussions and last year's moment of panic, the final day of MotoGP pre-season testing at Losail featured a 30-minute session on an artificially wet track by 15 tankers (one in each corner ).
The instruction was to leave together to maximize the water splashes, which no one really did, in order to study whether the visibility was sufficient to ensure safety in the event of a race in the rain, despite the reflections of the spotlights. on the wet track and in the projected clouds.
As soon as a driver returned to the box, Loris Capirossi et Franco Uncini were going to question him to get his opinion.
Here are some of them, reported among others by our colleagues at GPone.
Johann zarco: “I think now all the drivers are ready to ride. The question mark was about the vision and how well we can see the track in the wet, but it was pretty good and won't be a problem for us. On the subject of grip, I was able to gain confidence to go fast by taking the bike for a few laps. And even if it rains here, with the high temperatures and the hot track, we will never have a completely wet track. I think it would dry quickly. So this wet test was really an emergency for Sunday. We are ready ".
Marc Marquez: “For me it's quite good although it's a little more difficult to see the borders and the white lines, because the visibility is not the same because of the reflections. Although the asphalt was slippery, I think we can race the Grand Prix if it rains.”
Valentino Rossi: “The visibility is good and the grip is normal, so from my point of view we can race.”
Andrea Dovizioso: “I agreed with Petrucci. We went out on the track together, alternating in front of each other. There wasn't much water, the test went well, but the situation was critical in a straight line. The difference is determined by the amount of water on the track: if there is a lot, the situation could get really complicated.”
Dani Pedrosa: “In case of rain, we will have to talk and decide together.”
Danilo Petrucci: “I tried to follow Andrea but in some places on the track I couldn't see him. The water clouds were numerous and significant, and we will have to understand if it will be possible to run, because in some situations nothing could be seen.”
Cal Crutchlow: “Visibility was good but the track was really slippery. I'm sure if it rains, we should discuss it at the Safety Commission.”
Karel Abraham: “the grip was stronger than I thought, it surprised everyone, but it’s true: the visibility wasn’t among the best, there were a lot of reflections that bothered us.”
Jorge Lorenzo: “It's not a fantastic situation, the grip is very low, especially in a straight line. I rode alone, so I can't say what the visibility will be like during the fight. We will have to see what is decided, I think it would be difficult to race in the rain.”
Jack Miller: “Well, the rain would clean the track of all the desert sand and I think it would be possible to race despite the water. I must say that I didn't ride much: I wanted to leave the bike with my mechanics so that they could clean it quickly and avoid doing it too late. Tomorrow morning we have the plane back early in the morning, so it’s better to sleep and rest.”
With all that, good luck Franco Uncini et Loris Capirossi to make a decision!
The latter easily recognizes it and even plans another test during the race weekend.
Remember that, until now, the race took place on Monday in the event of rain on Sunday, which caused numerous disruptions (satellite slots, plane tickets, etc.). At least that was the case in 2009.
15 trucks have 'looked' at the track for this night's drive and it's mojado. Vale la pena escuchar las reflections de los pilotos ante esta novedad. #QatarTest #MotoGP pic.twitter.com/s3uYUbEdYA
— MotoGP in Movistar+ (@movistar_motogp) March 3, 2018
¡Los pilotos ya ruedan en mojado! #QatarTest #MotoGP pic.twitter.com/RAEMkZHu2N
— MotoGP in Movistar+ (@movistar_motogp) March 3, 2018
Photo credits: MotoGP.com