MotoGP Test Jerez J1 KTM: Pedrosa ill, Lecuona on the ground, it was complicated for Tech3

The final tests of the calendar year and the second of the 2020 off-season are taking place right now in Jerez and they are important not only from a technical point of view but also from a moral level. Because these are also the final impressions that are distilled, with which we will have to wait until the start of the school year in February, in Sepang. For the Red Bull Tech3 KTM team, Valencia had been like a balloon of oxygen with a Pedrosa at work within its walls and an Iker Lecuona demonstrating that value does not wait for the number of years. Here we are now in Jerez, where things are less comfortable...

Un Dani Pedrosa sick and forfeit then one Iker Lecuona enthusiastic but victim of a fall which crumpled him are the major facts removed from this first day in Jerez by the troops ofHervé Poncharal. The latter comments: “ It was an early end to the day in Jerez for the Red Bull KTM Tech3 team. Already this morning we understood that Dani Pedrosa was not at his best, that he was feeling very ill and that he was going to try to stay calm and come back in the afternoon. But it seems it didn't work. I hope it tests tomorrow, although the weather forecast is not very optimistic for Tuesday. »

“On Iker’s side, everything started very well. It was cold with no rain, but there was a lot of humidity in the air and we started on the soft tires, just to trying to understand the Jerez circuit, which is very demanding, very difficult to learn and to go fast with a MotoGP. It's very different from Valencia. Until the lunch break everything went very well, each lap was faster than the last and we ended up breaking the 1'40 barrier, which was good. »

“Unfortunately, just after the lunch break, Iker was on his third lap, I think, and did a very slow lap before following another driver after this one. But when it's like that, the tire temperature drops a lot in these weather conditions and on the first left turn, which is turn four, he fell. It's a little bruised everywhere, but nothing is broken, so it came back without any physical consequences, the bike isn't too damaged, but we all decided to call it a day. »

“It's always a shame not to do as many laps as you could have done, because we know it's the last test of the year and Iker is a beginner. Anyway, we had some interesting laps and hopefully tomorrow we can stay out of the rain and have two drivers on track, enjoying their final day of testing of 2019 before taking a nice break deserved. So let's wait and see tomorrow. »