Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP riders Maverick Viñales and Valentino Rossi were like children in a candy store today at the Official MotoGP Test in Portimão. The two had fun on YZF-R1 motorcycles to familiarize themselves with the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve. Yamaha Factory Racing MotoGP test rider Jorge Lorenzo also took part in today's session aboard the YZR-M1. Its mission is to collect valuable MotoGP data ahead of the Grand Prémio de Portugal, which will be held from November 20 to 22.
The Portimão Official MotoGP Test took place in two sessions from 9:00 a.m. to 13:00 p.m. and from 14:00 p.m. to 17:00 p.m. local time to familiarize yourself with the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve.
The main objective today was to familiarize ourselves with the layout of the Portuguese track, ahead of the Grand Prémio de Portugal, the final round of the 2020 MotoGP World Championship, which will be held from November 20-22. The circuit has 15 turns in total (nine right, six left) and is characterized by numerous elevation changes. This is why it is often referred to as a "high-speed roller coaster", which is both exciting for drivers and a technical challenge for mechanics.
Today, the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP duo were joined on track by Yamaha Factory Racing Test Team's Jorge Lorenzo, who rode the YZR-M1. Its mission is to collect MotoGP data for the Factory Team, so that they can start the last round of MotoGP in the best conditions, on November 20, 2020.
Jorge Lorenzo will continue its testing program tomorrow during the second day of the Official MotoGP Test in Portimão, while Maverick Vinales et Valentino Rossi will travel to Le Mans for the French Grand Prix, which will take place this weekend.
Maverick Vinales : " The track is different than what we are used to, due to the altitude changes, and most of the corners have blind entries. But overall I felt really good. This is the kind of track I like, because you need a lot of fluidity and speed in the turns. I already had a good feeling with my standard road bike and I think it will be even better when I ride the MotoGP bike, because I will be even faster. The track is great and it's a lot of fun to drive there. The biggest challenge here is the wheelies. We're going to have to work hard on this because there are a lot of elevation changes and we need contact from the front, so we'll have to change the bike a bit, that's for sure. The last corner here is incredible, I love it. I was expecting the track to be longer, it's actually quite short, but I like it. »
Valentino Rossi : " It's very interesting to ride here, because the track is beautiful and technically quite difficult. This is a very strange trail because of the many elevation changes. But it's beautiful and the asphalt is good, it has good grip. You can fully enjoy it when you ride here. It looked harder on TV, a little trickier, but in real life it's fine. There are three or four points that are a little scary, because you have big jumps. It will be difficult to keep a MotoGP in contact with the ground here, but in general it is a very pleasant track to ride, so I like it. It was also a good day for a test here, because we had good conditions, which is important when you are getting familiar with a new track. »
Jorge Lorenzo : " Of course, it's not easy to start riding MotoGP again after a nine-month break. Tomorrow we will play with the settings again to see if we can improve and take a big step forward. The track is magnificent. It's unique, compared to other tracks, there are a lot of elevation changes, and it's a lot of fun to ride. I hope that tomorrow I will have a good feeling and that we can work more. »
