This first day of testing of the 2023 MotoGP off-season was visibly invigorating for Hervé Poncharal who did not hide his enthusiasm when it came time to take stock. It seems that the 2022 campaign, which only ended on Sunday with the last Grand Prix of the season on the same Ricardo Tormo track, was not simple, and not only technically… It is also on the he human aspect with the newfound joy that begins the Frenchman, who can enter his winter break on a good note.
New colors, two new drivers, and a GASGAS name to assume under the eye of the bosses KTM stayed there to observe all this, Hervé Poncharal and his troop Tech3 could legitimately feel a certain pressure at the start of this test in Valencia. But everything quickly relaxed, thanks to the human factor which put oil in the wheels. “ First day of the 2023 season and it's like a dream. First of all, we were spoiled with perfect track conditions to get the job done, but most importantly, I saw smiles all over the garage and it feels really good » begins the tricolor.
He adds : " seeing Pol Espargaró dancing on his bike during the first run and hearing him say 'I love it' when he came back to the pits was an incredible moment for all of us. This set the mood for the whole day and the atmosphere was very good. Today, it's as if Pol had never left and he felt right at home. He smiled all day and was really happy to reunite with his chief engineer, Pol Trevathan, and his old team. The lap times were good, the feeling too, and it was a really constructive day ».
Hervé Poncharal: “ we are all very tired«
On the other side of the box, with the rookie and fresh Moto2 World Champion, we were also in unison: “ we were also surprised by the way Augusto Fernandez handled his first day on a MotoGP. He was steady, listening to our advice without trying to impress. He continued to progress 'poco a poco' as they say in Spanish, and managed to lap within… less than 2 seconds of the fastest lap. The first day on a MotoGP machine is not easy because everything is so different: electronics, carbon brakes, tires, suspensions, but he did very well. The start of the tests was also difficult because there are so many buttons to press. It was his first day at school, and I would give him a 10/10 ».
« Thanks to Pol and Augusto, a huge thank you to the whole Tech3 team because it was really difficult to make the change from orange to red overnight but everything went well " precise Hervé Poncharal. " We also had incredible support from Stefan Pierer, Hubert Trunkenpolz and Pit Beirer throughout the weekend. They are all passionate and it's nice to have their support ". Then he finishes: “ we will now have a two month break, well deserved because we are all very tired, but we can no longer wait for the winter tests in Sepang at the beginning of February to find out what 2023 has in store for us. Thank you all, we will be back next year! ».
Valencia test: times
Credit classification motogp.com
