It was here in Australia that the Briton had a big moment last year by winning the Grand Prix ahead of Valentino Rossi and Maverick Vinales. He therefore returned to conquered territory and did not do too badly on his Team LCR Honda, even if his best time on a lap could have been slightly faster.
During the Valencia tests, Cal was ranked sixth, 0.7 behind Maverick Vinales, but just behind the other Honda of Dani Pedrosa, at 0.02. At Sepang, he finished in ninth position at 0.3. At Phillip Island, he was fifth on the first day at 0.5, then third at 0.4 on Thursday, just 0.01 behind second place Marc Marquez.
The last day was satisfying and a little frustrating at the same time. The satisfaction came from a 15-lap ride achieved at an average of 1'29.5, a performance identical to that of Maverick Vinales over a long distance. It was very promising. The little frustration came from the time on a lap which earned Cal fifth place, 0.5 behind Vinales' best time. He hoped to do better, but an unfavorable combination of circumstances did not allow him to do better, which he explains below.
Overall, the Hondas evolved well during the Phillip Island tests, with major directions that had been determined after the Sepang tests and whose validation appears to have been positive. Now that the essential base for 2017 has been determined, all that remains is to refine it to complete the development if possible during the next Losail tests.
According to Cal, “We were happy with today's test, and although we weren't able to set a fast lap time, it was just due to some slight problems in the morning when the track was in its best condition. This was when the temperature was good and the fastest laps were achieved by the other drivers. The priority for our day, however, was to go long distance and get some additional information for Honda.
“We managed that in the end and we were very happy with how everything went considering we also had a little problem during the long distance run. Our main limitation of the day seemed to be the new front tire, and not just for us, but for many riders as well, when we found we were really at the limit and unable to attack.
“Now we have to give all the information we have collected over the last three days to HRC, and I think we can be positive before the next Qatar test. »
