Jerez Moto2 J3 tests: End of three days of testing under the sun

The weather was generally favorable during this second series of tests on the Andalusian circuit, in preparation for the official IRTA tests which will take place from March 8 to 10.

There was no timing system, so no officially communicated times. Here are the views of several of the drivers who took part in these Jerez tests.

Brad Binder : " These three days of testing in Jerez went surprisingly well. Motorcycling is completely new to me, so every time I ride I learn something. I love it and it helps me improve more. I'm excited to see what happens this season, because I think we're going in the right direction. My arm is still a little injured, so we did shorter runs, because there were times when it hurt a little. But my recovery is progressing and for the next test I will definitely take a step forward and be much fitter. At least I'll have more strength, that's for sure. »

Miguel Oliveira : " This test was very positive. From day one we found a very good setup, which means we are working in the right direction. During these three days we tried a lot of things and it helped us. We decided to continue with short runs in order to try as many things as possible. The weather in Jerez was quite good and allowed us to complete a lot of laps. Today it was very hot and there was a lot more rubber laid down, it was a bit slippery, but we were able to work well. We took another step forward, so I'm excited to see where we will be next week, with all the other bikes."

Aki Ajo (KTM team manager): “ The biggest thing here in Jerez with the Moto2 team was seeing Brad [Binder] back in the saddle, and that he's able to ride even when he's still not 100%. He did a lot of kilometers and a lot of laps with Moto2. Miguel [Oliveira] continues to work very professionally, which is very important for a new bike. He has Moto2 experience, which is a boost for the development of this new bike. In addition, it has a style with a very regular rhythm which is very important for the improvement of the motorcycle. »

Lorenzo Baldassarri : " Everything is fine. In Valencia and Jerez, I felt better and better on the bike, lap after lap. After the winter break, I had to get used to the new bike. But we are doing a good job and we are gradually improving it. We are starting to understand how it works. »

Tom Luthi : " We still have a lot of work to do, because so far between Valencia and Jerez there has been some good and some bad. It went well in Valencia, but we had a little more difficulty in Jerez. »

Franco Morbidelli : " So far it's going well. We tested both bikes, the 2016 and the 2017. We tried a lot of things and recorded a lot of data. We now have a lot of information to prepare for the first race. »

Francis Bagnaia : " The tests are going well and I am satisfied with the work we have done. We have made good progress thanks to the work done. I rode the new bike, tried different settings and I'm happy with my lap time. »

Alex Marquez : " We improved with the 2017 compared to the 2016. We had both bikes in the pit and could do consecutive tests. We had a little problem with the 2017 and we'll have to find something to improve, but my time wasn't that bad. »

Takaaki Nakagami : " I have good feelings with the team. The 2017 Kalex is different from the previous one, and we are trying to improve it. We have defined the basic settings, but without being 100% decided. However, we are already competitive. »

Do you want to watch what the new delivery looks like on track? @MiguelMoto3 @ BradBinder_41 @bobendsneyder @_Nicco23 🚀 https://t.co/Mimz5WFjay pic.twitter.com/k28g6GnjLu

— Red Bull KTM Ajo (@RedBull_KTM_Ajo) March 2, 2017