Bo Bendsneyder is tall (1m88) but he is still only 18 years old (until March).
Champion of the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup in 2015, he then joined the Red Bull KTM Ajo factory team in the Moto3 World Championship. His first year in this very competitive category was rather promising, with a 14th place in the final standings brought by two podiums at Silverstone and Sepang.
Handicapped by his large size last season, the young Dutchman concluded the year in 15th position, without being on the podium once.
The Rotterdam native then moved to Moto2 with the Tech3 Racing team and has just completed his second pre-season IRTA tests, after those carried out on the same Valencia circuit last November.
Perhaps a significant fact, therefore one to watch out for, the number 64 appeared each time ahead of his teammate, Remy Gardner, who already has two years of experience in the category, including one in the same French team.
Simple combination of circumstances, cautious action by the Australian driver or a sign of a good season for the Dutch rookie, next week's tests in Jerez will perhaps tell us a little more...
Will Bendsneyder, 12st, 1'36.843, 60 laps: “I had a positive two days, we tested a lot of things and I was finally back on the bike, which is the most important thing. We didn't have the best weather, with not ideal conditions, but we were able to do a few laps on Wednesday and Thursday. I'm happy with the first test this year and I'm looking forward to Jerez. Hopefully we can improve a few things there and I look forward to sitting on the bike again very soon. »
Remy gardner, 15st, 1'37.033, 45 laps: “The first day we couldn't fly because it was too wet and too cold. Over the next few days we had dry conditions and therefore the opportunity to get the feeling back with the bike. It was a good test, we discovered some things that are really important and hopefully take us in the right direction for the future. We still need to work on the settings, as we have a bit of chatter, but I'm sure we'll get there. »
Combined ranking of the 3 days of Valencia testing:
1. Mattia Pasini (Kalex) 1'35.799
2. Lorenzo Baldassarri (Kalex) +0.016
3. Simone Corsi (Kalex) +0.136
4. Miguel Oliveira (KTM) +0.367
5. Isaac Vinales (Kalex) +0.443
6. Héctor Barbera (Kalex) +0.470
7. Marcel Schrötter (Kalex) +0.604
8. Xavi Virgo (Kalex) +0.638
9. Romano Fenati (Kalex) +0.918
10. Brad Binder (KTM) +0.950
11. Fabio Quartararo (Speed Up) +1.022
12. Bo Bendsneyder (Tech3) +1.064
13. Joe Roberts (NTS) +1.100
14. Jorge Navarro (Kalex) +1.198
15. Remy Gardner (Tech3) +1.254
16. Steven Odendaal (NTS) +1.286
17. Tetsuta Nagashima (Kalex) +1,508
18th Danny Kent (Speed Up) +1,528
19. Stefano Manzi (Suter) +1,529
20. Andrea Locatelli (Kalex) +1,620
21. Eric Granado (Suter) +1,635
22. Khairul Idham Pawi (Kalex) +1,649
23. Dominique Aegerter (KTM) +1,666
24. Federico Fuligni (Kalex) +2.147
25. Jules Danilo (Kalex) +2.469
26. Zulfahmi Khairuddin (Kalex) +2.814
