The two drivers of Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS, Franco Morbidelli and Tom Lüthi, leave Thailand satisfied with the progress they made during the three days of testing organized on the circuit of Buriram, new stage of the MotoGP calendar.
Morbidely dedicated himself today to redefining the settings of his bike and his way of riding in order to get the best out of his Honda RC213V. The reigning Moto2 world champion measured the progress made during these three days while emphasizing what he must continue to work on during the next test in Qatar.
Having only been able to drive three days at Sepang before going to Thailand due to injuries which forced him to rest at the end of the year, Lüthi worked to increase his confidence and knowledge of the Honda RC213V with Michelin tires. The Swiss driver also made solid progress and gained more than a second on his best time.
The two riders of Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS are leaving Thailand for Qatar where, on March 1, the third and final preparatory test session for the MotoGP season will begin.
Franco Morbidelli: 1'30.648
« I am very happy with this test in Thailand which ended well today. We worked hard to try to better understand how to get the most out of the bike and the tires, and we ended up finding a good direction. I was able to progress and finished the tests with a good time. We have moved forward, and that is the most important thing. The objective remains to evolve regularly. I have to thank my team because they were of great help to me. We work well together and we must continue this in Qatar by continuing to better understand the bike, the tires and the settings »
Tom Lüthi: 1'31.354
« We have progressed every day here and I think that is the most important thing. It was complicated at the beginning because I had the impression that we were not moving forward. We were trying to lower the times, but we couldn't do it. We then decided to take a step back with the bike to try to feel the differences with the settings. It's been interesting. At the end of the day, I started to have a better feeling with the front and that helped me a lot by allowing me to ride faster and thus reduce the gap on the faster riders. We have to continue like this in Qatar if we want to be ready for the first race of the season »
Michael Bartholemy: Team Principal
« These three days in Buriram were positive for the team and our two riders because they understood how to best exploit the bike and the tires by spending more time on the track. We have also identified the areas where they still need to make progress and we will focus on them in Qatar. Franco and Tom can be satisfied with their progress in Buriram. A pilot quickly becomes frustrated if he doesn't see himself progressing quickly enough. But we know from experience that learning MotoGP takes time and that only a methodical and patient approach can achieve this. We didn't know what to expect when we arrived here, but the experience was positive. The passion of the fans here is incredible and I can't wait to come back to Buriram for the race weekend »
Ranking of the day:
Combined ranking of the 3 days:
