Month: September 2017

Even though they were starting from the back of the grid, Reale Avintia Racing riders Hector Barbera and Loris Baz were confident ahead of the race at Aragón. Both were keen to recover and score some championship points. But wet track conditions during free practice on Friday meant reduced time to set up their Ducati Desmosedici for the race, and today turned out to be a difficult challenge for both riders.

In the morning’s warm-up session, Spaniard Hector Barbera finished seventh fastest and was confident about his race pace, but lost some places during the first few laps and then was too conservative saving tyres for the last part of the race. When he started to push, it was too late and he finished the race in 18^th position.

Loris Baz had a great start from the sixth row of the grid and recovered some positions, but when tyre grip started to drop, he lost many places. He won the battle with Sam Lowes on the last lap, but finished the race 21^st and very far from the top.

In three weeks, the MotoGP World Championship resumes at the Twin Ring Motegi, which will be the first race of the triple in Japan, Australia and Malaysia on consecutive weekends.

“This was a strange race because of tyre durability. On the first few laps I was conservative, I was thinking that would be a race like Barcelona were everybody starts strong and then slows down by two seconds per lap on the last laps. I tried to safe my tyres, but then I realized that everybody was using the same strategy, but without decreasing their pace. I am still struggling with the same problems with the bike. When I open the throttle, I have chatter and I can’t feel the limit. I’m only happy about one thing, which is that my pace was really fast on the fourth lap. I hope to feel better in Japan, a track that suits this bike more.”

“It was a tough race and really difficult to manage; everything we tried during the weekend didn’t work and we were not able to improve. We always had the same issues, I lost grip everywhere. I had a good start and I was in the same group with Pol (Espargaró). I tried my best to stay with them, but it was impossible. I started to lose positions and staying on the bike was really tough. It’s a shame because I really wanted to score some points today, there are only four races left and I want to get the best out of them. Today was a disaster from the beginning to the end. We’ll see if things change for Japan where the bike should work better. I just want to enjoy riding these last races in MotoGP with my team.”

Following the wet practice sessions on Friday, the MotoGP riders started in full attack mode in warm and sunny conditions today. FP3 became crucial today and although Reale Avintia Racing riders Hector Barbera and Loris Baz did their very best, they didn’t pass directly to Q2.

The only positive thing about today was Hector Barbera’s race pace in FP4, which made the Spanish rider confident on recovering some places during tomorrow’s 23-lap-race, which he will start from the 19th place of the grid. He will have the support of his home crowd, the best fans in the world, which means an additional boost of motivation for the race.

Loris Baz was faster than Hector in one single lap, and he will start the race from 17th place of the grid. But the Frenchman still have some work to do during the warm-up session to try to improve his feelings and his race pace.

“Today was a difficult day. Yesterday I said that it will be important to get the best base set up from the beginning, and we didn’t find it. All day long, the bike didn’t work at its maximum; we tried many changesm but we didn’t improve. We are losing time at many areas of the track although my best lap is not so bad. We must keep working and trying different things during warm-up to improve the rear grip, reduce the movements of the bike and get a better feeling. We’ll see how far we can get in the race. Once again, the goal will be the top ten.”

“The day didn’t go as planned, but unfortunately this is something that we have been experiencing from the beginning of the season. When I have to push hard for a lap time, I have too much chatter in the front which seems impossible to fix and which I’m not able to overcome with my riding style. I’m not comfortable riding the bike and this makes me brake before I should. It’s a shame because we always want to do the best in our home races. And although I’ll leave the team and the MotoGP class at the end of the season, I would love to celebrate a good result with Reale Avintia Racing team. I would like to finish the year with a sweet taste in the mouth, for my team, for the sponsors and also for myself. I’ll give my best tomorrow and I’ll try everything to be fighting for a top ten result, because this would be a big step in our preparation of the overseas triple.”

The opening free practice day for the Aragon Grand Prix was disrupted by rain, with showers hitting the track just before both 45 minutes practice sessions, leaving the tarmac in mixed conditions. It was certainly not the ideal scenario to get the maximum from the Michelin wet tyres. With the track drying out very quick, the tyres overheated. As a consequence, Reale Avintia Racing riders Loris Baz and Hector Barbera finished way back in the classification.

With dry weather forecasted for the rest of the weekend, today was also not the day to take unnecessary risks. Tomorrow, both Hector and Loris will be in full attack mode with their goal to fight for a top ten result and get through to Q2. If this it not possible, they will have another chance in Q1 to improve their pace and battle for the best possible grid position for the race on Sunday.

“It was a strange day because it seemed that it wouldn’t rain, but just five minutes before both session it started to drizzle anyway. In the morning I didn’t complete many laps and, although this afternoon I spent more time on the bike, the feeling on the wet was far from the one I had in Misano. In addition, when the track started to dry out ,the tyres overheated and I was not able to go faster. But to be honest, since we knew that the forecast for the rest of the weekend is dry, we didn’t take any risks. I just lapped around to get some information for the last few races of the season. Tomorrow we’ll just have one session to get in Q2, and I’ll give my best to achieve it. FP3 will be like a qualifying session, and we’ll see how the bike works and what we can get.”

“Today was a difficult day. Usually we go fast in Aragon, but nothing worked as we expected. The track was not fully wet and our bike works better when the track is completely wet. I’ve also used a very stiff swingarm and I also tried a lot of changes on the bike, but with a dry line and not too much grip, nothing we tried really worked. We spent the day testing different solutions and trying to find the way for the next races. Tomorrow will be dry, so we’ll see what happens. At the Spanish races we always give the maximum and I would love get a good result to celebrate with my fans. I also want to do my best in the last races with my team.”

Reale Avintia Racing is pleased to announce a two-year agreement reached with Xavier Siméon that will see the 28 year-old Belgian rider step up to MotoGP with the team and Ducati in 2018.

Xavi Siméon’s debut in the World Championship was in 2010, the same year the Moto2 class started as the new intermediate category, after clinching the World FIM Superstock 1000 Championship with Ducati. He also won the European Superstock 600 championship back in 2006, so his ‘four stroke experience’ is out of question. Since then, he has been racing in Moto2 with different bikes and teams. In 2013 he was on the podium for the first time at Le Mans, and it was the first time for a Belgian rider since Didier de Radiguès back in 1990. Two years later he got his first Moto2 World Championship win at the German Grand Prix, and he wrote his name in the Belgian rider winners list alongside Didier de Radiguès and Julien Vanzeebroeck.

Together with Reale Avintia Racing, Siméon will make history once again in 2018, when he moves up to the premier class as only the second Belgian rider after De Radiguès in the premier class, and when he will give his debut as the first ever Belgian rider in the MotoGP class.

“This is a fantastic opportunity and I have been working hard for it for a lot of years. I’m really happy to realize this dream that has followed me since my childhood. Day after day, I have done everything I can to get up there. My efforts, combined with those of Freddy Tacheny and Zelos’ crew ended up paying and I have to thank each of them. I conquered my world title in Superstock with a Ducati and I am delighted to find again the Bologna brand with the team Reale Avintia Racing. I’m really looking forward to discover the Ducati. Once again I would like to thank all of my partners and fans for believing in me and the support they are bringing in this new challenge!”

“I’m really happy to announce that Xavi Siméon will be riding for our team next season. He is a hard worker and he has won in Moto2, a very competitive and hard-fought category. After several seasons in the middle class, he will step up to MotoGP with high motivation, looking forward to learn everything. I think he will form a great team with Tito Rabat, who is going into his third season in MotoGP and will be the reference inside the team. But the 2017 season is still running and in the last five races I’m confident that we can celebrate a great result with our current riders Hector Barbera and Loris Baz. Both have contributed to making our team bigger and better. I wish both of them the very best in the future.”

“I founded Zelos five years ago with only one ambition: make every effort to ensure that our Belgian athletes reach the highest level of their discipline. We haven’t seen a Belgian rider in the MotoGP class since a very long time, Today, I’m therefore particularly proud and moved about this process. Our country has the real potential to shine when it is given the means. For sure, it was not really easy but we found and convince our partners to join the adventure. With them, this opportunity became reality. I have to thank each of them a lot and especially Raúl Romero, CEO of Reale Avintia Racing. I am delighted about this 2 years partnership. Xavier has all our confidence to take up this magnificent challenge. He is the spearhead of the pathway we’ve created in Belgium.”

The Reale Avintia Racing Team is on the way to Alcañiz for the Aragon Grand Prix this weekend. The spectacular MotorLand Aragon circuit will be the venue of the fourteenth round of the MotoGP World Championship.

Both Reale Avintia Racing riders, Hector Barbera and Loris Baz, head to Alcañiz with great expectations and determined to forget the last Grand Prix of San Marino, where both were left without options after crashing out of the race. Now in Aragon, they will work hard from the first day to get a good result on Sunday.

Inaugurated in 2009, MotorLand Aragón hosted its first GP a year later and, since then, is one of the regular dates on the calendar. Its layout of 5,334 meters was designed by German Hermann Tilke and is one of the most technical of the championship, but also one of the riders’ favorites.

The Aragon Grand Prix is the last European round before the championship heads on its traditional overseas triple with the next race in Japan, Australia and Malaysia, before returning to Spain and to finish the season at Valencia.

“Aragon is a special circuit. It’s different from the rest of the Spanish Grand Prix tracks and the layout is quite technical, but it suits the Ducati well. It is the third race at home and it’s always nice to race in front of our fans. In Misano, we had no luck in the race, we crashed and we couldn’t finish, but we will continue giving the maximum from Friday to get a good result this weekend. This would be important because it would give us a much-needed boost ahead of the triple in Japan, Australia and Malaysia.”

“In Misano I tried everything. I didn’t want to settle for finishing fifth or sixth, because the pace I had in the warm-up Iwould have been strong enough for a top result, but it was not meant to be. We’ll see how things go in Aragon, where the target for the race weekend is the same as usual: To try to get into Q2 on Saturday and fight for the top ten on Sunday or at least to score some points. If we continue to working in the same way, I think it is very feasible. It does not seem like it’s going to rain, so we’ll have to use our heads to ensure a good result.”

The forecast was right and today heavy rain hit the Misano circuit. After the strong performance showed by Loris Baz during the warm-up session, the expectations of Reale Avintia Racing for the Grand Prix of San Marino were high. Hector Barbera was not as fast as Baz during the 20 minutes-session in the morning, but nevertheless his feeling in wet conditions was quite good and he was confident to fight for a top ten result in the race.

Both riders had a great start and passed some rivals, with Barbera 11^th and Baz 13^th after the first lap. But then it was the Frenchman who mounted his attack and moved up to fifth place in only a few laps, fighting with Jack Miller. When they caught Maverick Viñales, Baz lost the front and crashed on lap ten. He returned to the track and kept fighting to score some points. Lap by lap, he closed the gap with Bautista, but pushing too much with a broken steering damper from the first crash caused him to crash again. He didn’t give up,but bravely continued a second time and finished the race in 16^th place.

The Misano race ended also unlucky for Hector Barbera. The Spaniard was in seventh place, fighting with Pirro, Miller and Viñales for fourth position. But on lap 12 he suffered a big crash and his race was finished.

The MotoGP World Championship will resume in two weeks time on Spanish soil at the Aragon Grand Prix, where the Reale Avintia Racing riders hope to get a good result.

“From the first lap I realized that the feeling with the rear was not the same as this morning. But on the other hand, I had a lot of confidence with the front, so I pushed hard to gain some places. There are races that you do with your head and there are races that you do with your heart, and this one was a race to take risks. I did my best get closer to the front and every lap I could see how I was catching up with the front group. I was with Jack (Miller) who had a good pace and I wanted to catch Maverick (Viñales), but when I hit the brakes I lost the front and crashed. Then I came back on track, found back to my pace and wanted to score some points. But once again I crashed when I had Alvaro (Bautista) in front of me. Now we have to forget this race and think about Aragon, were I want to use my head in the race.”

“The crash was a pity because today we had a big chance to get a good result. But all in all, the weekend has been positive, because we started the race better than usual and after some laps we were close to the front. The conditions were tricky but we had to try. I was closing the gap with Viñales and Miller, maybe I pushed too much and I crashed. I was highsided from my bike and I was lucky to escape with no injuries. Now we have to focus on the next race in Aragon.”

Hector Barbera and Loris Baz will start tomorrow’s San Marino Grand Prix from the fifth row of the grid after finishing 13^th and 15^th in qualifying today at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli.

The Spaniard crashed during FP4 and went out for qualifying with his second bike. In his first attempt, he was close to make the top two and in the second exit he missed Q2 by just one tenth of a second. His Reale Avintia teammate Loris Baz finished just 0.026s from Barbera and will start the race from the same row on the grid.

The MotoGP riders enjoyed another sunny and warm day at Misano, but rain is forecasted for tomorrow’s race. If the forecast is right, Barbera and Baz expect to fight for the top ten. If it’s dry, they hope to score some championship points.

“We have been close but we missed Q2 by just one tenth to finish in ‘12+1’ place. In FP4 I crashed at a point where I was losing a little bit of time this weekend. I tried to ride this turn in another way, but I touched the kerb and crashed. But nevertheless, we are not so bad considering that we still have the same problems from the beginning of the season, which is a lot of chatter when braking into the corners. Tomorrow I hope to make a good race and if it doesn´t rain, my goal is to be in the top ten. But if it rains, we can dream of something more”.

“In Q1 I hoped to be closer to the front, but in my second time attack I didn’t find any reference and had to do the lap on my own. Overall the day has gone quite well and I think we have a good pace for the race. In the fastest turn we lose too much, because this bike was designed to go with winglets and now there is not enough weight on the front. I had some big moments at that point during the weekend and to be honest, it is scary to lose the front when you go at 300 km/h. Now we wait what the weather will be tomorrow because if it rains, we can do well”.

Reale Avintia Racing riders Hector Barbera and Loris Baz finished the first day of practice at Misano in 14^th and 15^th position.

The action started with some wet patches on the track after heavy rainstorms during the previous night and the first free practice session of 45 minutes finished with Barbera in 11^th place and Baz in 20^th.

In the afternoon with bright sunshine and the track in perfect condition, both riders went out to attack and improved their lap times greatly. The only flaw was that everybody else improved as well. In the end, the lap times were really close together, with the first 15 riders separated by less than a second.

Both Baz and Barbera hope to take another step tomorrow, with the aim to get in the top 10 and to secure a place in Q2, which would enable them to fight for a good grid position for Sunday’s 28-lap-race.

“In the morning it was difficult, I did not feel good with the bike and the track was not perfect. In the afternoon we improved a lot, but we still have the same problems with the bike. It does not turn very well and this is a problem for me when I do many laps in a row. So it’s not possible to maintain a fast pace, because I cannot keep perfect lines and go fast without destroying the tyres too much. The lap has not been bad, with my ideal time we would have been in the Top 10, but I still lack some confidence. Let’s see if what can do tomorrow.”

“It has been a very positive day in which we were able to get many conclusions and some ideas to improve. It’s all very tight and the proof is that I’m 15^th but only nine tenths from the first. I made a mistake on my best lap, so I think we still have a small margin for improvement. Tomorrow we will test one thing on the other bike that I think can help us on this track. Today I enjoyed riding, we are close and I think tomorrow we have many chances to move to Q2. I want to do well and I am very motivated.”

Reale Avintia Racing is pleased to announce the agreement reached with Tito Rabat, which sees the Spanish rider join the team in 2018. For the former Moto2 World Champion, the agreement means the return to the team with which he had once started in the World Championship. Rabat will be riding a Ducati Desmosedici GP17, a bike with which he expects to achieve great results in the premier class.

Tito Rabat’s World Championship debut was in Valencia 2005, riding for Raul Romero’s team. In 2006, he secured a seat for the whole season and one year later, he signed with Repsol Team where he raced for two seasons in 125cc. In 2009, Rabat returned once again to the Blusens BQR team of Raul Romero. In two years, he achieved two podiums and finished the season in the top six. In 2011 he made his debut in Moto2 with his team and thanks to his strong performance riding the Blusens-STX FTR, including his first podium finish in Indianapolis, he signed with Sito Pons team for the following season. In his second season with Pons and riding a Kalex, he got his first Grand Prix win and finished the season wit two more victories and seven podium finishes. In 2014, he moved to the Marc VDS Racing team, where he completed a perfect season to clinch the Moto2 title. He won seven races and got 14 podium finishes in a hard-fought season where his main rivals were his teammate Mika Kallio and Maverick Viñales. He went out to defend the number one on his bike in 2015, but even though he was always fighting for the top three and also got some victories, Rabat finished the season in third place.

Rabat stepped up to MotoGP in 2016 with Marc VDS and Honda. His adaption the premier class has been difficult, but in the current season, he improved a lot and scored points in many races. In 2018, he will be back home, with all the support from Reale Avintia Racing and Ducati to make the final step and get closer to the top MotoGP riders.

“I’m very happy to sign with Reale Avintia Racing and to race with Ducati in 2018. I think we have done a good job in two years with Honda, but I think that it is time to change. Now I have a new opportunity to demonstrate that I can be fast and competitive in MotoGP. I’ll be racing in a team that I know since my childhood and with a bike that I think will suit my size and my style to perfection. This is a great opportunity and I’ll make the best of it. I will fight and give it all to be successful. I want to say thank you to Ducati and Reale Avintia Racing for trusting in me”.

“Tito is like a son for me. He rode his first race for me in the Spanish Championship and he made his debut in the World Championship with my team. During his career, he raced in several teams, but always comes back home. After 125cc und Moto2, this is the third time Tito returns to our team and this time is in the MotoGP class. I’m convinced that this will be the pinnacle in his career and that we’ll achieve great results together with Ducati. Tito is a hard worker and this was his secret to become Moto2 World Champion. Next season he will ride a Desmosedici GP17, a bike that is on top of the classification with Dovizioso and that has been extremely competitive this year”.

The MotoGP World Championship returns to action this weekend at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli. This weekend’s Grand Prix of San Marino will be the “12 + 1” race of the season and both Reale Avintia Racing riders Hector Barbera and Loris Baz arrive highly motivated to fight for a top ten result on Sunday’s 28-lap-race.

Hector Barbera and Loris Baz are confident they can play a starring role this weekend even though the circuit has not been the best for Ducati in the past. Since Casey Stoner’s victory in 2007, the Italian brand has not won again in Misano. Nevertheless, both riders believe that their success will just depend on how the tyres perform on the 4,226km circuit.

“In this race, I hope to get my best result so far and to fight again for a top 10 position. Although it is not the best circuit for Ducati, Misano is a circuit that I like and where I’ve always been competitive. But we will have to wait and see how things go from Friday, because this year we see that the Michelin tyres are the key. If you think that a certain bike will work well on a certain circuit, you get caught by surprise because some other bike works even better. So I hope the Ducati works and adapts well to this track and that the tyres enable us to go fast from the first day”.

“I’ve been sick with flu in the last few days, but now I feel better and I really want to get to Misano. It will not be an easy circuit for our bike, but I still think we can do better than at Silverstone. We have to work on the bike set-up from Friday and try to improve every day to get ready for the race. It is always special to race in Misano, the atmosphere is fantastic and I really enjoy how crowded it gets on race day. Unfortunately, Valentino won’t be racing this year, but I think the circuit will still be full of people enjoying a great racing weekend. “