April 2018 - Esponsorama

23 April, 2018

MotoGP GP of the Americas – COTA

Reale Avintia Racing rider Tito Rabat conquered a fantastic eighth place the the Grand Prix of the Americas in Austin, Texas, on Sunday. The former Moto2 world champion feels more and more comfortable on his Ducati GP17 and displayed an impeccable race today. Starting from 14th place on the grid, he recovered places steadily and,after passing Jack Miller on the last lap, finished as the second best Ducati rider behind new world championship leader Andrea Dovizioso. This result gives Rabat another moral boost. He is now ninth in the championship and will now travel to his home race at Jerez determined to score another top result.

The weekend on the Circuit of the Americas was also positive for Xavier Simeon. Rabat’s Belgian teammate in Reale Avintia Racing finished a strong race and gained more experience. With every race, he is getting closer to the point rankings, which are his goal for the next race at Jerez, where he already rode his Ducati MotoGP in winter.

“I am very happy with our first three races of the season, with the great work my team is doing and with the performance of my Ducati. We had another very good weekend, despite the fact that the track conditions in practice were difficult and we only had good conditions in FP2. We took a risk with our tyre choice for the race and the gamble worked out. It was a lot of fun. At the beginning, I struggled to get past Bradley Smith und later, it was a real thrill to ride with Lorenzo, Rins and Miller. In the end, I had a grat battle with Jack and I managed to pass him in the final lap. This result gives me another boost for our home race in Jerez”.

“On one side I am happy and on the other side I’m frustrated, because we followed in line with the other Ducatis, with the hard tyre compound on the rear, that I had never tried in practice. We thought this would be a good choice, but at the beginning of the race I didn’t have a lot of confidence. Later on I managed to speed up and I had the same pace as the guys riding within the Top 15. It was a weekend to gain experience and in which we had a decent rhythm at times. veery time I go out, I enjoy riding this bike more, but I still ride with a safety margin to avoid mistakes. Now at Jerez we will try to make another step”.

22 April, 201824 April, 2018

Reale Avintia Academy – GP of the Americas – COTA

Livio Loi finished disappointed yesterday in qualifying with 26^th place, but the Belgian rider of Reale Avintia Academy team was confident for the race. The most important thing was to make a good start and he did so. In just two laps he was already 14^th, and with six or seven laps to go, he was in sixth position. But when he was already with the front group, he had an issue with the front brake and finally finished the race in tenth place.
A great result considering his grid position and, without doubt, a good lesson for the Reale Avintia Academy and the Belgian rider for the upcoming European races where they hope to go one step further.
The Moto3 World Championship will now head to Spain, for the fourth round of the season at Jerez Circuit from May 4^th to 6^th.

“It was a crazy race because I had to start from the last row of the grid and I had to push very hard in the first few laps. I was ready to fight and, at one point, I was in sixth position. I almost was with the front group but, I had problems with the front brake in the last six laps and I couldn’t brake hard. It was a good race, but without that little issue, I think I could have done even better. I want to thank the hard work of my team has and also Zelos. The next race will be the Spanish Grand Prix and and I’m looking forward for a great result in my team’s home race.”

21 April, 201822 April, 2018

MotoGP GP of the Americas – COTA

A rainshower that came down on the Circuit of the Americas on Saturday morning made things complicated for Tito Rabat, who had planned to attack in FP3 with the aim of moving directly to Q2. But with lower track temperatures and conditions that were far from perfect, the rider of Reale Avintia Racing just managed to match his Friday times and could not improve. Later on in Q1, Rabat was one of the fastest riders and held third place after his first time attack. On his final assault on the two top spots, he had a big moment with a front end of his bike. He saved himself from crashing, but ran out of time to clock another fast lap. He will start from 14^th place on the grid on Sunday full of confidence to be able to recover, since the track temperatures are expected to rise again and he has a good rhythm in dry conditions.

Xavier Simeon was satisfied with his performance on Saturday. Even though it does not reflect in his grid position, the Belgian rider found a much better set-up and felt comfortable aboard his Ducati. En Q1, his tyre choice could have been better, but nevertheless he expects to be able to put up a fight in the race and to keep learning in his third MotoGP race.

“It was a difficult day and we suffered a lot in these conditions. We also went wrong with our tyre choice in the morning, because we thought we would be faster with the soft compound in cooler conditions, which was not the case. In FP4, we went out with the only tyres we still had available and it didn’t go well either. Then we found back to our speed in Q1 and I went fast, but in the end I wasn’t rewarded: The front end tucked away and I missed out on moving to Q2 by a few fractions of a second. But nevertheless, I am confident for the race because the summer heat that will return tomorrow suits us very well”.

“The second day was much more positive and the changes to my seating position on the bike helped me a lot to be more competitive. Everything seems to be easier now and I really hoped to do much better in Q1. We saw yesterday that several riders went fast with the hard rear tyre compound so we decided to go out with this tyre for my final run. But this was a mistake and with the softer compound we couldn’t get the maximum out of the bike either. But I am calm, because all of this adds to our experience in this category and we now know exactly what to do on Sunday. It will be a tough race, because this circuit is physically very demanding on a MotoGP bike”.

21 April, 201814 August, 2018

Reale Avintia Academy – GP of the Americas – COTA

The second day of practice for the Grand Prix of the Americas had started well for Livio Loi. The Belgian rider of the Reale Avintia Academy was fast and confident despite the low track temperatures in the morning and his lap times were very competitive with rain tyres. But when the 20-year-old went out on slicks for the last minutes of the qualifying sessions, he didn’t get back to the right feeling for his bike and couldn’t push hard enough to improve his lap times and to break into the top group of riders once again. Instead, he dropped back in the time sheets and will now have to start the Moto3 race on Sunday from the last row of the grid. Nevertheless, Loi hopes to get a good start, to take advantage of his strong race pace in dry conditions and to fight for the best result possible.

“I am very disappointed. I was very fast with rain tyres and I felt really comfortable. But when I came in for my tyre change, there was only time left for two more laps and I couldn’t get the maximum out of the slicks. Now I am way back on the grid, which is a shame. But there is still hope: We were fast in dry and in wet conditions and I am confident that I can recover many positions and show our real potential in the race.”

20 April, 201821 April, 2018

MotoGP GP of the Americas – COTA

Reale Avintia Racing rider Tito Rabat had a strong start at the Grand Prix of the Americas. With every time he takes to the track, the Spanish rider gains more confidence with his Ducati GP17 and on the first day of practice on the spectacular Circuit of the Americas, he was within the ten fastest riders for most of the time. Only at the very end of both free practice sessions, he dropped out of the Top Ten rankings. He finished the day in twelfth position despite a heavy crash, which he luckily walked away from without any injuries. If it doesn’t rainon Saturday, Rabat hopes to move to Q2 directly.

For his teammate Xavier Simeon, the day felt like beginning from scratch. For the MotoGP rookie from Belgium, the Circuit of the Americas seemed like a completely new track aboard his MotoGP bike. He struggled a bit in the first session, but then his riding style got more and more fluid and his feeling improved. On Saturday, he hopes to make another step forward and to achieve a good grid position for the race on Sunday.

“It was a very good day. I thought that I would be struggling a lot, but things went better than I expected. In the morning, the track condition was really poor, but in the afternoon, the grip improved as there was less dust on the tarmac. I had a lot of confidence and I felt comfortable all day long. I had a crash this afternoon, but I went out again after that and immediately settled into my rhythm again. My goal tomorrow is to do a good job in FP3 and move up to Q2 directly.”

“It was a tough challenge for me to understand this track with the Ducati and I didn’t feel comfortable in the first session. The second session was much better, but I still need to improve in many ways. Mor than anything I have to work on my seating position because I am a bit tense on the bike and this track is physically very demanding. If I achieve that, I can make a lot of progress. I simply have to ride more relaxed in order to be fast. The Ducati is one of the most difficult bikes to ride on this track, especially in the first sector, where it is really tough to get the bike to turn”

20 April, 201824 April, 2018

Reale Avintia Academy – GP of the Americas – COTA

Livio Loi and Reale Avintia Academy finished the first practice day at the Circuit of the Americas in an excellent nine place. The track was not in the best conditions and the dust made thins difficult in the first 45 minutes session. Livio and his crew worked to set-up his KTM and get the feeling with the circuit and the bike.

The Belgian rider expects more improvements for the weekend and he is confident about tomorrow. He knows that if he keeps working in the same direction, he will be able to fight for the first four rows in qualifying tomorrow. Livio and his team are working hard to show their potential and to find the best set-up for the race. The target will be to be fighting for the top ten on Sunday.

“Today we work quite a lot and we focused in some areas that we need to improve for tomorrow, because we are loosing some tenths in some important areas in the circuit. I think that we can improve a lot and, we have to keep trying more things to move forward. The track today was not in perfect conditions, but every lap I felt more comfortable and tomorrow I’m confident for qualifying.”

18 April, 201821 April, 2018

MotoGP GP of the Americas – COTA

The MotoGP World Championship heads to Austin for the third round of the season in the spectacular Circuit of the Americas this weekend. The Reale Avintia Racing rider, Tito Rabat, arrives in the United States with high motivation after completing his best weekend since he moved up to MotoGP in Argentina. The former Moto2 World Champion hopes to take another step forward in Austin, a track where he struggled in the last two seasons, but he is confident for this weekend following the positive results in the first two races in Qatar and Termas.
For his teammate Xavier Simeon, the Grand Prix of the Americas will be a new opportunity to continue learning and progressing in the MotoGP class. In Argentina on Saturday he was the best rookie in qualifying and, in Texas he hopes to keep improving to fight for the points on Sunday.

“I’m very happy with the way we’ve started the World Championship and I’m extra motivated for the third race of the year in Texas. Austin is a track that I like a lot, has fast, slow curves, straights, hard braking areas and to be honest, it will be a great challenge for me, because the last two years in MotoGP were not very good for me, but I’m confident that with my Ducati I will be much more competitive. We must continue with our feet on the ground and with the same motivation”.

“I arrive in Austin very motivated and eager for the weekend. It’s a track that in the past has always been good for me, but with the Ducati in MotoGP it will be very different. The weekend in Argentina was always better and better and I want to continue in the same line to improve, be closer and closer to the points zone and take every opportunity to continue learning the secrets of the premier class”.

8 April, 20189 April, 2018

MotoGP GP of Argentina – Termas de Río Hondo

Reale Avintia Racing rider Tito Rabat celebrated his best ever MotoGP result today in Argentina since his debut in the premier class back in 2015. Rabat finished seventh in the race following a great ride in free and qualifying practice that made him start from the fourth place of the grid. Once again, the weather disrupted the action and the start had to be delayed after a big confusion on the grid. But all this didn’t affect Tito, who always stayed focused. He managed to stay on two wheels in a very difficult race riding on slick tyres on a track with many wet patches.

Xavier Simeon, who was the best rookie in qualifying, was disappointed after the race. The Belgian rider of Reale Avintia Racing had a good start and was fighting in a big group for world championship points. But he made a mistake after some laps and lost all his chances. Nevertheless, the weekend was positive for him. He learned a lot and he wants to continue in the same line at the next race in Texas.

“It was a great weekend and I’m extremely happy with the work of my team and the performance of my Ducati. We did a superb job, third on Friday in dry conditions, fourth in qualifying yesterday and today I scored my best result in MotoGP in a very tricky race. Just to finish the race was a success in itself, but being so close to the front was fantastic. It was great to be able to ride in the front group as I saw and learned many things. I’m very happy, but this is only the start. We have to continue to work in the same way and keep improving in the next races.”

“I’m disappointed with the race. I made a mistake after five or six laps on the back straight and I lost contact with the group that was fighting for the points. I felt comfortable even though I was struggling with some grip issues getting the bike into the turns and under acceleration. But I braked very hard and with the carbon brakes I did a stoppie and I had to go long to avoid crashing. From then my race was finished. But overall I’m happy with this weekend. Yesterday I was the best rookie in qualifying, but today I expected more from the race. We learnt a lesson and now we have to analyse what happened and work harder for the next race.”

8 April, 2018

Moto3 – GP of Argentina – Termas de Río Hondo

Livio Loi finished 15^th in the Grand Prix of Argentina but his feeling is that he would be alble to be in the top 10.
The Belgian rider, was very optimistic about this weekend in one of his favorite tracks, Termas de Río Hondo, and had a great race pace, but the conditions of the track were tricky today. On the last lap he was going to attck but he went in the on the wet side and blocked the front end of his KTM; several riders overtook him and in the end he left Argentina with one point in his personal account.
Reale Avintia Academy and Livio Loi are already with their minds and desires, placed in the next Grand Prix of the Americas, which will take place from April 20 to 22 in Austin, Texas.

“ This morning the warm-up was very difficult because of the conditions. I wasn’t able to start the race with the best feelings, but then I was improving little by lap by lap and at the end I was in a group fighting for tenth place. But Jorge Martin passed and I was forced to go to the wet part of the circuit, the front closed and I nearly crashed. Three or four riders overtook me and I lost several positions on the last lap. These things can happen. It’s a shame because we could have done it much better.”

7 April, 201812 April, 2018

MotoGP GP of Argentina – Termas de Río Hondo

In qualifying for the Grand Prix of Argentina, Reale Avintia Racing team rider Tito Rabat achieved his best position since his debut in MotoGP. After going straight to Q2 with a blistering fourth fastest lap in free practice on Friday, the former Moto2 World Champion repeated his fourth place when it counted for the starting grid. He will now start from the second row of the grid alongside fellow Spaniards Álex Rins and Marc Márquez.
The track conditions today were tricky, with many damp patches and low grip, so neither the wet or the dry Michelin tyres were an ideal choice. Nevertheless, Rabat was fast both in dry and in mixed conditions and feels he is ready to race whatever the weather conditions will be.
Today was also a great day for Xavier Simeon. The Reale Avintia rider was the best ‘rookie’ in qualifying in conditions that were especially difficult for a rider with not much experience in MotoGP. Simeon will now start from 17th place of the grid ahead of the other rookies in the premier class. He hopes to be able to hold them at bay in the race and take his first ever points in the MotoGP championship.

“We were close to finish on the front row, but even fourth place is much more than I expected. I’m very happy with the Ducati, with the team and right now things couldn’t be better. We had two great days here and I almost can’t believe what we achieved. But the race is on Sunday, we must keep our feet on the ground and stay focused in order to do as well as today and yesterday. Tonight I have to relax and think about the race. It’s good that we went fast in dry and also in wet conditions, so we are ready for whatever the weather will bring.”

“It has been a strange day, but in the end it has been positive. We were able to make this step forward that we were hoping to do since I started riding this bike. The feelings today on the bike have been very good, but we didn’t manage to go to Q2. Nevertheless I’m very happy with my feeling in wet conditions. Tomorrow I’ll try to enjoy riding the same way I have done during this weekend so far, regardless of the weather conditions.”