Month: June 2018

MotoGP Dutch GP – Circuit Assen TT

MotoGP riders enjoyed today another day of sunny and warm conditions for the second day of free and qualifying practice for the Dutch TT.

Tito Rabat continued working hard with his crew to improve his feelings with his Reale Avintia Racing Ducati. The Spaniard improved his pace today, but it was not enough to be in Q2. Rabat will start the 26-laps-race tomorrow from the 14^th place of the grid, but he is eager to finish ahead and score some good championship points.

So far, the weekend in Assen has been very difficult for Xavier Simeon. The Belgian rider was looking forward to start the weekend in Holland following his good performance and pace in Barcelona. But, although he improved his best lap time today, it was not enough and he will start the race from the last row of the grid.

“It has been a difficult weekend so far, but I’m happy with the way we are working here. We did our best in a circuit where I struggled a lot since I jumped to MotoGP. My best lap time in qualifying was not bad, but now we have to think how to improve even more during warm up to get some more speed an fight for a good result in the race.”

“I’m frustrated. Nothing worked today and we tried many different things with the bike, but my improvement was not enough. The bike is very difficult to drive here in Assen and, with the set-up we have right now we are not able to go any faster. I’m not happy because we are far away. After Barcelona where I was closer, we did a step back. I hope to find something during wam-up tomorrow and be stronger during the race.”

MotoGP Dutch GP – Circuit Assen TT

The riders of the MotoGP category started to work in Holland and enjoyed magnificent summer weather on the first day of practice, which is quite unusual in this region of the Netherlands. Tito Rabat started well and concluded the first free practice session in the morning in twelfth position. Even though he further improved his lap times in the afternoon, he dropped back in the time sheets to 17^th place, 1.1 seconds behind the fastest rider. It was not a good enough result for Rabat, who hopes to be able to make another step on Saturday, with the goal of moving directly to the Q2 qualifying session of the fastest riders.

For teammate Xavier Simeon, the first day at Assen was not unlike the first day at school. After leaving Barcelona with a very good feeling for his bike, the Belgian rider struggled a bit on Friday to find the same levels of comfort with his Ducati once again. But both rider and team remain optimistic, because they know the areas in which they can improve. Their aim is to improve step by step and to get a little closer to the times of the front runners.

“It was a difficult day, but we came to a lot of conclusions because we know where our problems stem from. We know how to solve these and we have the right solutions for tomorrow, because we’ve only missed a few small details to put the right package together. Let’s see if we can do this small step on Saturday and claw our way back to the front with a good FP3”.

“Today was a learning day. The Assen circuit has a completely different layout compared to Barcelona. This circuit feels more like a karting track and with the Ducati. I struggled a lot in the corners, mostly in fast direction changes, because this bike is quite heavy. I didn’t manage to squeeze the maximum performance out of the bike, but I knew this would be like that. I was hoping to be a littler faster, but the good part is that I know the points on the track where I lose time. I’m sure that we make a step forward tomorrow”.

MotoGP Dutch GP – Circuit Assen TT

Reale Avintia Racing riders Tito Rabat and Xavier Simeon head to the legendary Assen circuit this weekend in order to take part at the eighth round of the MotoGP World Championship 2018.

The Dutch TT in the “cathedral of racing” will be a crucial event for Spaniard Rabat, who had several strong and encouraging weekends recently and is desparate to confirm the good feelings with his Ducati Desmosedici by scoring an equally good result in the race. From lap to lap, he gets more comfortable with his bike and in Assen, he hopes to deliver the best race of the season so far.

For teammate Xavier Simeon, Assen is like a home Grand Prix, since it is the circuit closest to his birth place in Belgium and he will be supported by thousands of Flemish fans. At the last GP in Barcelona, Simeon improved significantly and even though he crashed in the race, he left Spain with more positive than negative impressions. The Barcelona weekend gave the Belgian rider a moral boost and he will confront the Dutch TT with high motivation and high expectations.

“I can’t wait for the Assen GP to start, because I like the circuit a lot. To make things even better, it looks as if we will have good weather throughout the weekend. The recent test we had at Barcelona was very good and we seem to have reached a very high level. I am heading to Assen with my mind set on scoring a good result, because we have all the ingredients to make this possible. We are fast in the practice sessions, I start well in the races and all we need now is a little luck on our side, because since we arrived at the European rounds, the races never went as planned. I hope this will change at Assen and we can finally score the result we deserve.”

“Assen is a circuit I love and where I rode good races in the Moto2 category. It is also, together with Le Mans, a little bit like my home Grand Prix, because it’s really close to Belgium, which gives me a lot of extra energy. We come from Montmeló, where the race didn’t go very well, but where the weekend as a whole was very positive and where I felt much better on the bike. I hope to learn the circuit quickly with this bike and to go fast from the first day of practice. My goal is to enjoy and to go full throttle in order to reward the Belgian fans with a good result.”

Reale Avintia Racing – GP of Catalunya– Circuit of Barcelona-Catalunya

The race day at the GP of Catalunya started really well for Tito Rabat, who clocked the second fastest time in the warm-up session, leaving no doubt that he had his homework done for the 24-lap-race. When the red light went out, he did a good start and, despite losing some positions initially, clawed his way back to take ninth on lap 15. But only three laps later he ran into a mechanical problem and was forced to retire with his Ducati on fire. But nevertheless, the Reale Avintia Racing Team rider was quite satisfied, because from race to race, he is getting closer to the top and he shows his great potential.
For Simeon, the race finished in the eighth lap with a crash in turn one. All in all though, the Belgian rider was still happy with his progress over the weekend at Barcelona. He improved in each free practice session and in the race, he was fighting within a group of riders until the crash.
It was a very special Sunday for everyone in the Reale Avintia Racing team remembering Andreas Pérez and it was a pity that Rabat and Simeon were not able to dedicate a strong result to the young rider who tragically lost his life one week ago.
The riders will stay at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya to complete a one-day-test on Monday in order to get ready for the next round in Assen in just two weeks time.

“It was a shame because until this moment, our weekend was perfect, the race included. We were close to the front and I think it would have been possible to score a good result. We had positive experiences throughout the weekend, like our strong FP3 that allowed me to get straight in Q2, like my good start in the race today and my strong race pace. I overtook several riders and got a lot of information for my technical crew. I’m happy because race by race I feel more confident with the bike. I love how the Ducati works and my team did a wonderful job again. We wanted to push very hard at home, and this things can happen. Now we are concentrating on tomorrow’s test and the next round in Assen.”

“I want to say sorry to my team, because the crash was my fault. Apart of that, the weekend has been positive and I want to keep all this in my mind and learn from the mistakes. During the weekend we have been closer, and I was able to show more of my potential, and this is definitely positive. I understand better now how this bike works, so despite the crash I think I have reason to be happy. I look forward to go to Assen and keep this progression.”

Reale Avintia Racing – GP of Catalunya– Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya

Tito Rabat shone at his home Grand Prix today, clocking the eighth fastest lap in qualifying in front of his Spanish fans.

This weekend has been one of the best ever for the Catalonian rider this season so far. He moved straight up to Q2 with a lap time of 1’39.256 in the third free practice session. In qualifying, he battled his way into the Top Ten even though he didn’t find the best feeling with the front of his Ducati. With a best lap time of 1’39.504 minutes, he will now start the race from the third row of the grid. He is ready to race at 100% and he is determined to push hard and to ride the best possible race at his home GP.

It was an unlucky day for Xavier Simeon. After making a step forward and improving his pace in free practice, he did the last exit in FP4 with the hardest front tyre and he crashed in the final minutes. When he crashed again in Q1, his crew repaired the bike in record time and Simeon went out again, improving his lap time. But unfortunately, he exceeded the track limits on his hottest lap and his lap time was cancelled. On Sunday, Simeon is determined to recover and to show his real potential in the race.

“Today has been a positive day, because we did a good practice and this morning we went straight in Q2. In FP4 we also had a great pace and I’m confident for the race. But in Q2 I struggled in the braking areas. Nevertheless, we are ready to race, we just have to wait and see what the weather will be like and if it’s cooler or warmer than today, because this will be crucial for our tyre choice. Needless to say, we will give our best in the race tomorrow. If I have a good start, I’ll be able to fight for a strong result.”

“Qualifying was really difficult for us today. I was very happy with the bike and in FP3 I was 1.3s from the fastest rider, which is the closest we have ever been this season. But in FP4 I tried the hardest front tyre and I crashed in turn 2. In Q1 I crashed again and thanks to the quick work of my mechanics I was able to take to the track again. It was a strange session, because honestly we expected to qualify better. Tomorrow I’ll try to recover, because I think my pace is better than my position on the grid.”