MotoGP GP of Thailand – Chang International Circuit
Reale Avintia Racing riders Xavier Simeon and Jordi Torres took 19th and 20th place at the first ever Thai Grand Prix on the Chang International Circuit today. The most difficult mission was just to finish the race due to the extreme tropical heat, with air temperatures soaring to more than 32 degrees and the track surface heating up to more than 50 degrees.
Xavier Simeon and Jordi Torres rode almost the entire race together. At times, Torres got close to his teammate, only for Simeon to pull away again and to manage the gap. In the end. Simeon crossed the line a little more than two seconds before Torres.
The next round of the MotoGP World Championship will take place in Japan in two weeks time. At Twin Ring Motegi, Simeon and Torres will have another opportunity to improve and to score their first points of the season.
“First of all, I have to admit that I did a bad start once again and I was not able to attack in the first few corners as I would have like to. But apart of that, the race was not so bad. I tried to keep a constant and fast rhythm, only that the rear tyre consumption on the left flank was more excessive than we expected and it was hard to manage tyre grip until the end. Nevertheless, I think the team did a great job over the weekend and we were able to take a big step. We couldn’t fight for points, because starting from the back always makes this a difficult task. But overall the weekend was quite positive and I think this was my best race so far this season.”
“I think that the race was okay, because I was able to finish a really hard race in scorching hot conditions, with tyres that are vey different to the ones I’m used to and that wear in a completely different way. But more than anything, I had to learn how to manage fuel consumption, changing the engine mappings when I was signalled to do so from the pits, and to be smoother with the throttle…there were many new things and therefore, I wasn’t riding as smoothly as I would have liked to. I didn’t ride according to my talent, instead I was riding in a programmed way. As far as everything else goes,the race was okay, I amanged to show my front wheel to a couple of other riders, which had been my plan, and later I was able to hunt Xavi and get close to him. I just didn’t have the courage to show him my wheel as well.”
