Category: MotoGP

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”.

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”

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”.

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.”

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.”

MotoGP GP of Argentina – Termas de Río Hondo

Reale Avintia Racing team rider Tito Rabat had a rocket start on the opening free practice day at the circuit of Termas de Río Hondo. The Spaniard finished the day with the fourth fastest lap time in the combined standings and, most importantly, had very good feelings riding his Ducati GP17 around the Argentinian track. Rabat stayed calm in the morning, when the conditions of the track were dubious due to a layer of dust. In the afternoon, everything was delayed due to a brief rain shower. When the track had dried up again, Rabat ignored the wind gusts that had started to blow across the track and pushed hard to finish the first day as the fastest Ducati rider in fourth place.
The first day at Termas was also positive for his teammate Xavier Simeon. Even though his position in the time sheets doesn’t reflect it, the Belgian MotoGP ‘rookie’ improved his feelings with the Ducati and made another step towards finding a natural riding style. In the morning, he classified ahead of some other MotoGP rookies, but in the afternoon he couldn’t improve his pace due to the rain and the shortened track time.

“We had a great first day. We found a strong pace and also put in a fast lap time. In the first practice session, the track was a little dirty, but this afternoon, the conditions were almost perfect for me. Every day I feel better with the Ducati and with my team. Now we have to focus on qualifying tomorrow, because I want to improve further and get a good position on the grid for Sunday’s race. We mainly have to work on tyre life and we will also try to go a little faster.”

“This morning was very good for me and I was very happy with the feeling I had riding the bike, I tried to take the pressure off a bit, to ride with my instinct and to use all I’ve learned in Qatar, and to be honest, I enjoyed this a lot. This afternoon, the conditions were a bit more difficult, because the tarmac lost grip due to the rain. We waited for the track to dry up, but with less track time, it was harder to improve my pace. In the end, my lap time was the same as in the morning, but the feelings were worse because the track felt greasy after the rain. Overall I think that we made a step forward compared to Qatar and this is the most positive thing for me.”

MotoGP GP of Argentina – Termas de Río Hondo

Reale Avintia Racing team riders, Tito Rabat and Xavi Simeon, are already in Argentina ready to start the action on Friday at the Autodromo de Termas de Río Hondo.
The Spaniard Tito Rabat arrives very motivated following his great debut with Ducati in Qatar a few weeks ago and he is eager to start working in a circuit where he has the taste of the victory, even if it was in the Moto2 class, he expects to be very fast this weekend, regardless of whether conditions for the race, even if it’s dry or wet.
His teammate Xavier Simeon also arrives in confident mood to Termas de Río Hondo. The MotoGP rookie faces the weekend with the desire to enjoy and keep learning the secrets of the premier class. But he also wants to take a step forward and try to open his point account in a circuit where he has been on the podium. Simeon was second at Termas in 2014, just behind Rabat.

“I arrive very motivated and looking forward to make a good race weekend. After the good race in Qatar I want to continue in the same line of work to be able to take another step forward with my Ducati. It seems that the forecast for the weekend brings rain, so I would like to be able to show that I can also be fast in wet conditions. But the most important thing will be to keep focus over the weekend, finish the race and score more championship points, the more the better”.

“After my MotoGP debut a few weeks ago I arrive in Argentina willing to improve and continue learning. The result in my first race was not the best, but Termas is a circuit that I like a lot and I think it can be good for the Ducati and for my riding style. I’m aware that it won’t be easy, but here I’ve set a goal for the race, I want to be at the same level of the other rookies, and I think that it will be possible”.

MotoGP GP of Qatar – Losail International Circuit

Reale Avintia Racing team rider Tito Rabat, started the season with a solid eleventh position in the first race of the 2018 MotoGP World Championship tonight in Qatar. The start wasn’t so good, with the former Moto2 World Champion losing several places and crossing the finish line 21^st after the first lap. But Rabat kept focused. With a consistent race pace, he was able to pass his rivals to finish only half a second away from the Top 10.
His teammate Xavier Simeon was 21^st in his debut in the premier class. He fulfilled his first goal of finishing the race, which is a valuable experience for the next rounds. He improved his pace lap by lap and set his personal fastest lap towards the end.
The teams will now fly to Argentina for the second round of the season, which will take place in just three weeks.

“I’m very happy with our start of the season. We had a complete weekend and we have had a bit of everything, good times, others not so good, but we kept calm and I worked very closely with my team. At the start, I had some problems that we have to check, because I lost many places. But afterwards I started to set my pace and was overtaking people quite easily. When I finished the race, I was only 15 seconds behind the winner, which was a nice surprise and a new record for me in MotoGP. I’m very, very happy with the Ducati, this bike suits my riding style and the team has been perfect as well”.

“When you start from the last place of the grid, it is difficult to set a goal for the race. During the winter test I never did a complete race simulation and this has been my first race in every sense. Overall I’m satisfied, I’ve been improving every lap and I clocked my fastest time on the 19^th lap, which is very positive for me. The level in MotoGP is very high this year, last year I would have scored points with the lap times I did today. At least, I’ve gained experience and I finished my first race, with pretty decent lap times. We will continue working to do better in Argentina”.

Folloging the issues in qualifying and a decent warm-up, all was set for the first race of the season. Livio Loi and the Reale Avintia Academy team were ready to fight for the points in Qatar, but the start was not good and then Livio had some techincal problems that finaly forced him to retire in the las half of the race.

This is not the way the rider and the team had in mind, but this is racing. Now is time to look forward to Argentina, a really good track for Loi were he was on the podium two years ago. The team will now check all the data to find whay the shifter was not working in the right way, and try to score the first championship points in the next round of the Moto3 World Championship.

“We knew before the race that it was going to be difficult, because this morning we tried several things on the bike and, although we imprioved a little bit we were not perfect. The satr was not so bad, but the gap with the front was too big from the beginning. It was impossible to get with the leading group but I wanted to finish the race. Then, at the end of the race I had a problem with the shifter and I decided to retire. We have to see what happened and now I’m looking forward to Argentina, a track that I really love.”