Positive conclusions for Red Bull KTM Ajo at Jerez
15/11/2013Miller, Kent and Hanika finish first two-day test for 2014 at Spanish track
The first 2014 preseason test for the Moto3 riders ended this afternoon at the Jerez circuit, after a second and final day of riding. The Red Bull KTM Ajo riders ended this opening runout with positive conclusions, having ridden their KTM Moto3 machines on track. Jack Miller, Danny Kent and Karel Hanika set the three fastest times on the combined timesheet for the two days.
The first run yesterday got Jack Miller, Danny Kent and Karel Hanika familiar with a bike completely new to them. Nevertheless, and despite it not being the most important part of these early days of testing, the Red Bull KTM Ajo riders were the fastest on track , with the Australian topping the timesheets off a 1:47.291 lap.
Today the young riders took another step forward and put more kilometres on the clock, with Miller –1:47.290–, Kent –1:47.692–, and Hanika –1:47.781– setting the three fastest times of the day. They all lowered their times from yesterday and, most importantly, put nearly 200km of experience under their belts. The British rider rode the most laps, with 70 to his name.
After these two satisfactory days of testing, Red Bull KTM Ajo conclude their opening test in preparation for 2014.
Jack Miller >> Audio
“This has turned to be another good day of testing at Jerez. I’ve tried many different things out with the bike, both in terms of new parts and some that had already been evaluated. I’ve found a better feeling with the bike in different situations. The day has been good, with a good lap time at the end, despite the wind. I’ve been experimenting with different parts and, at the end, I had a small crash without any consequences. The final verdict on these two days is very good and I’m hoping to be back riding at Almeria.”
Danny Kent >> Audio
“After these two days of testing, I think we have learnt a lot –both myself and the whole team. The final conclusions are not at all bad and neither were the times. Possibly the step forward that we need to make is down to me, adapting from Moto2 to Moto3. The KTM I rode with last year is very different to this one, so I have to keep adding miles to the clock. Today especially we have come a long way, finding a good working direction. I can’t wait for the next two-day test in Almeria to keep learning.”
Karel Hanika >> Audio
“Today we took an important step forward, as we put in many laps at this track. On the second day we focused on testing different configurations for the suspension. In the end we had a good pace, riding in the 1:47’s, and I think that this is very important for next season. I have to thank the whole team for the work that they have done, because they have tried their utmost, just like me. I believe that next year, if we continue to work well, we can get good results. The other riders will also be working hard, so we must keep learning.”
Aki Ajo >> Audio
“We should be very pleased with this test in Jerez. We have done a lot of laps with the three riders and I have to say that they have set some impressive times. Today the conditions greatly affected the Moto3 bikes, because it was very windy, but also the lap times were very good and all three have been very consistent. Jack [Miller] set some great times yesterday and today he continued in the same way, although unfortunately he had a crash. After that he rode with a little more caution. We continued to work, trying many things, and I think we’ve seen the way to go in terms of setup. For Danny [Kent], adapting back to Moto3 from Moto2 requires some time, but he has also set some very good times. In the last two or three stints he regained confidence and has been back up there. As expected, Karel Hanika has great talent and has done a very good job -maybe even better than we had expected! I’m glad that he has been very consistent, especially late in the day. He’s had a couple of crashes, but that doesn’t matter; he has shown that every time he tries his hardest. I am happy and I have to say that I have a lot of confidence about next year, because we have some very good riders for 2014.”
*Audio solely for radio use