Antonelli and Bendsneyder continue to improve in Jerez
01/03/2017Red Bull KTM Ajo riders complete three days of testing at Jerez with positive results and good feeling.
Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Moto3 outfit enjoyed three days of private testing this week at the Jerez Circuit. Riders Bo Bendsneyder and Niccolo Antonelli continued working on different setups provided for them by KTM, in order to be competitive right from the start of the season. It also marked the first time that the new KTM livery was shown off on track.
Bendsneyder put in 192 laps and Antonelli 155 (849km and 686km, respectively) in a test that ended on Wednesday with completely sunny conditions. Despite there not being official timing, both were happy with the lap times obtained.
Next week, from March 8th-10th, the Red Bull KTM Ajo team will return to Jerez for the first official tests of the preseason, along with the rest of the Moto3 riders and the entire Moto2 grid.
Aki Ajo – Team Manager: “It’s been three positive days of testing for our young Moto3 riders. Bo [Bendsneyder] and Niccolo [Antonelli] have been able to complete many laps with the new KTM. We started working with them in November and it is always very important to add kilometres, to have more data, especially when there is the possibility of riding many days at a circuit like Jerez. I think it’s important to continue working on the same track, because it helps to make the work more stable. I am satisfied with the work done by Bo and Nicco and now it is time to think about next week, when the whole grid will be here.”
#23 Niccolo Antonelli: “The test went very well; we improved every day, but I think I still have to learn a little more about the bike. We have improved a lot and we have already seen where and how we can improve next week. The team and I are getting along very well and the feeling in the box is perfect; they help me to understand how I can improve and this is something that I had never experienced before. We still have to take another step forward, because now the bike is going very well but I need to make it even better. The objective now is to keep improving. I’ve adapted my style to the bike slightly, but I must keep putting in kilometres to find the perfect setup. We know the way forward.”
#64 Bo Bendsneyder: “The three days of testing at Jerez have gone very well. We’ve put in many laps and in the end it has been a very positive test. The conditions were not the best on the first day, as there was very little grip due to rain over the weekend, but during the course of the three days it was good weather overall and we were able to improve our feeling on the bike. We have tried many new things and we have done very well. Next week we can see where we really are and compare ourselves with the rest of the riders and teams. It will be nice to start fighting against our rivals.”