Movistar Yamaha Get Testing Underway in Qatar
Rollover to zoom
Click main image to enlarge
02/03/2018
Both Movistar Yamaha MotoGP riders completed the first day of pre-season testing at the Losail International Circuit in Qatar this evening, finishing in first and seventh place respectively.
Viñales was the first of the two teammates to venture out on track. Determined to get his YZR-M1 set up to his liking early on, he tried various tweaks to the basic setting. The Spaniard gradually improved his feeling on the bike as well as his position, slotting into second place, behind his teammate with more than three and a half hours to go.
He spent the remaining time of the session concentrating on his riding style and setting a consistent pace. He set a 1'55.053s on lap 50 of 64 laps in total, and ended the first day in first place with a 0.051s margin over his closest rival.
Maverick Viñales
Position: 1st - Time: 1'55.053 - Laps: 64
"It has been a long day's work, but the results are there. After a difficult test in Thailand we wanted to start this test in the right way, especially since we'll kick off the season here in Qatar in a few weeks' time. Both riders felt better on the bike than they did in Buriram, right from the start of today's session. The base set-up worked well as soon as we got going and we could get good speed and consistency throughout the day. As always, we think we still have some room for improvement in terms of the chassis and the electronics settings. Maverick leading the standings and Valentino also near the top of the timesheets is a positive beginning."
Massimo Meregalli
Movistar Yamaha MotoGP - Team Director
"It has been a long day's work, but the results are there. After a difficult test in Thailand we wanted to start this test in the right way, especially since we'll kick off the season here in Qatar in a few weeks' time. Both riders felt better on the bike than they did in Buriram, right from the start of today's session. The base set-up worked well as soon as we got going and we could get good speed and consistency throughout the day. As always, we think we still have some room for improvement in terms of the chassis and the electronics settings. Maverick leading the standings and his teammate also near the top of the timesheets is a positive beginning."
