Moto2 riders posing for a photograph at the Losail International Circuit yesterday ahead of the QNB Qatar Grand Prix.
DOHA: Spanish rider Jorge Navarro is aiming to do better than what he achieved last year when the new Moto2 season kicks off at Losail International Circuit today.
Navarro, who finished in fourth spot in the Moto2 world championship standings last season, yesterday said: “For sure last year was a good season for me, but this year the target is to make a step forward; to be fighting for the victory at every race and at the end be a title contender.”
He added: “The pre-season was very good for us, we did a good job. We improved our weak points and maybe improved the strong points. We’re ready to start racing.”
When asked if he had been focusing on the start of the race – somewhere he admitted he needed to improve – and confirmed that, but said there was a more pressing issue for him and his Beta Tools Speed Up team.
“In this area for sure we’ve worked but the biggest area was in aero because we always lacked top speed and to fight in the races it’s difficult when you don’t have that. Everyone is aggressive at the start and if you can’t arrive at the braking point close to the rider in front of you it’s hard to overtake,” Navarro said.
“This was our weakest point, I had to wait to make safe moves and always I arrived at the fight for victory too late. This year, with the new aero we have, it’ll be easy to overtake and therefore we won’t be in a rush for all of the race.”
Jorge Martin - who finished the test second - said yesterday: “The end of last season was so good, I was quite competitive. Then we changed the bike again. It was so difficult to at the beginning to understand the new bike, and I also had surgery 3 months ago, then I broke my foot again. So it was a hard preseason, but anyway, in Jerez I improved by best time, then again in Qatar. I’m still struggling to find a good feeling with the front, but I think it’s the same for everybody. Just trying to work hard and to understand every step or every move we make. Hopefully this weekend we will find the way to fight for the victory.”
The Spaniard added: “Every season we start, I pray to not have injuries. Now, in Qatar, I am almost 100% fit but the preseason was hard. The surgery on my knee was really aggressive, so the recovery was hard. Also the ligaments on my foot… it was a bit complicated. Anyway, I’m here, happy to be here almost fit and I can be ready to fight.”
Remy Gardner of Australia yesterday said. “We obviously want to be starting this season like we did last year, went off with a bang. Preseason testing has been quite good, just been working a lot with my new crew chief and things are quite positive. I really enjoyed the work we did in the preseason tests and yeah can’t wait to start.”
Meanwhile, the 2020 MotoGP calendar has been updated officially with the addition of a new date for the OR Thailand Grand Prix after it was postponed earlier in the week due to the coronavirus outbreak. The premier class will now kick off their season in Austin over the weekend of the 4th and 5th of April in four weeks’ time, a report on www.motogp.com said.
MotoGP will now head to the Chang International Circuit in Buriram over the weekend of the 3rd and 4th of October. This was the original date for the Gran Premio de Aragon, therefore we will now head to MotorLand Aragon a weekend earlier, the 26th and 27th of September.
Aside from that, the calendar remains the same with 19 MotoGP races and 20 Moto2 and Moto3 races, starting this weekend at the QNB Qatar Grand Prix.
