MARCO BEZZECCHI AND LORENZO SAVADORI, SUBBING FOR JORGE MARTÍN, FORCED TO GO THROUGH Q1. JORGE MARTÍN RETURNS TO THE APRILIA RACING BOX FOR THE FIRST TIME AFTER THE INJURY
The first day of practice on the Circuit Of The Americas proved to be a demanding one for Aprilia Racing. Marco Bezzecchi and Lorenzo Savadori tackled a complicated Friday and both will have to go through Q1.
The weather conditions made FP1 particularly complex, with the track wet due to rain. Marco Bezzecchi was the victim of a bad high-side on turn 5 – fortunately without any consequences – and encountered some problems which limited the number of times he was able to lap. In the practice session, with the track partially damp, he was unable to improve on his time in the final time-attack attempt, finishing in thirteenth place. This means that the Italian rider will have to go through Q1 to clinch a spot in Q2.
Lorenzo Savadori had to reckon with a track which is entirely new to him in demanding conditions and without being at 100% fitness due to the sub-dislocated shoulder injury he suffered in Argentina. The Italian rider, subbing for the injured Jorge Martín, finished the practice session in twenty-second place and will have to go through Q1.
Jorge Martín will be at the track for the entire weekend to accompany the team. This is the Spanish rider’s first appearance in the paddock since the injury he suffered during the Sepang tests.
It was a difficult Friday for me. Unfortunately, we had some trouble in FP1, so we lost a bit of time. The crash certainly didn’t help either, as it came at a time when I honestly didn’t expect it, since I wasn’t pushing to the limit. In the afternoon, during the practice session, I felt better. We did a good job and improved lap after lap, but it wasn’t enough. The only good thing about this poor luck is that Q1 will give us the chance to get a few more laps in and to figure out the best setup.
Learning this track was truly complex due to the abnormal conditions. In the morning we were in the wet and in the afternoon it was semi-dry. My shoulder hurts a bit, but we knew that this would be a problem, considering the fact that the sub-dislocation is rather recent. This is an extremely physical track and I’m clearly battling with my shoulder at the moment. We are also testing some new elements that have shown positive signs, so we’ll continue with our comparisons throughout the weekend.
I wanted to spend a bit of time with the team and that’s why I came to Austin. I’ll tackle this weekend with a different attitude – trying to listen and understand what Marco and Lorenzo are saying and trying to provide my own contribution. The important thing now is to stay close to the team and to watch them work. I am extremely happy to be here, because this also means that my return is getting closer and closer. These weeks have not been easy. It was the most complicated injury I’ve ever had to recover from, but we need to look forward. I can’t wait to get back in the saddle.
This was not a simple day due to problems that we are still analysing, and that’s why Marco didn’t get many laps in during FP1. It will be fundamental to give the riders the best possible bike on Saturday in order to ensure that they go through to Q2. Unfortunately, Lorenzo had to learn a new circuit in wet conditions and at less than 100% fitness. It was a surprise and a great pleasure to see Jorge back in the garage with us – a small step towards his return to the track.
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