Espargaro says KTM's way of working 'very different'

MotoGP Sepang Test Day One

Friday at Sepang was the first day at a new school for new GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3 rider Pol Espargaro.

Pol Espargaro – P20

“It was a busy day today because we have a lot planned for the Sepang Test. In addition, I have to adapt to the way of working of the Pierer Mobility Group because it is very different from the past. A lot of new engineers relying much more on analytics and numbers have come along, and I will need to get used to these changes.

“Regarding the bike itself, in Valencia, we had one new bike and an old one, mainly because I wanted the old one to just ride without thinking too much. Here, we have two new and completely different bikes.

“The engine character and the chassis have changed, and additionally we tested some aero parts, but we have not completely figured out which ones we will use. We have two more crucial days of testing to do, so let’s focus on that.”

After riding on his own during the three days of Sepang Shakedown, Pol’s rookie team-mate at GASGAS, Augusto Fernandez enjoyed sharing the track with experienced riders today, admitting that he was already able to learn a lot from them through observation. He quickly improved his lap time to 2’00.027, 0.455 seconds faster than his best lap of the Sepang Shakedown. Starting to feel confident enough to give an extra push, the awaited first crash happened, without any damage on both the rider and the bike. The work continued thoroughly, and after fifty-eight laps, the GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3 rider finished the day in nineteenth, his lap in 2’00.027 being his fastest of day 1.

Augusto Fernandez – P19

“Riding on my own at the Sepang Shakedown was very useful to get used to the MotoGP bike and build a base, but I have to admit that it is nice to be joined by the rest of the MotoGP class. I was able to observe them, their trajectories, follow them, and I made interesting discoveries. It was a very positive day, and I look forward to tomorrow.”