Positive preseason test for Red Bull Rookies Voight & Buchanan

2021 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup
Preseason Test

Red Bull Rookies were treated to tricky conditions at the Portimão Grand Prix circuit for their preseason test and while some riders were familiar with the track, it was the first time for all running it on a KTM RC 250 R Cup bike.

Riders now get just a few days to rest and reflect and then the first two of the 14 race season will be contested as part of the Portuguese Grand Prix. The GP stars keep an eye on what the Rookies are doing and everyone is glued to the World Championship classes where ex Rookies lead the MotoGP and Moto3 points tables. This year’s 26 Rookies Cup riders from 16 nations brings the total for the 15 seasons to 210 riders representing 36 nationalities.

Harrison Voight was on track representing Australia, “Preseason Testing for the Red Bull Rookies Cup is done and dusted. We all experienced mixed conditions and I’m happy to only come away with one crash that was a fairly decent one. Super happy with the progress that was made over the three days. It didn’t take long to adapt to the KTM although Day 3 was when I felt more comfortable and could push a lot harder then previous days…”

New Zealand’s Cormac Buchanan shared, “That’s a wrap for official Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup testing from Circuito de Portimao! What an epic four days it has been immersed in such a professional race environment. Rapt to chalk up another PB time with 1.54.699 in the final outing today and achieve my goal of cracking into the 54s. The track sessions have been invaluable to learn both my new KTM Factory Racing RC250R and this challenging but super wicked circuit. I’ve been soaking up everything I can from the coaches, mechanics and Rookies Cup crew and feel proud of the progress made so far. Plenty more to come!
In preparation for next weekend’s opening races at the Portuguese MotoGP, we’ve also had sessions on grid formation and the start procedures. The big rigs have started rolling in for the GP and it feels surreal to be part of the best motorcycle racing paddock on the planet! It’s been motivating to read all the messages so thanks everyone for backing me – especially my Squadra Mac Attack!”

“It was a great test,” enthused rider coach Gustl Auinger, happy to start his 15th rider coaching season. “It was especially good because this year, getting the newcomers without having a Selection Event, I was not really sure how it would work out. But these new guys fit perfectly into our Rookies Cup and after just three sessions it was not possible to see the difference between the newcomers and the ones in the second or even the third year. All the sessions went really well, yesterday (day 2) the weather conditions were not clear, it was typical April weather with sunshine, wind and rain. In these tricky conditions we did have some little crashes but everyone is OK and I am really really happy with what I have seen in these three days.”

Second year Rookie Collin Veijer, the 16-year-old Dutchmen, explained how the overall test went, “On the first day we had to prepare everything for running in Portimão for the first time with the Rookies bike. So the first day was a little bit hard, you have to see the little points on the track. After a few sessions I got the feeling back, both on the track and on the bike. Day 2 was difficult because we had rain for the first session. The second session was with wet patches, the same for the third and fourth, so it was hard to push to the limit. Today, in the first session we also had wet patches still as there was rain in the morning. Then we had the race simulation. In the beginning of the race simulation I didn’t get the right feeling but then I settled in, got behind some fast riders and I could push more and I felt good. Then the tyres dropped off and it was hard to push but I am feeling good on the bike. I think we can still improve the bike, go a little bit softer on the front and we can try that but really I’m ready to race next weekend.”

There was even more to get used to for the newcomers like 14-year-old Briton Eddie O’Shea who shared, “I have a very good feeling with the test, obviously I’m not risking too much, we’ve got the first races just next weekend and you don’t score points in the test. For sure there’s a lot more to learn with the Rookies Cup bike, it’s a lot different to any bike I’ve ridden before. With this you need to be aggressive, it needs to have a direction, I definitely think I need to get more used to it and we’ll do that next Friday. It’s my first time here, the track is something special, it’s crazy. I do enjoy the track. I don’t think it’s one that amazingly suits my style but I don’t dislike it.”

“Last year I didn’t feel good with the bike but now it has really changed,” enthused Italian 14-year-old Luca Lunetta ahead of his second season. “I feel much more confident and happy with the KTM, especially the entry into the corner. I can enter much faster than last year and I am ready for a much better season, I’m ready for the first round. I think the setting of the bike is quite perfect. The circuit is fantastic, it is the first time here for me, it’s a roller coaster, the most crazy track I have ever seen.”

“The test was very good for me,” explained Marcos Uriarte, the 16-year-old Spaniard preparing for his third year. “I feel good on the bike and on the circuit, I am very happy. I am more confident than before, I trained very hard this winter, I am better prepared, my mentality has improved and I am ready to do much better. I really like the track, it’s my second time here, I was here two weeks ago. I have a good rhythm here and we have got the bike working really well, we can race with the bike as we have it now.”

“It is a very positive test,” stated second year Rookie David Alonso, the 14-year-old Spaniard. “I feel we really improved the bike from last year and we are ready to race. The weather and the wind can change things here so we might have to change for next weekend, we will see but we have a good setting I think. I think I have also improved myself from last year, I worked hard through the winter and I know that some points from last were not good and I think I have worked on those. It’s a favourite track for me, every lap you do is fun with all the ups and downs, it’s a great track to ride.”

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Fellow coach Dani Ribalta felt that the conditions made the test particularly valuable. “We had all conditions, no wind, wind from every direction, rain, it was crazy. On the first day the track was dirty but got cleaned, the lap times they did on day one they could not better even on day three. On day two we had rain and after that the track stayed slippery even as it dried and left some damp patches. The wind changed throughout and on day three it was completely different and tricky on some corners. It was a good test to try everything, all the sprockets and the new surface seemed quite hard on the tyres. It was a really full test.”

2021 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Calendar

2021 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup – Entry List