Les pilotes Repsol Honda se sont déclarés satisfaits par le travail accompli lors des trois journées d'essais effectuées cette semaine sur le circuit de Brno.
Le team Repsol Honda a conclu jeudi à Brno son programme d'essais, portant sur un certains nombres de nouveautés pour la RC213V avec laquelle Márquez et Pedrosa disputent la saison 2014. De nouvelles pièces dont un système de frein arrière au pouce gauche ainsi que diverses évolutions électroniques ont ainsi été mises à l'épreuve entre mardi et jeudi, mais les pilotes ont aussi eu l'occasion de faire leurs premiers tours au guidon de la version 2015 du V4 Honda.
"Ces essais se sont bien passés, surtout cette dernière journée vu que la piste présentait un bon niveau d'adhérence," explique Márquez. "Les temps sont prometteurs et nous avons pu essayer différentes choses, et aussi confirmer mes impressions sur la machine 2015."
"Le plus important est d'avoir pu essayer cette nouvelle moto et avoir un feedback positif. En outre, Honda nous a apporté des pièces pour la RC213V actuelle - nous avons travaillé sur l'électronique, les freins et nous avons aussi pu tester des réglages différents de ceux que nous avions utilisés jusqu'ici. Nous sommes contents d'avoir pu engranger de nombreux tours et acquérir une grande masse d'information. Il est désormais temps de faire une pause, nous l'avons certainement méritée !"
Son coéquipier Pedrosa était tout aussi ravi du travail effectué durant ces trois journées d'essais : "Nous avons bien tourné et fait quelques ajustements sur la machine. Nous avons testé beaucoup de choses - certaines nous serviront d'une façon ou d'une autre dans le futur tandis que d'autres seront applicables dès les prochaines courses."
"Globalement, je suis content de ces trois journées - nous avons avancé au niveau de l'électronique et l'on verra si cela nous permettra de franchir un nouveau cap avec cette moto. J'ai aussi fait mes premiers kilomètres avec la nouvelle moto, mais nous devons tourner davantage avec cette machine afin d'en poursuivre le développement."
Repsol Honda Team riders Marc Marquez and Dani Pedrosa have come to the end of this week’s test session at Brno. Over the course of three days, the two Spaniards tested their 2014 bike as well as debuting the new 2015 machine.
On Thursday, both riders finished testing at lunch time, with Pedrosa racking up a further 16 laps on the 2014 bike. In the case of World Champion Marquez, he put in 41 laps on the current bike plus a further five on next year’s version.
Marc Marquez:
"The test has gone pretty well, especially on this final day as the track had a good level of grip. The times began to look good and we were able to try out some other things, as well as confirming some feelings on the 2015 prototype. Overall, the most important thing that we take away from this test is that we were able to try this new bike and give some positive feedback. Moreover, Honda also brought us some new parts for our current RC213V machine and we were able to test with the electronics and the brakes, plus some different setups to what we have been using up to now. We are happy with how it went because we've put in a lot of laps and gathered a lot of data. Now we can take a break, which we all certainly deserve!”
"The test has gone pretty well, especially on this final day as the track had a good level of grip. The times began to look good and we were able to try out some other things, as well as confirming some feelings on the 2015 prototype. Overall, the most important thing that we take away from this test is that we were able to try this new bike and give some positive feedback. Moreover, Honda also brought us some new parts for our current RC213V machine and we were able to test with the electronics and the brakes, plus some different setups to what we have been using up to now. We are happy with how it went because we've put in a lot of laps and gathered a lot of data. Now we can take a break, which we all certainly deserve!”
Dani Pedrosa:
“In the end we have put in a lot of laps. The weather was good to us and we were able to try many things, in particular some small adjustments to the bike. Some changes have been made thinking more about the future, but others can be used more immediately at the next few races. Overall I am happy with the three days because we have been able to take some steps forward with the electronics; we'll see if that gives us any improvement on the bike. We were also able to test the new bike and put in our first kilometres with it, but we will have to keep testing it further down the line in order to continue to with development.”
“In the end we have put in a lot of laps. The weather was good to us and we were able to try many things, in particular some small adjustments to the bike. Some changes have been made thinking more about the future, but others can be used more immediately at the next few races. Overall I am happy with the three days because we have been able to take some steps forward with the electronics; we'll see if that gives us any improvement on the bike. We were also able to test the new bike and put in our first kilometres with it, but we will have to keep testing it further down the line in order to continue to with development.”
Takeo Yokoyama, Technical Director:
“It’s been a positive test overall, even if the track conditions were not perfect - as it’s difficult for only two bikes on track to create a clean line - but we have been lucky with the weather and in the end the circuit was not too bad. Marc and Dani completed the testing programme we had put together and they tested many items on their current machines; nothing too major - just some small developments, settings and parts, including a rear thumb brake. Then, of course, we had the first version of the 2015 RC213V for them to try. There were mixed comments as always when a new bike goes on track for the first time, but to be its debut we are reasonably happy with it as now we know which direction to continue in.”*
“It’s been a positive test overall, even if the track conditions were not perfect - as it’s difficult for only two bikes on track to create a clean line - but we have been lucky with the weather and in the end the circuit was not too bad. Marc and Dani completed the testing programme we had put together and they tested many items on their current machines; nothing too major - just some small developments, settings and parts, including a rear thumb brake. Then, of course, we had the first version of the 2015 RC213V for them to try. There were mixed comments as always when a new bike goes on track for the first time, but to be its debut we are reasonably happy with it as now we know which direction to continue in.”*
