A Strange Day with a Positive Ending in Mandalika
The clearing of the track and a meeting among the racers, team management and race directors was a turning point that made the racers willing to return to the track.
Repsol Honda rider Pol Espargaro was the fastest on the first day of the Mandalika 2022 MotoGP pre-season test which took place Friday (11/2/2022) at the Mandalika Circuit, West Nusa Tenggara.
The first day of the test race for MotoGP 2022 at the Mandalika Circuit almost ended early because of a dirty and muddy track. Ultimately, the racers were willing to return to the track and had positive results.
PUJUT, KOMPAS — The first day of the test race for the preseason MotoGP 2022 at the Mandalika Circuit on Friday (11/2/2022) was a strange day for the racers because it ended positively even though it almost ended early. The racers were initially reluctant to continue the test race because mud was covering the track.
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The clearing of the track and a meeting among the racers, team management and race directors was a turning point that made the racers willing to return to the track. They also achieved good results, but hoped for a cleaner track on Saturday (12/2) and Sunday.
This preseason test race also received great attention from the people. While the workers who were finishing the circuit equipment watched from behind fences or boundary walls, a number of residents watched the preseason test race from the top of the hill.
The first day of the test race started at 9:00 a.m. local time, then stopped at around 10:00 a.m. because the racers complained about the dirty and muddy track conditions.
To make matters worse, there was a puddle on part of the track.
The test race was in a state of uncertainty, between being stopped early for a thorough cleaning and being continued on Saturday or being resumed that day after the cleaning was completed.
The motorbikes that returned to the garage were dirty with mud and had black stains, which were due to peeling asphalt. On the track there was also gravel due to peeling asphalt. The test race was in a state of uncertainty, between being stopped early for a thorough cleaning and being continued on Saturday or being resumed that day after the cleaning was completed.
“The racers who went out onto the track before the meeting don’t want to test race again because the track is dirty and unfit for racing. Another problem is the asphalt peeling off and releasing gravel,” said WithU Yamaha RNF rider Andrea Dovizioso.
The test race was then adjourned with a “red flag” to clear the track. The racers were asked to return to the track together for about 20 laps to check whether the track conditions were improved and the test could be continued. The track was cleaner, even though it had a narrow racing line.
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The racers could increase the lap time but not maximally because the race track was narrow and they felt they couldn't take many risks.
“I was among the first to go out because it was the only way to clean the track, to move the dirt to another place.
Kawasaki Racing rider Jonathan Rea (right) competes with Ducati Aruba.it Racing team rider Scott Redding (left) in the second race of the 2021 Superbike World Championship (WSBK) at the Pertamina Mandalika International Circuit in Pujut, Central Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, Sunday (21 /11/2021).
After doing more than 20 laps, the track became normal," said Repsol Honda racer Marc Marquez. He added that consistent lap times for all racers were due to the narrow race track.
Marquez ended the first day of test race in 17th position with a time of 1 minute and 33.776 seconds, 1.310 seconds behind teammate Pol Espargaro, who recorded the fastest time. The results of the test were very tight, with the times of 11 racers within the span of one second. Behind Espargaro were his older brother Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia), Brad Binder (KTM), Alex Rins (Suzuki) and Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha).
Despite finishing in 17th position, Marquez started to get the feel of his new RC213V motorcycle. “Today is the first time I feel something special. I'm starting to feel the bike has changed, and we'll see tomorrow, we'll make another change," said Marquez.
On the first day, he focused on testing various gearbox combinations. In the next two days, he will try the aerodynamics package.
Rins, who initially struggled with circuit conditions, also had positive results, which confirmed the performance of the GSX-RR. On the first day, he focused on testing various gearbox combinations. In the next two days, he will try the aerodynamics package.
He scored the fourth-fastest time, 1 minute and 33.058 seconds, on tires that had been used for 20 laps. This confirmed the performance of the GSX-RR, which has been faster this season but has not lost its balance at all.
To ensure a clean track, the track will be cleaned three times a day.
Ducati team racer Francesco Bagnaia celebrates the results in the qualifying round for the MotoGP America series, in Austin, Texas, USA, Saturday (2/10/2021).
"The racing director emphasized that the circuit should be cleaned every day, but it seems yesterday it was too late because of its location near the beach, so dust and smooth particles were carried by the wind to the track. The cleaning method must be a car-pulled carpet, not a brush. After this, cleanings have been scheduled three times a day, hopefully [the cleanliness] can be maximized," said the race committee deputy Eddy Saputra. (ANG/ZAK)
(This article was translated by Kurniawan Siswo)
