Private Test Valencia, 17./18.06.2009
The private two-day test at the Valencia circuit saw different fortunes for the 250cc Aspar squad. While Balatonring Team rider Balazs Nemeth suffered a hand fracture after a nasty crash, Mapfre Aspar rider Mike Di Meglio was able to make full use of the opportunity to get some further track time on his new Aprilia RSA machine. Teammate Alvaro Bautista did not participate in the test.
The 125cc Bancaja Aspar Team also made good progress with all three riders finishing the test with similar laptimes. Julian Simon and Bradley Smith both suffered crashes, but fortunately walked away uninjured.
Mike Di Meglio – 1.37.16 (98 laps)
“We started very well yesterday, but soon we had some problems with the engine that cost us some time. We began with a setting very similar to the one I used in Catalunya and I started to gain confidence with the Aprilia, getting some good laptimes and I felt very comfortable on the bike. Later we tried to make improvements, always from working from the frame onwards, but it did not work as we hoped. Today we continued looking for chassis solutions and we tried really and infinity of changes to see which setting fits my riding style best. In the end I think that the base setting that we used at the last GP, with some slight modifications, is the one that I like best, so I will try to use this for the next races. It’s been two really productive days in which although we didn’t find the one setthing that fits us 100%, we already sorted out everything that didn’t help us.”
Julian Simón – 1.40.4 (110 laps)
“It has been a very positive test for the championship, I think that is always good to try and improve, it’s just been a pity that it’s been so warm. The laptimes have not been too fast, but nontheless I leave the test satisfied because we have tried many things with the engine which let us find out what works best and gives us the best performance. We have found many solutions and there are also some things that can help us in the next races. I am satisfied for that and again very motivated, because I’ve been riding the bike again after Barcelona and the feeling on the bike is still equally good.”
Sergio Gadea – 1.40.5 (91 laps)
“These two days have gone really well. We tested some material and we tried to work on the base setup, although the conditions have not been the best and the temperature was a bit problematic. The laptimes have not been especially fast, but considering the heat I believe that we can be satisfied, in addition we had a constantly fast rhythm during both days. I am content, because I rode with the same tyres for a long time, getting a feel for it and always thinking about race conditions. We decided to finish around 3 PM because we didn’t have much left to test and didn’t want to risk a stupid crash.”
Bradley Smith – 1.40.7 (107 laps)
“I think this is a big advantage, to be able to count on a team like this, because it is not normally the case to have a test during the season, so I believe this has been a magnificent opportunity to continue doing some laps and understanding the basic aspects of the bike. This test has been very important for me right after Barcelona where we had some small problems with the setup. We tried to solve all those small details that did not work for us in the last GP. Our setting of the chassis was more or less clear, so we worked mainly on new configurations of the engine. At the very end of yesterday’s afternoon session I had an unfortunate crash, but luckily today we have been able to continue working under normal circumstance. Overall I’m satisfied, because although we did not make some huge progress we tested out a lot of things and I think this is the most important.”
