Alvaro still working on front end at Motegi

Sunshine and ideal track temperatures welcomed the MotoGP paddock to Japan today as the action got underway at Motegi.
But unfortunately for Alvaro Bautista he was unable to make the most of the conditions as he was trying to solve a recurring front-end problem, a lack of confidence under braking not making life any easier around this particular circuit.

Alvaro Bautista (8th 1’46”983)
“We haven’t found what we are looking for here yet. This morning we tried a different shock and forks, but the problem with the front vibrating under heavy braking remains. We went a different way this afternoon to try and improve stability, but the solution didn’t come. Unfortunately it means that I don’t have the confidence I need to push the bike into the corners as I would like at this track. Today we used the hard tyre and the grip wasn’t great, so we’ll evaluate the soft tomorrow and make our choice. The main focus though will be to improve the vibrations on the front.”

Fausto Gresini
“Alvaro rode well, but is still struggling with the bike ‘jumping’ on the front. It was still a positive session for him, because unlike the other riders he didn’t use the soft tyre. We have started out better here than at some other tracks, so I think that if we can solve the problem Alvaro is having under braking we can do well here.”

Source: Gresini Racing