“We have one standard bike and the other [has some new parts],” Nakagami said. “It’s the first time I tested the swingarm. To be honest, it’s not like magic. I expected a li🏅ttle bit more potential, like more grip or more turning or something [clearly] positive but… I don't know.
“It’s not negative, but the per🤪formance and feeling is very similar to the standard one. A little bit di💖fferent in braking. So I cannot decide which one I will use this weekend. Also because conditions were not the best, so I cannot say which one is good.
“We need to analyse data, if we fi🌳nd a very positive area we can use these new items, but if not maybe I will come back [to] our st꧑andard and we can test again on Monday.”
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The RCVsꦡ again proved temperature-sensitive, Espargaro and Nakagami starting the day in fifth and sixth, but then slipping to 11th and 12th in FP2.
“Once again this afternoon the confidence on the bike was not 🎉the best and always struggling on mid-corner to exit, our weak point still,” N🐻akagami said.
“So we need to find a solution as soon as possible. Otherwise, like this is difficult for the race pace, but ꦯespecially the qualifying lap.”
Pol
Pol Espargaro: I was surprised!
Having often struggled more than his rivals in low grip conditions, home♍ star Pol Espargaro was pleasantly surprised by his Friday performꦜance.
“Especially in the afternoon with the medium tyre, which I expected would be the worstꦿ moment of the day, I felt be🦩tter than I expected,” Espargaro said.
“I was running third with race ty𒁃res and race temperatures and I did not feel so bad, so I was surpris🎃ed.
“But then when we an𝔍d everyone else put the soft tyre, we got back to the reality and we end up P11. So we know the homework for tomorrow. It's just to be fastꦏer with the soft tyre.
“Today I did my record best [practice] start ever. So in the race I think I can doꦏ a good start and recover some positions, but we cannot afford to start in the 4th or 5th row. That is way way too far away.
“So tomorrow, we need that fas𝔍t lap. We need no mistakes.”
Naജkagami’s team-mate Alex Marquez was 1ܫ8th with HRC test rider Stefan Bradl, riding in place of Marquez, 23rd.
Meanwhile, Pol Espargaro’s older brother Aleix was faste🅠st for A🌱prilia.
Peter has been in the paddock for 20 years and has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the for🦂efront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury issues.
