Academy quartet undertake first test in Catalunya

The 2008 incarnation of the Red Bull MotoGP Academy undertook their first test together at the Circuit de Catalunya on Tuesday, familiarising themselves with the new KTM machines at their disposal in the Spanish Championship this year.

Cameron Beaubier, Jonas Folger, Danny Kent and Johann Zarco from the youth initiative all participated in the day-long test at the Spanish circuit, under the supervision of Academy mentors Alberto Puig and Raul Jara.

Starting work at 10.30am and putting in laps until around 6pm, the foursome had a productive time in their first on-track encounter together. Using the bikes run by Stevie Bonsey, Randy Krummenacher and Tomoyoshi Koyama in the 125cc World Championship last season, the teenagers had some serious power at their disposal to take on one of the largest straights in the world of two wheel racing.

`Three of these riders (Beaubier, Kent and Zarco) are new, so there is no pressure on them,´ commented Jara. `At the moment we can´t set out objectives in terms of results, but what is important to us is the progression the riders make.´

`Perhaps World Championship riders Efren Vazquez and Scott Redding (himself a graduate of the Academy) will be entering the Spanish Championship this year, so we will have a good reference point for our level.´

The Red Bull MotoGP Academy quartet will carry out a further two-day test in Jerez before the start of the Spanish series in Valencia.