De Puniet gains confidence after positive Barcelona test

A day of testing in Barcelona saw the Honda satellite riders with few new parts to try out, but an extensive session was still a welcome event for those looking to perfect their settings for the remainder of the season.

A new chassis was given to factory man Andrea Dovizioso for the test, but LCR Honda rider Randy de Puniet will have to wait for that particular part. He centred his workload on minor adjustments to his RC212V, with positive results.

“It was a very important day for me. I had to look at mapping, traction control and different suspension settings, and also Bridgestone gave me a new tyre to use. We found a good setting for the next races, so I’m confident and very happy. I would have liked one day more, but I think that it has been a good test,” said the Frenchman, currently ninth in the standings with 42 points.

De Puniet has had his most consistent start to a MotoGP season to date, finishing each of the last six rounds and making steady progress on an underpowered machine. With three of the circuits with the longest straights on the calendar out of the way, he is also looking forward to redressing the balance over the next few races.

“I hope to improve the bike a little more, as my goal is to always be the best-finishing satellite rider,” he explained. “Now we’re close to that goal, but we can still improve our positions. I’m aiming for between fifth and eighth in Assen, which is a good track for us because there aren’t so many long straights. That was something that we lost tenths with here.”

De Puniet did not have a chance to catch the factory riders at last years round in the Netherlands, crashing out on the opening lap in his first season with LCR Honda.