QMMF Racing Team concludes promising tests in Qatar

The new QMMF Racing Team, which will debut in the 2011 World Championship with riders Mashel Al Naimi and Ricard Cardús, has recently completed some extensive days of testing at Losail circuit, the stage of the first Grand Prix of the season.

Al Naimi and Cardús met with all the members of the outfit and did four days of technical training, followed by eight days of riding at the famous circuit in Doha, where they could fully analyse the qualities of the Moriwaki prototype.

The team, which has been launched with the support of Qatar’s Motorcycle Federation, is run by the Federation President Nasser Khalifa Al Attiyah, and has the Spanish Luis Rodríguez Solano as team coordinator.

At the end of this long private test, Rodriguez Solano explained that the technicians and riders now feel ready to tackle the next challenge of the preseason, the three-day official test at Jerez, starting on the 4th March, where all the Moto2 motorcycles will have their official engines for the season and will measure their force for the first time this year.

“We put the new structure together in only three months, and when we arrived at Doha, we were just a group of people with individual skills. But in a very short time, we grew into a team, with a smooth workflow and the determination to succeed” says the Spanish coordinator.

"It is fantastic to have the full support of QMMF and the people of Qatar who have become very passionate about Motorcycle Grand Prix Racing. Their expectations are simple and straightforward: To build on the experience of Mishal’s first year in the Moto2 category and to perform stronger than before. Moriwaki’s Moto2 prototype has won many races and the title, and with the Moriwaki family backing us in every possible way, we have a great technical package.

"It’s our job now to get our young riders as close to the top as possible. At the same time, we have to be realistic: Last year, the top 20 of the Moto2 class were running within one second per lap on numerous occasions – the category is extremely hard-fought and there is so much talent that a race finish in 22nd or 23rd place would be something to be proud of!”, added Rodríguez Solano, who also added that following this unveiling, the team plans to make a formal presentation during the inaugural Grand Prix, on 17 March.

Listen to the interviews with the two riders of the team in the attached motogp.com videos.