Being a rookie in the MotoGP™ World Championship is never easy, being the only rookie in the 2016 class gives Tito Rabat (Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS) a unique challenge as he has no other riders to directly compare himself to. The Spaniard had quietly gone about his work and while the first races weren’t easy, he collected valuable experience and was progressing well until a crash in Mugello left him injured. Rabat made a brave return to action at his home round in Barcelona and took 14th place.
"The race in Barcelona definitely gave my confidence a good lift and I needed it after the injury"The race took a physical toll on Rabat and his still healing collarbone, the two week gap between races a welcome relief. Having used this time away from the track to focus exclusivley on recovery, Rabat is confident of pushing to his maximum once more. In 2015 Rabat took his first trip to the podium in Assen when he ended the Moto2™ World Championship race in second.
Tito Rabat: “The race in Barcelona definitely gave my confidence a good lift and I needed it after the injury problems from Mugello. It was good to have the two-week break because I needed it to help my left shoulder fully recover. I have been working really hard to get back to my peak level of fitness and I feel going to Assen I will be able to push at 100% again. I really like Assen and it will be great for me to ride a MotoGP bike for the first time at such an iconic venue. It is important that I can build on the point scoring finish in Barcelona with another strong challenge for the top 15 again this weekend.”