Rins and Barbera split by 0.074 seconds over the line

Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and Hector Barbera (Reale Avintia Racing) both had difficult races at MotorLand Aragon, and both came home outside the points. But they were incredibly close over the line and fought to the end, with Rins having struggled to find a rhythm and Barbera having a tough time with the tyres.

Rins was back on track to test with Suzuki on Tuesday, with both riders now gearing up for Motegi and the flyaways.

Alex Rins, P17: “It was a very hard race, the one that cost me the most so far. At the start I did well and gained positions, but before finishing the first lap I lost a few places. Several riders have overtaken me in the braking, which is where I struggle the most. I had a hard time overtaking riders and I could not establish a rhythm. The positive side is that this experience serves us well for the future and we have learned many things today.”

Hector Barbera, P18: “This was a strange race because of tyre durability. On the first few laps I was conservative, I was thinking that would be a race like Barcelona were everybody starts strong and then slows down by two seconds per lap on the last laps. I tried to save my tyres, but then I realised that everybody was using the same strategy, but without decreasing their pace. I am still struggling with the same problems with the bike. When I open the throttle, I have chatter and I can’t feel the limit. I’m only happy about one thing, which is that my pace was really fast on the fourth lap. I hope to feel better in Japan, a track that suits this bike more.”