Lundberg: "The key is in the last lap"

Leopard Racing discuss riding the success of Joan Mir's current Championship lead in a competitive first half for the Moto3™ season

The Technical Director of the current Moto3™ Leopard Racing team, Christian Lundberg, draws his conclusions on the first part of the 2017 season, just as the Championship is set to resume after the long summer break. Analysis and concentration are the two key factors behind 5 successful races out of 9 so far by Joan Mir, filling the team with life as they occupy the top of the championship.

What conclusions can you draw from the first part of the season?
Next week we will resume from where we left off.  The victory at the Sachsenring gave us prestige and morale, but above all it must be a stimulus to improve our performance in the second part of the Championship. We've seen that there is a subtle difference between the win and the last places in the Top 10, everything is about the last lap.

What is the atmosphere inside the box?
We have a competitive spirit but with greater concentration now. We have to analyse how we triumphed in those five races, but also on how we have thrown away precious points in the other four. Why, despite having won more than half of the races and being the only ones who have always finished in the points, are we left with "only" 37 points advantage? Above all we have to understand why in races like Austin, Mugello or Assen, we have not even managed to get into the Top 5.

Back to work with the "double" Czech Republic-Austria...
Brno is a track that historically has never been favorable to our Team, while Spielberg, Misano and Aragon are among the favorite tracks of Joan [Mir] and this fills us with hope and good feelings. As a result, we are looking forward to a good result in the Czech Republic, which would be the best hope and motivation for the continuation of the season. Some of our opponents have tested on the Brno track and this undoubtedly represents a small advantage for them, a factor which must be taken into consideration.

Who do you see among the favorites for the final sprint?
The direct rivals are Fenati, Canet and Martin (although the latter is reduced from the fall at the Sachsenring): together with Joan [Mir], they are the real protagonists of Moto3. These guys are impressing in this Championship with a speed that we have hardly seen in previous seasons.

Will there be other variables to consider?
This year we have not properly raced in the wet, we'll see what will happen in the remaining nine rounds of 2017: Brno and Silverstone for example, could be two events in which water can reshuffle the cards on the table and affect the result - outlining a more complicated scenario than expected. But we have also worked hard on this aspect during free practice or qualifying and Joan [Mir]'s speed has improved: we hope to manage the situation as best we can.

It is important that both Joan [Mir] and the other Moto3 players have already made their future clear for the next season, whether passing through the Moto2 class or renewing with their respective teams. This means that there is no uncertainty, that the Championship remains solid and in focus, with no "foolish shards" that want at all costs to demonstrate their potential and may become dangerous for those who are playing the World Title.