Three days of thrilling testing set Motorland Aragon alight and the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies can’t wait to get to the first race in Jerez in four weeks. Though track temperatures were cool with rain in the morning of the second day, it was an excellent start to the eleventh season and the track action was certainly up to temperature.
Thirteen new Rookies were having their first outings on the KTM RC 250 Rs, including Turkish 13-year-old Deniz Öncü - who is standing in for Peetu Paavilainen. The 15-year-old Finn was injured at a non Rookies event and will also miss the first race weekend. Deniz is twin brother of Can Öncü, already in the Cup from the 2016 Selection Event.
Watch your backs
Though the older and more experienced returning Rookies like Spaniard Aleix Viu and fellow 16-year-old rider Ai Ogura headed most of the timing sheets, the new guys were soon getting very close to their times. The Turkish twins were quick, as was 15-year old Meikon Kawakami from Brazil and Adrián Carrasco, the 14-year-old Spaniard. A Race Simulation also produced some quick times as the competitive spirit was heightened.
Dani Ribalta, Rider Coach: “It has been an excellent test and I’m happy with the newcomers, I think that the level this year could be very good. Ogura and Viu are still faster but overall I believe that the level will be higher, close racing from the beginning even if a few can get away in front.”
Gustl Auinger, Coach: “It always interests me to see how the new guys get on at the first test, it’s amazing how quickly they get up to speed and this year I think we have a very good group.”
Calendar
R1&2 May 6-7 Jerez – Spain
R3&4 June 24-25 Assen – Netherlands
R5&6 July 1-2 Sachsenring – Germany
R7&8 August 5-6 Brno – Czech Republic
R9&10 August 12-13 Spielberg – Austria
R11 September 9 Misano – Italy
R12&13 September 23-24 Aragon – Spain
Entry List
4 Dan Jones GBR
6 Ryusei Yamanaka JPN
9 Sasha De Vits BEL
11 Gabriele Giannini ITA
12 Filip Salač CZE
13 Walid Soppe NED
14 Matthias Meggle GER
19 Lorenzo Bartalesi ITA
20 Omar Bonoli ITA
21 Victor Steeman NED
22 Peetu Paavilainen* FIN
24 Xavier Artigas ESP
28 Adrian Carrasco ESP
36 Beatriz Neila ESP
39 Kazuki Masaki JPN
40 Sean Kelly USA
43 Steward Garcia COL
44 Kevin Orgis GER
52 Deniz Öncü TUR
65 Can Öncü TUR
69 Rory Skinner GBR
79 Ai Ogura JPN
81 Aleix Viu ESP
82 Loran Faber NED
83 Meikon Kawakami BRA
* Peetu Paavilainen will not start in Jerez