MotoGP – Estoril Day 1 – Fifteenth position for Tamada

A typically summer day welcomed the MotoGP line-up at the start of the weekend of the sixteenth Grand Prix of the season. The drivers were able to carry out the first two hours of free practice in practically perfect track conditions. In the afternoon, in fact, the fastest have already managed to get closer to less than a second of the times recorded last year in the qualifying session with the soft tyres. Makoto Tamada closed the first day in fifteenth position, recording a personal best time of 1'40.214”.

Makoto Tamada – KONICA MINOLTA Honda rider (15th – 1'40.214”)
“Today I was slowed down by a persistent stability problem with the rear of my RC211V. We tried to work on the tire and the rear suspension but without solving the problem. In the end I think it's due to how the tires I used on this track work. Tomorrow, I hope to be able to make a decisive step forward using new settings and different tyres.”

Julius Bernardelle – Technical Director KONICA MINOLTA Honda
“We are working to find the optimal set up that can allow Makoto to acquire the necessary confidence in the acceleration phases. On this track, accelerations from medium-low speeds are faced several times and in these phases Makoto complains of excessive movements of the rear. The track conditions are improving as the test sessions progress and this should make our work easier for tomorrow."

Konica Minolta Honda