Bendsneyder faster but not enough

There was reason for optimism in the pit box of NTS RW Racing GP on the second day of the GP of Andalusia. In the free practice session on Saturday morning, Bo Bendsneyder was a second faster than in the previous sessions at the Jerez circuit. It just wasn’t enough for a place in Q2. Bendsneyder will start the race from 24th on Sunday afternoon. Jesko Raffin will leave from 30th, just like last weekend.

That the tireless hard work of NTS RW Racing GP is paying off, was evident from the 1.42.241 that Bendsneyder put down in FP3: a second faster than a day earlier. But times in Moto2 are so ridiculously close that this progress was not enough. In the qualifying in the considerably hotter afternoon – air temperature 37 degrees Celsius, track temperature 57 degrees – it did not work out. Bendsneyder finished Q1 with 1.42.505: the tenth time. Jesko Raffin’s 1.43.688 meant sixteenth position in Q1.

Bo Bendsneyder: “This morning the feeling was much better and I was able to ride a considerably better pace, so that was hopeful. But this afternoon it was a lot warmer and I had a lot of problems with the front again. The time was not that bad, but still too far away from where we should be. We are going full throttle tomorrow.”

Jesko Raffin: “We continue to struggle. I don’t get a good feeling with the bike. It’s great how the team keeps working to come up with solutions. I hope I can reward that in the race.”