Special track for “Bez”
The two Aprilias were the protagonists of the free practice held yesterday at the Termas de Rio Hondo circuit, in Argentina, but the duo of the Mooney VR46 team immediately finished behind Aleix Espargarò and Maverick Vinales. Marco Bezzecchi and Luca Marini were immediately in the positions that count, with Bezzecchi who obtained the third best time in 1’38.767, two tenths and a half behind the first. The rider from Romagna has a special feeling both with the Argentine track and with his Ducati and he said: “The aim of the weekend is, as always, to work as hard as possible but, immediately, I managed to be very fast. Here in Argentina I’ve always had a good time, there’s no point in hiding it, but the conditions are tough, even with the grip, and the level is very high. We didn’t make any radical changes compared to Portimao, the first bike was identical, while in the second we made some small changes that worked right away. Friday is crucial: we need to start immediately on the right foot. I took great care with my riding today, in order not to overload the tyres, and I’m happy both in terms of the Sprint and the race. We are all there.”
The two areas in which Marini is looking for a step forward
Fourth place, immediately behind his teammate, for Luca Marini, which was consistent getting his best time in 1’38.833. The Pesaro-born is approaching the Argentine Grand Prix with a desire for redemption, after the two crashes he scored in Portimao, and after Friday’s work he declared: “A positive day: I’m satisfied with the work done and the changes made to the track especially at the setting level. I have to say that the asphalt conditions, especially in the morning, were particularly difficult to manage, even in terms of grip. We have to keep working: I need a step on engine braking and rear tire management, at least for the long race. We changed bike 1 a lot, I didn’t feel at ease even if the lap time is very similar to the one I set with bike 2. I’m not confident on the front end and the rear moves a lot. It’s normal that the two bikes aren’t identical, but it’s also strange that they’re so different.”
Here are the TV times of the Argentine Grand Prix.
