editor
Owner of the fourth fastest time at Mandalika on the first day of free practice, Jonathan Rea was a satisfied rider with his job this friday after a successful race simulation.
The british justified the short time on the track in the first session with the dirty asphalt and the extra tyre wear. Here is his analysis of the working day in Indonesia:
– Honestly, this friday wasn’t a waste of time but the track was so dirty that in the first session we destroyed the front tyre in an instant and we have to be smart with the choices available to save the tyres. In the afternoon it was better, with more rubber on the asphalt. We were able to work harder and understand the conditions better. We changed the balance of the bike between sessions to try to save wear on the front tyre. The guys did a good job and I felt better on the bike. I did a race simulation and I was pretty fast and consistent. Tomorrow, with more bikes on the track, the situation should improve. We should have had an extra tyre here just to clear the track and leave rubber on the track, so in FP1 the smartest thing was to wait… we were the last ones out on the track and we even felt lazy and that we should do something. I managed to do a few laps and I was fast right away, in the top five. Today was all about grip levels, and we are working with the team to understand a setup for tomorrow.