Miguel Oliveira, winner of the first MotoGP race in Portimao 2020, blames the tires on the poor performance of KTM drivers in Portugal. Red Bull fellow Brad Bender shares the same trumpet.
9th place only for KTM top contestant Miguel Oliveira in the Free Training Sessions on Fridays at Autodromo Internacional do Algarve; Brad Binder, Danilo Petrucci and Iker all ended up being only the 17th, 18th and 21st ranks – Under-22 drivers.
KTM imagined things differently after Oliveira won its first Grand Prix in Portimao in 2020. But the front tire brought in by the standard tire supplier Michelin at the time was no longer available.
“I couldn’t have a good time in FP2,” Binder admitted. “My general feeling is fine, but I have great difficulties with the front tire. For us, one of the major disadvantages is that we no longer own the tires since last year. For us, even the most rigid frame structure is very weak; When braking and cornering, the whole bike floats on the front tire. Now we just have to come to terms with him and try to confront him with a vote. You might get better after that. “
With only the top ten of the three free training sessions reaching straight into the Qualifiers 2, Binder should improve dramatically in FP3 on Saturday morning. In seventeenth place, it lost 1,317 seconds to the fastest Pico Bagnaya (Ducati Lenovo), and in 10th place, South Africa lost 0.451 seconds.
However, light rain is expected on Friday night. It is doubtful whether the FP3 pathway would be dry and allow for fast times.
Basically, Binder emphasized, “I think we can make the top ten.” “But the track dries up slowly. If it rains, FP3 will be like FP1 on Friday. If the track is dry then I’m sure everyone will get better.”
Portimão Motorcycle Compact Timeline, FP1 / FP2:
1. Bagnaya, Ducati, 1: 39.866 min
2. Quartararo, Yamaha, +0.340 seconds
3. Mir, Suzuki, + 0.419
4. Renz, Suzuki +0,462
5. Miller, Ducati +0.470
6. Marc Marquis, Honda + 0.473
7. Vinalis, Yamaha +0,560
8. Zarco, Ducati + 0.624
9. Oliveira, KTM, + 0.726
10. Nakagami, Honda, +0745
11. Alex Marquez, Honda + 0.866
12. Paul Espargaro, Honda + 0.877
13. Marini – Ducati + 0.895
14. Alex Espargaro, Aprilia, +041 1
15- Russian, Yamaha +1259
16. Savadore, Aprilia, +1274
17. Binder, KTM, +1 337
18. Petrucci, KTM, +1321
19. Morbidly, Yamaha + 1350
20. Bastianini, Ducati 1970
21. Lecuona, KTM, +2595
22. Martin, Ducati + 3.055
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