Limited running for Eugene on rain-hit day one of Phillip Island test
Two weeks after their first test of the 2016 preseason at Sepang, the MotoGP riders were back on track today at Phillip Island.
An unusual destination for winter testing, the Australian circuit was selected this year and no doubt the riders were hoping for ideal conditions, with the popular tourist destination currently in the middle of its summer season.
However, the conditions were more like those regularly seen during Grand Prix weekend at Phillip Island, with wind, rain and cool temperatures limiting the amount of work the teams were able to complete on track.
The majority of riders completed just a handful of laps, with some choosing not to ride at all. Danilo Petrucci set the fastest lap of the day in a time of 1’31.764.
There was little activity in the Aspar Team’s MotoGP garage, with Eugene Laverty completing only ten laps.
Eugene preferred not to take any unnecessary risks today, especially as he continues to recover from a hand injury suffered at the Sepang session.
Both Eugene and teammate Yonny Hernandez are hoping for better conditions as the test continues tomorrow.
14th Eugene Laverty 1.35.679 (10 laps):
“There was so much rain today, every time we left the pits it started to rain so we only did a few laps and the conditions were never perfect. The hand is more or less okay, especially around this circuit because it is anti-clockwise with only a few right-handers where I feel the pain. At the moment there is not much to be gained for us by going out in the wet because it is clear I need dry track time, having missed so much at the other tests. We have a lot of work to do but first I need to get comfortable with this bike in the dry so hopefully the weather can be kinder to us for the rest of this test.”
Source: Aspar Media