Gonzales & Kubo Aim to Master Mandalika Track

16-03-2022

Gonzales & Kubo Aim to Master Mandalika Track

Yamaha VR46 Master Camp Team‘s Manuel Gonzalez and Keminth Kubo have travelled to Indonesia for the second round of the 2022 Moto2 World Championship.

Following a successful debut in the Moto2 World Championship a fortnight ago, Yamaha VR46 Master Camp Team‘s Manuel Gonzalez and Keminth Kubo are excited to jump back aboard their bikes for the second round held this weekend in Indonesia.

Whilst the MotoGP teams and riders had the opportunity to try the Mandalika track during pre-season testing, the Moto2 participants will be starting from scratch this weekend – levelling the playing field and even giving the Yamaha VR46 Master Camp Team an advantage. Gonzalez has already ridden at Mandalika before, visiting the track as a part of the 2021 WorldSSP championship. An upgrade in engines further adds to the excitement of the Yamaha VR46 Master Camp Team, who fancy their chances for some championship points.

Gonzalez has fully recovered from the shoulder injury he sustained during the Qatar GP FP3 session. He can‘t wait to give it 100% again and show his full potential.

Kubo is keen to keep up the momentum he gained in Losail. Since winter testing, he has made improvements step by step with the aim to gain as much experience as possible.

The 4.310km Pertamina Mandalika International Street Circuit was built on Lombok Island. Though the longest straight is only 507m, speed maniacs can still get their kicks at this track. Its lay-out includes 11 right and 6 left corners – many are fast corners, giving the riders plenty of opportunities to overtake.

The Grand Prix of Indonesia is held in the GMT +8 time zone. Moto2's FP1 will take place on Friday afternoon from 09:55 - 10:35, local track time followed by FP2 from 14:10 - 14:50. On Saturday, FP3 will be held from 09:55 - 10:35 and the qualifying sessions from 13:30 - 14:10. On Sunday, the Warm Up is held from 10:20 - 10:30 and the race starts at 13:20.

Gelete Nieto

Sports Director

"The team arrives with great enthusiasm on Lombok Island for the second race of the year in this fantastic country. The circuit is very fast and wide, and we will work a lot with the riders throughout the weekend. Before leaving Qatar, we received the new engines, so we will start on Friday with new ones using the last race's settings. It‘s important for the riders to ride as many laps as possible in order to maintain a good feeling with the bike and for Kubo to get better acquainted with the circuit. Our goal this weekend is to improve our race results. Manu starts with a small advantage: he is the only Moto2 rider who knows the circuit. He likes Mandalika a lot. it‘s a fast track, and it suits his riding style well. Kubo is highly motivated: he did a good race in Qatar, so he can‘t wait to show his potential again here in Indonesia."

Manuel Gonzalez

Yamaha VR46 Master Camp Team

"It will be a good weekend for me because I‘m the only Moto2 rider that already knows this circuit. Mandalika is a track I like a lot, and it matches my riding characteristics well. It‘s a fast track with fast corners. I think we can do well, and I‘ll continue working with the team in the same way we did in Qatar. I‘ll try to improve myself as much as possible."

Keminth Kubo

Yamaha VR46 Master Camp Team

"I‘m very excited for the race here in Indonesia. I had a very good feeling with the bike in Qatar, so I‘m confident to have it also here. I like the atmosphere here in Mandalika. I have to learn this new track, and I will push to get a better result than in Qatar. I want to say ’Hello‘ to all the Indonesian fans for the first race in their wonderful country!"