Yamaha VR46 Master Camp Team‘s Manuel Gonzalez is a big fan of the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. He worked relentlessly and secured P16 in the combined FP results. Replacement rider Stefano Manzi made another successful return to the Moto2. He was quick to adapt to the bike and ended the first day in 22nd place in the combined results.
Gonzalez started the Catalan GP feeling positive. He enjoyed riding at the Montmeló track again for the first time since the test, though the temperatures were much higher. He finished FP1 in 16th place with a best time of 1‘45.395s, set on lap 12/16.
The #18 rider was keen to make another step in the afternoon, but an 11-degree increase in track temperature made it difficult. The Spaniard set a 1‘45.548s on lap 4/16, that put him in 15th place in the FP2 timesheets. His FP1 result saw him in 16th position in the combined results.
Manzi made a smooth transition from WorldSSP to Moto2 again today. He ended his first run with a 1‘45.918s on lap 9/16. Unable to make further progress in his following two runs due to a problem with the front brakes, he completed FP1 in 22nd place. The Italian found an improvement in FP2. Despite the heat, he put in another 18 laps.
The hard work earned him the satisfactory feeling of being one of only ten riders able to improve on their morning time. He posted a 1‘45.832s that earned him 19th in the FP2 rankings and 22nd in the combined timesheets.
