Yamaha VR46 Master Camp Team Gain Experience in Challenging Indonesian GP

20-03-2022

Yamaha VR46 Master Camp Team Gain Experience in Challenging Indonesian GP

Yamaha VR46 Master Camp Team‘s rookie riders Manuel Gonzalez and Keminth Kubo gained further experience in wet conditions. Gonzalez steadily found a solid rhythm to take 18th place. Kubo‘s race ended prematurely due to a crash in Turn 10.

Yamaha VR46 Master Camp Team‘s Manuel Gonzalez was poised in a difficult race at the Grand Prix of Indonesia. He skillfully navigated the Mandalika track in both dry and wet conditions to take 18th place. Keminth Kubo was unlucky to get caught out in Turn 10. He was uninjured, but unable to rejoin the race. Shortly before the start of the race, its length was reduced from 25 laps to 16 due to excessively high temperatures affecting track conditions.

The tension got even higher when it started to rain on the warm-up lap, just seconds before the 30 riders lined up on the grid.

Starting from P17, Gonzalez found himself in the busy mid-pack. After the usual first lap tussle, he settled into 18th place. But with rain getting heavier, the Spaniard had to stay alert. He defended his position whilst dark clouds gathered, but the rain stopped. With three laps remaining he picked up the pace again for a final push. He crossed the finish line in 18th place, 24.179s from first.

Kubo started the race from P26 and made up three positions on the opening laps. As the rain drops started to fall, the rookie dropped one place to 24th place and proceeded with caution. The Thai rider started to gain confidence and was on his way to improve his personal best lap of the race when on lap 8 he had a crash in Turn 10, ending his challenge.

The Yamaha VR46 Master Camp Team will be back in action at the Autódromo Termas de Río Hondo from April 1-3 for the Grand Prix of Argentina.

Gelete Nieto

Sports Director

"We had a difficult weekend. Weather conditions have been uncertain every day, and we didn't have enough time to make the bike perfect in every condition. We suffered a lot from the fact that Manu wasn't able to ride in Q2. His pace in the race was as we expected, but other riders improved their lap time a lot compared to yesterday. Manu's bike was struggling a bit while he was braking. Anyway, top 20 is a good result for a rookie rider at his second race and it's better than Qatar, so we will work in the same direction for the next GP. Kubo had problems all weekend at Turn 10. He confirmed it during the race because that's where he crashed. His lap time got better during the race compared to Q1, so that's good for him. We are highly motivated for the Argentina GP in two weeks' time."

Manuel Gonzalez - P18 (+24.179s)

Yamaha VR46 Master Camp Team

"I‘m a bit disappointed about the race. I didn‘t feel really bad, but it was difficult to go faster with the bike. I tried to do my best and to follow the group, I was not far from the middle group. When I was alone, I felt even better, but my front tyre was moving a lot while braking. I just tried to get experience from this race, to change my riding style through the race, and try to understand how to go faster with the bike in these conditions. I think we can do better race by race and always improve."

Keminth Kubo - DNF

Yamaha VR46 Master Camp Team

"This race was a bit difficult for me. We didn't have a good enough set-up. We tried many things, but they didn't work out. That was still okay for me because you have good and bad days. All you can do is learn from your mistakes. For now, I'm trying to soak up as much experience as possible, and I look forward to the next race, the Argentina GP. I want to thank everyone for the warm welcome in Indonesia this weekend. I look forward to giving my all again at the next race."

Yamaha VR46 Master Camp Team - 2022 Indonesian GP - Sunday