WithU Yamaha RNF Motogp Team Covers First Laps in Indonesia

11-02-2022

WithU Yamaha RNF Motogp Team Covers First Laps in Indonesia

WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Team covers first laps in Indonesia.

Andrea Dovizioso and Darryn Binder discovered the Mandalika Circuit aboard their Yamaha YZR-M1 for the first time today.

Hot and humid conditions accompanied the MotoGP paddock on their way from Malaysia to Indonesia. After riders and teams had a few days to get used to conditions, to check out the brand-new Mandalika Circuit and set up the garages, the action on the 4.3-kilometer circuit got underway today.

Although proceedings have been slightly delayed due to a rain shower in the morning, and a dirty track surface didn't facilitate the riders' first taste of the newly added track, the WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Team pair was out shortly after midday to discover the layout, lines and braking points on their YZR-M1 machines.

With more and more rubber on the asphalt, track conditions improved slightly and Andrea Dovizioso did a total of 57 laps on day one and concluded Friday in 9th position with a fastest lap of 1:33.245 minutes.

Meanwhile MotoGP rookie Darryn Binder approached the opening day cautiously, still having to get used to the big bike and the track at the same time. he found himself 1.25 seconds behind his teammate after 58 laps today. Both will have two more days to prepared themselves for the season and the second round of 2022, the first ever Indonesian Grand Prix in March.

Andrea Dovizioso

"I'm happy about the way these three days started, because I was able to find a good line today in a very strange situation as the grip was very low. At the end, we could improve the braking, which is very important for me and very important in general for my riding style. So, I'm delighted about that. I was able to be consistent. For sure the track will change and this is not the reality in terms of lap time, because I'm convinced everybody will go faster. But for today, I'm happy."

Darryn Binder

"Today has probably been the most difficult day of my MotoGP career so far. Arriving here, I'm still trying to learn the bike. I had to learn a new track and in the worst conditions possible. So, I really struggled at the beginning of the day. Luckily, towards the end of the day, the track was improving, which was a good thing and I was able to make a step right at the end, which I'm at least a little bit happier to end the day a little bit closer to the front. The difficult thing was, there was only a little line around the track, that was really good, so if you made any mistakes, it ruined the lap completely. Anyway, let's see what the weather does. Hopefully the track improves again tomorrow and we can keep working and learning."