In this episode, Fantic Racing Moto2 Team Manager Roberto Locatelli evaluates the first 9 races before turning the focus to Silverstone, going through the summer break and Canet’s wedding.
A review of the first part of the season
"The first 9 races were quite challenging with very different emotions. Beautiful in the first part of the season, starting from Aron Canet’s first pole position in Qatar at the debut and culminating in Portugal with Fantic’s first victory with Aron Canet, his maiden win in Moto2. In the last two races the emotions were a bit mixed, our results did not show the real potential of the team. The important thing is to know what did not work and starting from Silverstone we will make technical changes to allow Aron to return to his level, like in the early part of the season. Xavi Cardelus will come back after missing the German GP due to his injury. We met at Aron's wedding and I saw him well, he has trained a lot and is in great shape. He also got to test his physical condition in Barcelona last week."
Summer break
"During this break both riders trained a lot, with different programs but very physical. Lots of aerobic work with running and cycling sessions but also on motorbikes (sport bike or motard). The temperatures did not help, as it is very hot in Spain (as in other areas) in July.
It was a pleasure and an honor to be invited and participate in the wedding of Aron Canet and his wife Rocio. We were there because we want to be a family for him, an environment where we can grow together with mutual support. The party was nice, as always when there is Aron, he stands out both on and off track."
A look at the past German GP
"At the Sachsenring we tried a set up that would allow Aron to manage the tyres better but in the end, this change did not give him the right feeling.
Not having achieved a good position in qualifying, the race was an uphill battle. It is always important to start well, especially at the Sachsenring where there are not many overtaking points. Trying to recover as many positions as possible, a technical problem caused us to go off track and we lost positions. That’s why Aron went back to the pits, so we all had a chance to reset. The important thing is that we understood the right direction to take and starting from Silverstone we want to be competitive again. In Germany we also had the pleasant surprise of Roberto Garcia, who replaced Xavi Cardelus. For him it was an exciting first time, as it is normal for an 18-year-old guy who is at his debut in the World Championship. He showed that he could race with the fastest in the world but, unfortunately, a fall in the same corner as we saw Jorge Martin crash in MotoGP, caused an early end to his race. The Sachsenring is a difficult track but overall it was a good weekend for him, I wish him all the best for the season in the FIM Junior GP with the Fantic Cardoso Racing Team."
Focus on Silverstone
"Silverstone is a very long track where I have never ridden but Canet has done great races there, as almost everywhere. It’s hard to find a track where he can’t fight for the top 5 or the podium. The circuit is very long and to put together 4 great sectors we will have to take care of the details, because it is a very challenging track. Having a set up that allows you to gain in one part may cause problems in other points of the track. We have to be balanced, we represent Fantic and with Aron Canet we want to go to Silverstone to win."
