The results at Mugello
A few days after a very encouraging weekend for the Trackhouse team, the American outfit arrives at Balaton Park for the eighth round of the season, valid for the Hungarian Grand Prix. The team comes off its first Sprint race win with Raul Fernandez, who had also never been on the top step of the podium in a Sprint, and from the podium narrowly missed by Ai Ogura in the race.
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In Hungary to erase the past
All performances that confirmed Aprilia’s potential, with Trackhouse wanting to make up for the negative results of last season on the Hungarian track, when it was introduced for the first time on the calendar: “I can’t wait for this race weekend to arrive – said Fernandez – I think on this circuit you need a compromise with the bike because there are many chicanes and you have to feel comfortable. But you also need to feel the tire well, which was the problem we had last year. We need to find a solution because, for some reason, we didn’t exploit the rear tire 100% and I think this is the most important aspect in Hungary. One of the most important parts of the track is the first sector. Not just the chicane, because it is the point where you have to brake well for the first corner, but also the long left-hand corner where you have to manage the tires well. Last year we had a problem there: for me it is the most critical point and I think we can try to find a solution, because if we are faster there, I think the race will be almost a walk in the park.”
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Within a week, we go from the extreme speeds of Mugello to the characteristics of Balaton, considered one of the slowest circuits in the world championship: “Honestly, it’s not a race I look forward to, because I remember we struggled a lot last year – admitted Ogura – surely this year will be a whole different story, and with the experience gained last year and so far I think I can adapt much better than last season. We don’t yet know how much we can do, at the moment I can only talk about Balaton Park based on last year’s feelings. There are no details we have prepared on the bike, we simply continue the work started last race weekend. It’s just another circuit. We try to adapt to the circuit and conditions as much as possible. My goal at Balaton will be to have a good braking performance. If you can brake hard and stop the bike effectively, it is an advantage both in defense and attack, and it is also essential to go fast. So, if we can be strong in braking, I think we can solve most of the problems.”
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