With the arrival of the Indian GP, there is also an extra challenge for all the drivers, as they will have to learn another track. Despite this, Luca Marini states that for these “aliens” who ride MotoGP, learning is facilitated by the immense experience of the riders, even though there is still a lot of work to be done on the bike:
– It’s not easy to prepare a new track, because even with the tires it’s complicated, you have many choices. You don’t know the level of grip, the tire wear. So FP1 and FP2 will be interesting, but fortunately we will have plenty of time to work calmly, which is important. (…) For me it’s very important to do laps. (…) All the riders have a lot of experience with circuits and their formats, so as soon as you see the layout on paper, you know more or less the lines. First the braking points, but then they can change depending on the tires you’re using, the grip level of the track. At the beginning it will be complicated and you have to work a little on everything and first of all the electronic side of the bike, it’s key to be able to ride well on a new track.
Still, the Ducati rider, currently 7th in the championship, stated that although he already knows the circuit if he thinks about it, it’s still not as clear in his head as the other tracks on the calendar, also saying that the weather conditions should not be a problem:
– Yes, if I think about it (all the corners of the track). But it’s still not like the other circuits (…) Here it’s always the same, in Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia… we are prepared for this. Of course it can change when you’re following someone in the race, whether it’s the engine temperature, the brakes or the tires. It’s something you have to pay attention to, but you shouldn’t worry. (…) Sometimes it’s a bit tricky with the right foot because of the exhaust, it gets very hot, but we’re working with Dainese and they brought something better for these races for the boots and it looks good, so I don’t remember a specific situation.
