With the arrival of the Indian Grand Prix, there is also an extra challenge for all the riders, since they will have to learn one more track. Despite this, Luca Marini says that for these “aliens” who ride MotoGP, learning is facilitated by the huge experience of the riders, although there is a lot of work to do on the bike:
– It’s not easy to prepare a new track, because even with the tyres it’s complicated, you have a lot of choices. You don’t know what the grip level, the tire wear. So it’s going to be an interesting FP1 and FP2, but fortunately we’ll have plenty of time to work calmly especially, which is important. (…) For me it’s very important to do laps. (…) All the drivers have a lot of experience with circuits and formats of them, so you know from the beginning as soon as you see the paper, you know the lines. First the braking points, but then they can change depending on the tyres you are 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 is key to be able to ride well on a new track.
Still, the Ducati rider, and current 7th place in the championship, said that although he already knows the circuit if he thinks about it, it is still not as clear in his head as the other tracks on the calendar, also saying that weather conditions should not be a problem:
– Yes, if you think yes (all the curves of the stroke). 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 temperature of the engine, the brakes or the tyres. It’s something you must keep in mind, but you shouldn’t worry. (…) Sometimes it’s a bit tricky with the right foot because of the exhaust because it gets hot, but we’re working with Dainese and they’ve brought to these races something better for the boots and it looks good, so I don’t remember a specific situation.