Team GO&FUN Honda Gresini’s Alvaro Bautista and Scott Redding kicked off the Malaysian Grand Prix today at the Sepang International Circuit, closing the combined classification of the first two free practice sessions with the thirteenth and fifteenth fastest time, respectively. Both the Spaniard and the Briton set best lap times in the morning session, held on a dry asphalt, after the arrival of a heavy downpour forced the riders to take part to the FP2 session on a wet track, gradually drying out.

Bautista began the morning session using the set-up that last Februay allowed him to do positive winter tests: Alvaro, however, was once again slowed down again by rear grip issues, especially on corner exit. The situation improved in full wet conditions, but then he struggled again in mixed conditions, at the end of the afternoon session, with a damp track.

The situation was similar for his teammate Redding who, however, said that it was satisfied with his performance on the dry: later, also the English rookie found himself at ease with full wet, albeit he struggled again in mixed conditions.

ALVARO BAUTISTA (13th - 2'02"722)

“This morning the track conditions were not so bad, but here we are still struggling with rear grip, especially on corner exit. Therefore, in the first free practice session we worked to try to find a better grip, but with no reward: the setting we used here last February, during winter testing, actually is not working. Therefore, we were planning to try a different set-up solution in the afternoon, but this was not possible because of the rain. The situation on the wet is not bad, but in the final stages of the FP2, with mixed conditions and the track coming dry, I had a lot of spinning and even in the straight it was impossible to open full throttle”.

SCOTT REDDING (15th - 2'02"898)

“The morning session was quite good for us: it was nice to come back on a track where I’ve already tested with a MotoGP bike. We started from a good level of the electronics right from the beginning and I’m quite happy for this. We have been fast, even if the lap times were harder to get when the track temperature went up. In the afternoon we did a good job in full wet conditions, but when the track started to come greasy, I started to struggle with tyre overheat, so the final part of the FP2 session meant not so much for us. However, the first part was good, now we just need to find something to be strong also in mixed conditions”.

FAUSTO GRESINI

“Today we could make only one session in the dry: Bautista tried the same set-up that last February turned out to be valid, but without success, then the arrival of the rain didn’t allow us to continue to work to try to improve the rear grip. Scott, meanwhile, started immediately with a good level, being able to exploit the references of the test. Both riders in the afternoon experienced some trouble with the track drying out: we need to work, not only for dry conditions, but also to find a good compromise for mixed conditions, which may occur in Sunday's race”.

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