Bendsneyder and Raffin discover Chang International Circuit

The opening day of the MotoGP of Thailand went under particularly warm but fortunately dry conditions. On the first day at the Chang International Circuit in Buriram, Bo Bendsneyder and Jesko Raffin were mainly looking for the right settings. The riders of NTS RW Racing GP rode the 24th (1.36.884) and 28th (1.37.534) time respectively.

Bendsneyder and Raffin were not entirely satisfied with their positions, but they were not dissatisfied with the times either. Also in Thailand the differences in the Moto2 are very small, with 24 riders within a second.

Especially for Raffin, for whom it was the first time since the third race of the season (Texas) on the NTS and who was on a Kalex the last two races (Misano and Aragon), it took some time getting used to the circumstances. The Swiss has never been on the Thai circuit before, which has only been on the calendar since last year.

Bo Bendsneyder: “It was a difficult first free practice, but in the second we were able to take a big step. I was able to ride in the 36’s very constantly and I’m happy about that. Of course it is not the position we want to be, but the pace is good. I have been able to ride my fastest times a few times and I was able to ride it alone, while there are a few long straights, so that is positive.”

Jesko Raffin: “The first day on a new track on a motorcycle that I haven’t been on for a while: it’s nice to be back at NTS RW Racing GP, but I have to get used to everything again. We are working hard to find out what the right setting is for my riding style and for this circuit. It’s a nice track. It doesn’t seem very special, but it is certainly not boring. If we can find the right settings, which makes the bike a little easier to ride and more stable, we can make a big step, I think.”