Bendsneyder constant, Raffin gets to know the NTS

Bo Bendsneyder improved his times on the second day of the Moto2 test in Qatar, but was not satisfied. The Dutch rider of NTS RW Racing GP closed the day as sixteenth overall with a time of 1.59.880, which he set in the second of the three sessions. His temporary teammate Jesko Raffin, on his first day with the NTS, made it to 2.00.976, which was good for 26th overall.

Bendsneyder did not have an easy day. Especially the front of the NTS gave problems and despite various changes to the suspension, the team led by chief mechanic Hans Spaan didn’t get much further. Because it was considerably cooler in the last session and the white lines on the Losail International Circuit became damp and slippery, RW Racing GP decided to call it a day and focus on solutions for tomorrow.

While Bendsneyder was busy with the details, Jesko Raffin became acquainted with the NTS. The Swiss arrived yesterday in Qatar as a replacement for the injured Steven Odendaal. For him the NTS is a completely new machine. Raffin closed the first session with 2.02.124 as best time, but improved significantly in the second session to 2.00.976.

Bo Bendsneyder: “It was a difficult day, even though the position is not that bad at all. The lap times are pretty good and also constant; we certainly should not complain about that, but we do have some problems. For tomorrow we will change the balance of the bike, because with only adjustments to the suspension we don’t get any further at this moment. All in all it was not bad, but I am not satisfied either. We have some serious work to do tomorrow.”

Jesko Raffin: “I would like to thank RW Racing GP for this unexpected invitation and the Dynavolt Intact team for their goodwill in letting me do this. The NTS is a special machine, but the team is doing well and it actually felt good right away. I have not been working on lap times or anything but just focussed on getting to understand the bike. Today it was mainly a matter of adjusting the bike to me and adjusting my riding style to the bike. With the times and position I am quite happy after this first encounter. It is a new team, a new bike, but it already feels very comfortable.”