Fieten Olie Racing GP ends pre-season on a positive note with three-day test in Portimão

Fieten Olie Racing GP ends pre-season on a positive note with three-day test in Portimão

With five test days in one week, the winter season is over for Fieten Olie Racing GP. After two days at the Circuito de Jerez – Ángel Nieto, the team travelled to Portugal to take part in the official IRTA test. During these three days at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve, which will also host the first Grand Prix of 2023 next weekend, Barry Baltus and Zonta van den Goorbergh showed excellent performances.

Baltus managed a 1’42.449 on the third and final day, resulting in an eighth place on the timesheets. The Belgian rider continued the form he found in Jerez and showed that in full fitness he belongs in the top ten of the highly competitive Moto2 starting field.

Van den Goorbergh also managed to make strides prior to his second season as a Grand Prix rider with very consistent lap times. The 17-year-old Dutchman could not get the maximum out of it in terms of lap time but the overall pace was reason for much optimism in the Fieten Olie Racing GP pitbox. With a 1’43.121, Van den Goorbergh finished the test in eighteenth place.

The team now has a few days of rest after which the first Grand Prix of 2023 is opening the season. It will be held from 24 to 26 March at the same Autódromo Internacional do Algarve in Portugal.

Barry Baltus: “It was a really good test. In the two days at Jerez and the three days at Portimão we did a lot of work and I think we did very well. We made a big step compared to last year. We are competitive and fast, now we take a few days off to prepare ourselves for the coming weekend. It’s nice to be fast at a test but the most important thing is what’s coming next week. I want to thank the team for the amazing job they have done during these five days. We need to keep both feet on the ground and do our best next week.”

Zonta van den Goorbergh: “I am quite happy with how the test went. The rhythm was good during the last day but after a small crash I didn’t have that one lap where I could go all out. The same goes for the second session where I rode good and consistent lap times but just didn’t have that one outlier, I think I did my fastest lap two or three times. In the end, that doesn’t really matter because it’s not a qualifying session yet. I am happy with the work the team has done during these five test days in Jerez and Portimão. Also, the work everyone has done during the winter is now coming out and because of that we are in pretty good shape. The race pace looks good and I think we can be satisfied.”

Jarno Janssen – Fieten Olie Racing GP team manager: “The five days of testing are behind us and I think we can be very satisfied with it. Both riders gave their maximum which led to a very good result. I am very happy with the team’s work and we haven’t really had any problems. I think we can start the first Grand Prix of 2023 with confidence.”