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Suzuki Ecstar Completes First 2017 Test At Valencia, Both Riders Crash

Suzuki’s new factory riders, Andrea Iannone and Alex Rins, have completed the opening MotoGP test for 2017 at the Ricardo Tormo circuit in Valencia. Things didn’t go smooth all the way, as both riders crashed on the second day of tests.
Suzuki racing 1 photo
Photo: Suzuki
First was Rins, who lost the front in the 12th corner during the morning practice on his GSX-RR. After a first check on-track, he was transferred to the circuit’s medical center for further examination, where he complained of a lot of pain.

He hasn’t suffered major injuries, but he has lesions on thoracic vertebrae T8 and T12. He got transferred to a major hospital for further medical checks and might have to take a month off.

A similar crash at the same spot affected Iannone’s performance, and he suffered pain to his right elbow. But his determination to get back to testing the new machine helped him overcome this; although his performance was not at 100%.

Despite this, he completed many laps in the afternoon and gave important feedback to the engineers and his crew that will be helpful to determine the future-development of the Factory GSX-RR and preparation for next week’s test.

“Overall the test was quite positive, but today we had some incidents that interrupted the working plan,” Team Manager Davide Brivio said. “It’s a pity because we have lost a bit of time, but the important thing now is he rests as much as possible. Now we wish him the best recovery and we will meet him again in Sepang.”

Iannone reported having very good feeling with the corner-speed and the general balance of the machine, as well as he appreciated the extremely-positive handling of the bike. His team will further focus on improving the traction and acceleration, especially at ‘the first touch of the throttle.’
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