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GOING TO QATAR INSPIRED BY A GOOD FEELING

Despite changeable weather conditions again, Dominique Aegerter his Kiefer Racing team were able to make more important progress during this week’s last winter testing in Jerez.

This year’s season preparations were in terms of the weather situation truly not under a good star. Each of this three official winter testing in the last months were accompanied by constantly changing conditions. This was also the case for the last IRTA Test from last Tuesday to Thursday at southern Spain’s Circuito de Jerez. Over the course of this test, Swiss rider Dominique Aegerter was again one of the most hard-working riders on track. But just two sessions, run in clear conditions brought insightful results. The most gratifying thing was that the 27-year-old from the Bern region was able to significantly improve his feeling with the team’s new Moto2 machine.

The 2018 Moto2™ World Championship is set to get underway in just one week with the meanwhile traditional opening race at the Grand Prix of Qatar.

#77 Dominique AEGERTER (Kiefer Racing, KTM) - 1´43.233 (131 laps):

"Ironically, after our move to new material, the weather did not want to be good with us during all winter tests. We can count many days that were for nothing - like Thursday, for example. At the end of our season preparations, we therefore still lack of several kilometres and experience with our new package. But in no case, we don’t let it get down to us because we also managed to make progress during this test, which was a very encouraging aspect too. The most important step we have made, came during the second session on day two. We were able to improve the bike, my feeling and my confidence. So, we now take these findings and the good feeling to Qatar, to continue working on this level. 1.4 seconds behind the fastest rider is still a decent chunk and our placement is again not better than during the first Jerez test three weeks ago. Therefore, it is difficult to explain our progress externally. But it is not the first time for me in my career that I have to catch up a gap like this, I’m convinced that it will work this time again. Everyone in the team pulls together, we all work very calmly and purposefully, as well as we get great input from technical partners – many thanks to them for their efforts."

Jerez Test – Combined Timesheet:
1 Sam LOWES / GBR / Swiss Innovative Investors / KTM / 1´41.823 (Tag 2, Session 2)
2 Iker LECUONA / SPA / Swiss Innovative Investors / KTM / 1´41.960 +0.137 (Tag 2, Session 2)
3 Brad BINDER / RSA / Red Bull KTM Ajo / KTM / 1´42.011 +0.188 (Tag 2, Session 2)
24 #77 Dominique AEGERTER / SWI / Kiefer Racing / KTM / 1´43.233 +1.410 (Tag 2, Session 2)