Mahindra Racing gears up for MotoGP debut

MUMBAI: Mahindra Racing, set to make its debut at Qatar later this month at the Motorcycle World Championship, had its final pre-season test in the run up to the MotoGP season with riders Danny Webb and Marcel Schrötter at Jerez, Spain, last week-end.
Despite a predominantly wet first day at the test, held on the 4.4-km Jerez circuit, significant mileage was covered in the dry weather of the last two days (March 5 and 6), a release from Mahindra Racing said on Monday.
Faster of Mahindra's two riders over the three-day test was 19-year-old Briton Webb.
"We've definitely taken a step forwards. On Friday we didn't get much running because of the weather, and on Saturday we suffered from a few electrical gremlins, but I'm satisfied that there's more speed to come from the bike, and I've a fair idea where that speed can be found," Webb said.
Schrötter had an early fall on the first day which hindered his progress at the test.
"My fall was not too bad but I was not able to push as hard as I would otherwise. I tried to concentrate on developing the set-up of the bike and developing my confidence with it and everything is pointing in the right direction to continue improving," he said.
The team ran through a programme to evaluate new components and team manager Nicola Casadei was impressed with the results.
"Jerez is a good testing ground as it's a punishing circuit and our previous knowledge here gives good basis for evaluation. We tested a new carburettor on Danny's bike and initial impressions are good, so we will now analyse the data to see if we will have it on both bikes for Qatar," Casadei said.
"We could do with more time to test, but we will just keep improving through the season," he added.
The team's bikes will now be freighted direct from Jerez to Qatar where Mahindra will make their race debut at the Losail International Circuit in the first round of the 125cc World Championship.