Indonesian GP • Saturday

Lombok, March 19, 2022 : it is again the rain that wakes up on the islet in the middle of this weekend. Lombok and the Mandalika circuit thus offer another wet free practice session, but Iván Ortolá and Stefano Nepa, the two red-white-black drivers of the Angeluss MTA Racing Team, are adept at exploiting FP3s to refine the details first the start of the highlight of the weekend: qualifying, essential for the success of an excellent race.

Stefano Nepa , having improved his time only slightly, is forced to face Q1 too, where the track begins to dry out, but hides some pitfalls: in some corners there are pools of water that can be very dangerous if caught. This, however, is only one of the challenges that motivate the driver from Abruzzo in his conquest of at least one of the positions of salvation that will launch him towards qualifying worthy of his talent.

So, while the brave to enter the track can be counted on the fingertips of one hand just after the green light turns on, the truly shrewd wait for the right moment to engage the fastest group. Nepa is among these, who, in fact, immediately lights up a red helmet in the first sector and manages to position himself fourth, selling a glimmer of light opening up in the direction of Q2, but his opponents have exploited more trails and at the end of the qualification scale up to 7th place, winning the 21st position on the starting grid.

“This morning in FP3 it was wet again, so we couldn’t test the changes based on how I felt in the dry yesterday. Then, in Q1 I didn’t find the right trail and I couldn’t get into Q2. I felt better, but I’m sorry, because I missed the entry into Q2 by a couple of tenths that I could have recovered had I had a drag, yet I have nothing to complain about because the strategy was the right one. Unfortunately, we start back again, but we are closer than Qatar, moreover this is a track that thanks to the slipstream you have more possibilities to climb; therefore, I hope that the group will not separate and I will certainly go on the attack to play it all the way through”.

If Stefano Nepa’s part of the garage was already working frantically since the morning, on the opposite side of the garage, that of Iván Ortola, a deafening silence reigns dictated by the rhythm of the tools used to make the latest changes to the bike setting, in view of Q2 that the pilot will have to face, thanks to the time blocked yesterday during the dry FP2.

The green flag decrees the start of the round in which Ivàn Ortolà immediately places sixth, setting aside a good result as he returns to the pits for a quick tire change, so as to share the load for the second run.

Upon returning to the track, however, everyone tries to mark the very fast Aji, being very careful not to give away precious tows, so the very young novice Spaniard starts alone, but having only one more attempt at his disposal, he manages to conquer only one 14th position, as he sees his opponents pass in front of him.

“All in all it was a positive day. During FP3, even if they were wet, I was able to improve the bike anyway in case the race is wet again tomorrow, also because I will have to be very careful because it will take very little to make a mistake and ruin all the work done, but it could also be fun. Q2, on the other hand, was a bit more difficult session. We had prepared a strategy, but it didn’t go as we were shooting, I found myself alone and I only had one more lap available. Tomorrow I will try to recover and have a good race, giving everything possible. I’m prepared and I can do it. “

To confirm the progress of the day are also the precious words of Alessandro Tonucci , Team Manager of the Angeluss MTA Racing Team.

“We made a strategy to wait for a reference, but Stefano started alone in Q1, even in the last run with the new tire. In this way it was not easy to recover. With Iván we were in good shape, he could aim for the front row today, only while the others expected, he started to lap alone and it was impossible to improve without slipping. A comeback race is therefore expected for tomorrow. For Iván certainly, for Stefano I hope he will be able to immediately attach himself to the group in front to go up. “

So, we just have to wait for tomorrow to see what adventures these two-wheeled wizards will invent in order to stay as far ahead as possible!