VOL. 52 ISSUE 24 JUNE 16, 2015 P113
Briefly...
speed, but a great deal more towards
making the overall package more
competitive. The GSX-RR is already
well-respected as the best-handling
MotoGP bike. Smoother power just
made it a bit better. The improve-
ment was underlined by not only the
marque's first pole position since
2007 (Chris Vermeulen, Assen); but
by class rookie Maverick Vinales all
but pipping teammate Aleix Espar-
garo to take second. The last time
Suzuki had the front two grid posi-
tions was way back in 1993, where
Kevin Schwantz qualified ahead of
teammate Alex Barros at Jerez. Ac-
cording to Espargaro, the new parts
(one engine for each rider) improved
top speed by nearly 2 mph, which
"brings us closer to Yamaha, but still
Honda and Ducati are far away." In
fact, the difference of 5.6 mph be-
tween Vinales (event best speed
210 mph) and the fastest, Marquez's
Honda at 215 mph, was little different
to the 5.7 mph recorded at Mugello;
though a big improvement on Qa-
tar's round-one deficit of 8.2 mph.
More importantly, bottom-end power
and throttle response had also been
improved, making more difference.
The race showed the bike's Achilles
heel. Already down on acceleration it
also lacks a seamless-shift gearbox,
and both riders were completely
swamped off the line.
Catalunya's broad cambered curbs
make it an easy track for riders to
touch down knees and elbows, and
almost shoulders. But there were
fears that the incline might prove an
angle too far for the factory Ducatis,
with their winglets mounted low on
the fairing flanks. Touching these
down could be disastrous; and while
Andrea Iannone ran the first session
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