Difficult first day for Mika down under

Mika Kallio had a difficult first day down under, as he struggled once again to find the feeling with the front that is so important at the ultra-fast Phillip Island circuit. The 31-year-old Finn crashed and somersaulted over the tyre wall at turn nine without injury this morning, but bruised his ankle after going over the highside at turn 10 this afternoon. Despite the crashes Kallio ended the day fifth with his lap time from the first free practice session.

Mika Kallio // 5th / 1’33.759
“Even if I ended the morning session in third, today hasn’t been good. The last few races have been difficult because the bike feels different to how it did earlier in the year, and the same was true today. Something isn’t right, because the feeling isn’t even consistent; it changed today from morning to afternoon. We will switch to a new frame for tomorrow, as we’ve changed everything else without any improvement. The rear grip is also an issue here, as there is none. This afternoon I was on my second lap when I crashed, after the rear let go with no warning. The tyres just aren’t working in these conditions, which is why there were so many crashes today. It’s frustrating, but we need to work to find a solution for tomorrow.”

Photo: Gold and Goose Photography

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