Contradictory results from free practices of Sepang: Top pace followed by slipping around

Moto2-rider Mika Kallio experienced a day of ups and downs on the track of Sepang, Malaysia on Friday. After two sessions with profoundly varying lap times, Kallio found himself ninth in the overall combined practice results list. The explanation for the lack of consistency was found from a familiar direction: tyre issues. 

-My team and I have a bit of a problematic situation at the moment. We have been delivered four harder option tyres and five softer mix tyres to this GP. I am able to work only with the harder tyre at this track, so this means that I will have the preferred tyre option available only at qualifying and for the race. I had to ride FP2 with the soft tyre and am forced to continue slipping and sliding around FP3 tomorrow as well,  Kallio commented. 

-This morning was not too bad, I was the fourth fastest guy on track. The afternoon on the other hand was a complete mess, since the soft tyres last about two laps of my riding and then they are finished, Kallio huffed. 

Saving the preferred tyre options for later is a strategy well justified, but this means that the free practice session of Saturday morning will be quite meaningless, as Kallio and his team are not able to develop the bike when riding with missing grip. 

-FP 3 is going to be a bit pointless in my case, as testing with the undesired tyre option does not help much. My lap times are a whole second slower with the softer tyre, so I don’t know how we could benefit from the third practice, Kallio pondered. 

The circumstances in Malaysia are challenging, but Kallio displayed a nice pace nonetheless on Friday morning and his lap times seem promising when working with the harder tyre. The weather conditions in Malaysia force the teams  and riders to focus on making a good result immediately at the beginning of the qualifying session. In the previous qualifying practice of Phillip Island, Australia, Kallio clocked his fastest lap time on the last round. This is highly unlikely to happen in Malaysia, so all teams will set their stake towards the first ten minutes of the session. 

-I will ride the morning’s free practice as well as possible, but I aim to avoid any stupid risks or mistakes, as I don’t have optimal grip. During the afternoon I will go all in during the first minutes of qualifying, because the hot weather conditions are rough for the tyres, the engines and not least us riders. I believe the best results will be done at the session’s start, Kallio stated. 

Big news came in to daylight yesterday, as Kallio came out with his plan to cease competing in Moto2 after this season. Kallio has signed a two-year contract with KTM’s factory team and will start his job as test rider for MotoGP next year. Kallio’s personal aims stand in fighting for a spot at the MotoGP race grid for 2017 and the rider is excited to take on the upcoming challenges. 

-I am happy of the way things are turning out and it is a big relief to be able to ride the last two races with a relaxed mind. I will not turn the season finale’s races to pure joyrides, but on the contrary, I aim to exit this class with style, Kallio summed up.  

 

 

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