The improvements done in the last test at Estoril have helped the Alice Team in the first day of free practice in China, on the Shanghai circuit. In fact, the Alice Team Spanish rider, Toni Elias, has concluded the firsts two hours of work with the eleventh best lap time notwithstanding a small electronic problem didn’t allow him to be on track in the last ten minutes of the day. The other Alice Team rider, Frenchman Sylvain Guintoli, couldn’t make it to do the same, ending the day in seventeenth position. The asphalt temperature reached this morning 42 degrees and 50 degrees in the afternoon. Tomorrow another day of free practice for the Alice Team duo, before the afternoon qualifying session.
Fabiano Sterlacchini – Technical Director
“We are mostly satisfied because after the Portuguese test we have found some convincing solutions that allowed us to improve our performances also on this track. The thing that make us smile even more, is that probably this is the first time that we kept on improving throughout the session. Usually we would alternate, with improvements coming in between total blackouts. We can be confident in our work for the future.”
Toni Elias – Alice Team Rider (11th best lap time in 2’01.326 – Total laps 34)
“I am happy because we have really improved today. After Portugal we have found the right way to take. Since the morning we were in good shape and in the afternoon we have improved by almost a second, which is quite good. At the end of the second session, we had a problem that didn’t allow us to ride in the last ten minutes. It’s a pity because I could have finish in the top ten, but we have to think positive and tomorrow I hope to be even more close to the fastest riders.”
Sylvain Guintoli – Alice Team Rider (17th best lap time in 2’02.348 – Total laps 45)
“This afternoon rhythm was much better compare to the first session. Mostly in the last fifteenth minutes we have found a good set up for the bike. We hope to be able to improve our position tomorrow. I am happy of the Bridgestone tyres and also of the suspensions. The bike was incredibly fast on the straight, in fact, we have obtained the fastest speed of the day grazing 330 km/h. I have to find the right way to ride the bike as soon as possible, I know I have what is needed to be much further up in the classification.”
