Kawasaki’s Randy de Puniet got his Chinese Grand Prix weekend off to a solid start, finishing today’s opening free practice sessions eleventh fastest, but confident of improving his lap times further tomorrow.
De Puniet had his first opportunity today to evaluate the latest evolution of Kawasaki’s Ninja ZX-RR engine, in the revised chassis that he tested in Istanbul immediately after the Turkish Grand Prix.
The latest engine combines higher revs with more top end power and a much smoother delivery, which de Puniet put to good use this morning to record the fifth fastest speed through the speed trap at the end of Shanghai’s 1200 metre straight.
The 26-year-old Frenchman is confident that the combination of new engine and revised chassis will allow him to further improve his lap time with more track time tomorrow.
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