Avintia Blusens riders Yonny Hernandez and Ivan Silva are both intending to move forward in tomorrow's United States Grand Prix after qualifying fifteenth and twentieth respectively. Both riders are competing at Laguna Seca for the first time and Hernandez feels it is tailor made for his riding style. The Colombian rookie was just under a second behind the fastest CRT bike in qualifying today but remains hopeful of reeling in the Aspar duo tomorrow.
“This is my first time here at Laguna Seca and it’s a really incredible circuit. I love the Corkscrew and in general it seems to really suit my riding style – maybe because it’s a short track, like Sachsenring. I am really happy with the updates that we have got for the bike here and they are definitely a step in the right direction. The bike has a lot more grip on the rear and holds its line better, which is particularly important at this track. We’re closing the gap to the Aprilias now and today I have qualified as the fourth fastest CRT behind a couple of guys with a lot of experience at this circuit. Hopefully I can fight with them tomorrow.”
Silva was also pumped up after his first experience of the Monterrey circuit and is upbeat despite qualifying on the seventh row. The Spaniard is feeling happier with his BQR chassis with every session that goes by and sees points as a realistic goal tomorrow.
“Laguna Seca is a legendary circuit and it is a dream come true for me to be racing here. The updates we have for the bike here are working quite well and even though I am still getting used to them our pace is quite competitive and we know we have plenty of margin to improve. They are not huge changes but they are gradual improvements and every time I ride the bike I feel more comfortable with it. If we can make some progress in this aspect tomorrow then I don’t see any reason why we can’t be fighting for points.”