Xavier Simeon was disappointed to only qualify 31st for the Moto2 Grand Prix of France, feeling his recent progress warranted a better result.
The Belgian rider was just 1.592s away from pole position, but with such a competitive field in the intermediate class, he will still start on the eleventh row of the grid.
Simeon admits there are still things he needs to learn in Moto2, with his performance on new tyres at the top of the list.
“We were not very lucky today as I did not have a bad rhythm, but still finished far behind as I did not feel very comfortable with the new tyres. That was also the reason why I was not able to improve my lap times after changing the old tyre against the new one. I still have to figure out how to get the tyres on temperature best.”
The Tech 3 rider is still pleased with the improvements he and the team have made since the opening round in Qatar, and still has a points finish in his sights tomorrow.
“The bike is working really good now for me. The problems I had in the past are all solved, so I am really sorry that I cannot show it in a better way. I will have a good sleep tonight, relax and try to give my best tomorrow in the race. If I can get a good start I hope I can fight for a Top 15 finish. My team deserves that as they really work hard for me and I want to thank them for that.”
The Moto2 Monster Energy Grand Prix de France will take place at 11:15 BST tomorrow morning, and will see championship leader Stefan Bradl start from pole position.
