QUEEN OF TH
Jerez was one of the early reasons why Spain became the epicentre of global motorcycle racing, as it could fairly be described as one of the first‘ modern-style’ purpose-built circuits. It was and is as popular for testing as for racing. This 4.423km long layout is as well-used- and tricky- as ever.
T13 Jorge Lorenzo
So many amazing things have happened here over the years, many of them falls or hard contacts. But who can forget Eugene Laverty’ s 2013 season pass on Marco Melandri- around the outside- of T13? How do you do that, Eugene?“ Entering the final corner at Jerez, I am usually thinking not to go round the outside of the rider in front,” he joked at the memory of it.“ That final corner looks fairly boring, but there is quite a lot to it. You kick back two gears immediately as you brake into the final part of the corner entry, and it then flattens out and starts to go uphill, so you can actually really stop the bike in the final part- with the rear brake especially. The bike kind of‘ Gs out’ under load, and that is kind of why I was able to pass Melandri where I did. I was able to almost let the brakes off, and then in that final moment, where the bike‘ Gs’ out under load, you can stop the bike so much.”
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T13 Jorge Lorenzo
Han sucedido cosas increíbles aquí durante todos esos años, como caídas o contactos fuertes. Pero ¿ quién puede olvidar el sensacional adelantamiento de Eugene Laverty a Marco Melandri por el exterior en 2013? ¿ Cómo lo haces, Eugene?“ Al entrar en la última curva de Jerez con un piloto delante suelo pensar que no voy a pasarlo por fuera”, bromea al recordarlo.“ Esa última curva parece bastante aburrida pero tiene mucha acción. Al frenar en la parte final de la entrada bajas dos marchas enseguida, el trazado se nivela y luego empieza a subir, así que puedes ralentizar la moto en ese tramo final, sobre todo con el freno trasero. Con todo el peso en el tren delantero la moto llega a desviarse un poco, por eso conseguí rebasar a Melandri ahí donde lo hice. Prácticamente podía soltar los frenos, y luego, en ese momento final, cuando la moto se desvía con la carga, puedes frenarla muchísimo”.
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T11 / T12 Alex Crivillé, Ferrari |
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The favourite of double WorldSBK champion Álvaro Bautista is the second-to-last corner, Ferrari.“ I like the penultimate corner- Ferrari- a lot. It is too fast and too difficult, because you cannot be one centimetre off line. If you miss it just a little bit, you do not do the corner well. You have to be very precise in that corner and the speed is so high. I think that is my favourite corner of the track. I remember in 2023 I was able to pass on the entry to that corner; made a couple of overtakes there. It was very difficult, but when you make the perfect corner, and have the perfect speed, you are able to do it. You have to be very clear about what you want to do.”
T11 / 12 Alex Crivillé, Ferrari
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La favorita del bicampeón de WorldSBK, Álvaro Bautista, es la penúltima curva, Ferrari.“ Me gusta mucho la penúltima curva, Ferrari. Es demasiado rápida y difícil porque no te puedes desviar ni un centímetro de la trazada. Si te equivocas, aunque sea muy poco, ya no la tomas bien. Debes ser muy preciso en esa curva, y la velocidad es muy alta. Creo que es mi curva favorita del circuito. Recuerdo que en 2023 logré adelantar a Marco Melandri en la entrada de ella; hice un par de adelantamientos allí. Fue muy difícil pero cuando haces la curva perfecta y tienes la velocidad perfecta lo consigues. Debes tener muy claro lo que quieres hacer”. |
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