SBK Portimao, Gerloff: ‘I will never race in COTA with MotoGP’

After several runaway contests, Garrett Gerlove He is finally back to appear in the top ten, thanks to a sixth place finish in the first race this weekend in Portimão. A result that should give the young Texan half-smile, who shows himself at the end of the race instead Especially disappointed with his performance.

“The feel of the bike is very good. I think it worked very well, I just I couldn’t be consistent. I made some big mistakes. I went off the track four times and it drove me crazy.” American says. “Looking at the result, this was definitely my best race since Most of this year. But I made a lot of mistakesI only managed to put together one roll and it was a good roll. I do not know. I’m very frustrated with myself, because the bike works so well, except that, for some reason, it’s hard for me to be consistent”.

A harsh self-criticism of Garrett, who is struggling to digest this sixth place.

“I’m frustrated with my mistakes. If three hadn’t broken, I’d have finished nine or ten – Explains -. That’s frustrating: the fact that it’s not sixth place, but it would be like a tenth. It could still be better than this. I had a good pace and felt good, but I couldn’t do consistent intervals and that’s frustrating. I lack consistency, but not because of the bike. It is my fault. I’ll try to do something for tomorrow. to slap me. I know I can do better. This is what makes me angry“.

Gerloff: “Austin? I understand MotoGP bikers”

As the second day on the track draws to a close in Portimao, the action resumes at Austin, Texas, where it has been harshly criticized by motorcyclists, who consider the asphalt of the track decidedly inappropriate. Opinion shared by the house rider Who, after driving Morbidelli’s M1 at the Dutch Grand Prix, has a clear idea of ​​the conditions facing MotoGP riders.

“I can say the tooth surface is very smooth, but when I rode the M1 there, the track was very bumpy for me. – says Gerloff. There were a few small flaws that made the prototype very unstable and then, when I got back to the Superbike, there was no turning back. Sure, MotoGP bikes are made for this type of asphalt: If there is any slight flaw you feel it all. So, I can imagine what it’s like to drive in Kuta. I know how big some of the holes are, and now that I know better what the prototypes are like, I can say I would never race there with a MotoGP. Start. I would ride there with our bike, because I know how to handle dips. But for no reason in the world I would have raced in COTA with MotoGP. I really mean it. Before running a prototype, I thought they were little girls, just complain. But now I totally understand what they’re saying.”.

And to think that Loris Paz, after a season in MotoAmerica, is convinced that Austin’s track has one of the best asphalts in the United States… “That’s well known (laughs). When I ran there I was used to digging, because We don’t have smooth paths in America. But racing there is one thing and another is racing MotoGP bikes.” Gerloff concludes. Happy to be racing in Portimao.