Finanlemente we begin. Here we are at the first GP of the season. Testing over, now comes the time that matters most, the time when we have to put all the work we have done on the track.

Compared to testing, we found ourselves in much warmer conditions, and this complicated our work a bit: high temperatures made the track more challenging. In Friday’s free practice we lapped well: n n spite of a crash, I managed to hit direct access to Q2 with a good time attack, which gave me confidence for the rest of the weekend.

On Saturday, however, things became more complicated. Right from FP3 I struggled to find the right feeling with the bike. In Q2 I couldn’t get a good rhythm in the time attack and I slipped in the final. P8 on the grid. A position that penalized me n n the Sprint: the box was dirty and I drifted at the start, which forced me to start from the back. Being so far back and having so many bikes in front caused overheating and lack of fresh air, making it difficult to maintain a good pace.

Sunday’s race was tough but at least I got a good start by keeping my position. I stayed behind Raul Fernandez for too long, which compromised my progression. Also, the high temperatures caused problems with the front tire overheating, with all the alarms going off. Eventually I managed to recover to P6 with some good overtaking and keeping a good pace.

Despite the difficulties, I am proud of the work done by the team. The other Aprilias, especially Ogura ‘s, also kept a good pace, showing that our winter work is paying off. This gives me confidence for the upcoming races.

Now is the time to analyze the data, work on the weak points and prepare ourselves in the best possible way for the next appointment. Next race in Argentina, one of the tracks I am closest to….