MOTOGP » Staring: Daunted to confident on MotoGP debut

13 February 2013
“The first ride was daunting and I had butterflies in my stomach... By the end of the [test] I felt very confident on the bike” - Bryan Staring.
Staring: Daunted to confident on MotoGP debut
MotoGP rookie Bryan Staring may have finished at the bottom of the timesheets during his Honda Gresini CRT debut, but felt it had been a positive first contact.

The former Australian champion and FIM STK1000 frontrunner improved his lap time as the test went on, his biggest step being a one-second gain on the final day.

Staring finished 5.870s behind the full Honda prototype of Dani Pedrosa, 3.342s from the leading CRT of Aleix Espargaro and 0.057s from nearest rival Colin Edwards, who struggled with neck pain.

“The first ride was daunting and I had butterflies in my stomach the night before,” admitted Staring. “A new circuit, new bike, new tyres, new team [and all] in the top category of motorcycle racing. It was a big task to step up to but I was quietly confident.

“The first thing I noticed is how well I fit the bike. There is more room than a Superbike and I can tuck in with my knees behind my elbows and get out of the airstream.

“The second thing is the riding style required. The bike has a very stiff chassis and requires very fast corner speed. I had to go back to my 125GP experience.

“The next thing is the incredible lean angle, 57 degrees. There is a huge amount of edge grip on the Bridgestone tyres. The electronics are incredible and braking can be left much deeper than a Superbike. Acceleration is very strong.

“Overall, the bike feels like a real race bike, as it is one. By the end of the [test] I felt very confident on the bike and I am looking forward to the next test.

“My team is fantastic. All of them are the best at their jobs and they were very supportive and patient. We tested a lot of important parts over the three days and made extremely good progress, crucial for a successful start to the season. I could not be happier”.

Michele Pirro, who rode the Gresini CRT last year, has switched to the role of Ducati test rider.

Tagged as: Honda , Ducati , Dani Pedrosa , Gresini , Colin Edwards , Bridgestone , Art , Aleix Espargaro , Michele Pirro , Bryan Staring , CRT
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raafrebel - Unregistered

February 13, 2013 8:41 PM

Im an Aussie and i hope he can do well. I hope he can qualify for a race start!!
With those times, it doent look good. 6 seconds off the fastest time and 3. 3 seconds off fastest CRT after 3 days.
surley the bike is capable of being much faster.
Pirro wasnt that slow from memory.
Good luck, your going to need it!!

Dean Dean

February 14, 2013 2:12 AM

@raffrabel: It would be great to see someone appear from nowhere and shine at this level, but I'm unsure as to whether or not he's somewhat overawed by the immense 'jump' he's making in classes. He mentions the fact that he was 'having to go back to his 125gp days' when trying to understand just how essential fast corner speed was, and just how amazed he was with the chassis running so stiff and rigid at this level...he also mentions the 'incredible lean angles' achievable, but more importantly is his over reliance upon the traction / electronics package...he more than intimated at the fact that he couldn't achieve a time with anything other than their maximum assistance.
Here was me thinking all Aussie racers had traction / wheelie control etc merely as an ornamentation on their race bikes :)
Still, I do wish him all the best !


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