On my 2nd flying lap I came out of the left/right chicane at the end of the back straight and the rear just snapped so quick. I gassed up a bit hard on the side of the tyre where the track was still damp and my heart came up through my mouth! I thought as soon as it snapped that I was surely about to be launched over the top. Then somehow I found myself still just about hanging off the side of the bike but still more or less on it!
My exact thoughts were 'Shit, I’m still on it!!'. I then heaved myself back on the bike and was riding across the grass. It must have looked spectacular but nobody caught it on camera which was a bit gutting!
I felt like Randy Mamola when he highsided off the bike and after about 200 metres managed to clamber back on. It took me a good couple of laps to get over that one and I was a bit more cautious through there the next lap but then got back to my normal self. That’s probably the closest I’ve come to crashing but without actually crashing!
In the last few laps I was again getting faster and faster and finished up 13th on what didn’t feel like a very good lap.
For the afternoon the weather was the main topic of conversation. I wasn’t too bothered whether it was dry or wet (as long as it’s not a monsoon) as I felt pretty confident for both. The greyness of the skies held gave us a false reading and the rain held off for a completely dry session. We made a few small tweaks with the chassis and I had no major problems.
For the last 5 minutes I put a new rear tyre on and put together an OK lap which was enough for 11th on the grid, my best of the year so far and on the third row which was important. Also 2nd fastest kit rider behind Guintoli (who is at home in Le Mans).
After the session I had the usual post session meeting with the mechanics just to discuss the way the bike was feeling and try to find the last few tenths out of the bike and myself.
