The target for the race was to score some world championship points. I have to be in that position before the summer break (end of Sachsenring) so that we can attack the second half of the year with that step up done.
I came within one position of scoring points in the race - finishing in 16th - but I should have been 13th. I had a five second gap over the others behind me by mid race, so I should’ve cleared off, but there we go. Won’t make that mistake again...
It was a good start. I launched it brilliantly charging through the first lap. I could have braked a little bit later than I did into the first corner, but it was a good feeling to see first position not
that far away. The rear was moving around in some corners as I was so late on the brakes, so I was on it.
We tried some hard tyres and they really worked for me in the hot conditions, so we are ticking the boxes off one by one as the season goes on.
Off the track we’re working better and better as a team. We’ve been up in the hills by the circuit in Catalunya trail riding and doing lots of cycling. But when on the motor bikes we’ve had some of the team completely finished, flat out on the floor with sweat pouring out of them. The wind doesn’t cool you down in the hills in amongst all the valleys. We’ve discovered that! But it’s good fun controlling the bike within a different environment.
When I’ve been out cycling I’ve gone out on my own, but Raul (Jara) has followed me in a car, leaning out of it like a Tour de France team manager telling me that I’ve still got another 5kms to go to the summit, just when I think that I’m nearly there...!
Talking about the bigger classes for a moment, the impressive thing about the MotoGPs was how they hung the back out and that was good to see at the exit of turn three at Barcelona. Roberts and Melandri were really leaning on it. Brilliant.
