Barberá targets top Ducati spot for weekend

Mapfre Aspar rider Héctor Barberá scored his best result of the season so far with sixth place at Jerez and he also put in a strong showing with eleventh at Catalunya. Little wonder that he is looking forward to his third home race of the season at Aragón, especially as he looks to continue an excellent run of recent form. Ever since the Italian Grand Prix back in June Héctor has stepped up his work rate and his pace, and thanks to a good base setting the results have been impressive. Ninth place at Misano has given him the confidence and motivation to be fighting for another top result in front of his home fans at Motorland.

Héctor Barberá:

"I had a good weekend in practice at Motorland last year and a good race too. I am confident that we can achieve a top result this weekend. We are in incredible form at the moment, the team are helping me a lot and I am enjoying every session on the bike. We have found a good base set-up and we are getting the most out of the bike at the moment. This is also another home race for us and after qualifying as the best Ducati and finishing the race as the second one I am highly motivated. I love the track - it is very complete and it suits my riding style perfectly. The set-up we have should work well here at Motorland and the objective is to continue in the same way we've been working recently because if we do that the results will come. I would love to be the top Ducati again."

Mapfre Aspar press release

Martinez Aspar wants two Ducati MotoGP and Kalex Moto2 in 2012 and Moto3

"Two for Ducati in MotoGP, two and two Moto3 Moto2. If I can run with the Kalex in the intermediate category, enter into a contract for them in Moto3, for the drivers we will see later. The only rider with a contract for the Moto2 Terol, which should assist Simon in MotoGP we are negotiating with Dovizioso, Bautista and Barbera. I'd like to Moto3 Viñales, which is deciding whether to continue with his team or go with us. Other names that we are analyzing Kent, Folger and Faubel "

In these few lines, Jorge Martinez Aspar illustrates what are the plans for next season, a parade of names that a team manager so busy in all categories must be able to administer. The bikes are a Kalex goals for 2012, but will not be easy to have the granting of the motion by the manufacturer.

The Kalex was born as a collaboration between the company and the team of Sito Pons , who initially had the exclusive on these prototypes. With the increasing demand it was decided to collaborate with the other teams, but the team Aspar sworn enemy of fellow Pons Racing, which last year prevented the pilots test of Martinez with their bikes.

Meanwhile negotiations are continuing and will continue working with Suter. If it does not reach an agreement with Kalex, will decide whether to continue with the manufacturer or go to the Helvetic RDF, and the choice would fall on Moto3 for KTM. In addition to contractual wrangling, Martinez will give another chance this year to Elena Rosell who will run the next Grand Prix as a wild card in Aragon Moto2.

source: motoblog.it

Barberá ninth in Misano

The uncertainty presented by light rain almost got MAPFRE Aspar rider Héctor Barberá in a twist, but the Spaniard cleared his head to recover from a difficult start. The opening three laps saw a lack of confidence and a small mistake, but from then on he kept up his strong form from practice. Barberá took off from ninth on the grid and lost four places on lap one, but his calmness and determination took him back up the order and he equaled his grid position before taking the chequered flag. It was a positive finish to one of his better weekends of the season, and the MotoGP rider is sure that the team is going in the right direction.

Héctor Barberá:

"First, I want to say that this was a rather good weekend for us overall. As far as the race itself, yesterday we inspected the track in order to prepare for the start and the braking points to use. I got off the line well and was going perfectly up until the first corner, where I didn't brake confidently on account of it spitting with rain -so I locked up. I had to make a save on the next turn and was then passed by a number of riders. From then on I had two slow laps in which I was maybe thinking too much, second guessing whether it would rain more or not. This was the turning point of the race, starting with doubts in my mind, because later on I rode quickly and comfortably. I gave one-hundred percent and rode the same times that I had done in practice, just as we had planned. It is a pity that we didn't start strongly, and this is something that I need to improve in future. I am happy for having done what I needed to do, and we have finished the weekend with another good result."

MAPFRE Aspar press release.

Fastest Ducati on the Misano circuit belongs to Barberá

The Spaniard is just one second off the fastest time, and also was the fastest Ducati rider on track today. Barberá indicated earlier in the week that this was a good circuit for him and he is keen to make the most of the opportunity to finish with a good result. Having improved his pace and consistency throughout today, he is looking forward to continuing the job tomorrow.

Héctor Barberá:

"We are doing a good job and it is showing. Practice has been going well for us at the last few rounds and we have just been missing that extra step in the races. Our pace has been consistent though and I think sooner or later we are going to spring a surprise. It could be here because this is a good circuit for me. The fastest Ducati on the first day is a good start for us. We were fighting to be the first Ducati to the finish line at the last race so that is what we will try for again this Sunday. My team is helping me a lot and gradually we are improving in certain areas. I always ride my hardest but there are things we can do better and we are finding them so that is the most important thing. We have a base set-up that we try to get the best out of at each track and the best way forward has proven to be making small changes to a setting we know works."

MAPFRE Aspar press release.

Last corner move doesn't pay off for Barberá

With less than five hundred meters remaining in the Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix, MAPFRE Aspar rider Héctor Barberá was on course for a great finish. Unfortunately for the Spaniard, a brave move to try and regain positions failed to pay off, and he crashed out on the final turn of the race. Barberá had taken big strides forward over the course of the weekend, and showed his talent during the 28-lap contest. He had to adapt his riding style to a slippery front tyre right from the beginning, and had rivals Hiroshi Aoyama and Randy de Puniet closing in on him ahead of the chequered flag. Both passed him, and Barberá decided to lay it on the line with a spectacular pass attempt. It didn't quite go as planned, and he slid along the asphalt after lowsiding his Ducati. Unable to restart, his top ten finishing position chances ended in a flash. He hopes for a better result at the next round of the World Championship next weekend at Misano.

Héctor Barberá:

"It is a real shame that the race ended like this, after so many laps riding at the limit. After the opening four laps I realised that the front tyre had practically melted away. I made a sudden drop in pace, because I was trying to push the front end down and losing control on every corner. What I did was improvise with my riding style, and it took some five or six laps to get back to feeling comfortable. It should have been a lot sooner. The important thing is that I have regained confidence and ridden comfortably again, despite not having the front tyre in good condition. The last lap was going perfectly, until I reached the final sector. I knew that the final turn would be tricky, because the tyre wasn't responding at all and I could barely dip into the corner. That had meant that De Puniet and Aoyama passed me beforehand. I went all-or-nothing into the last corner, trying to regain a position, but unfortunately I lowsided. I enjoyed myself out there though, and gave 100%. We have taken a big step forward at this race and that leaves me satisfied, but I hope that we can continue like this and finish the race at Misano."

MAPFRE Aspar press release.

Barberá second highest Ducati on Indy grid

Alhough the new Indianapolis asphalt may still not be to all of the MotoGP riders' liking, the lap times tumbled today at the Brickyard with a new pole position record of 1'38.850 going to Casey Stoner. Just 2.2 seconds separate the entire field and that is with virtually a full second covering the front row.

Like the majority of riders, MAPFRE Aspar man Héctor Barberá shaved a massive five seconds off his lap time from the opening free practice to this afternoon's qualifying. The Spaniard made positive progress throughout the weekend so far and was able to translate it into the tenth fastest time of the day, meaning he lines up on tomorrow's grid with just a single Ducati ahead of him and only 1.5 seconds off Stoner's pole lap. Front tyre wear continues to be an issue, however, and solving that could be the key to any further progress in tomorrow's race.

Héctor Barberá:

"We have a really good set-up now and that helped us get on the pace today. What is worrying me is that the tyres are completely destroyed after ten laps, especially the front. The rear tyre is a pretty obvious choice; it is just the front we need to decide so we'll work on that in the warm-up. We did a good job today and made more progress but I still think we have room for improvement and need to keep pushing. I had fun on the bike though and we have improved a lot from the morning to the afternoon so we'll keep going in the same way from here."

MAPFRE Aspar press release.

Barberá finishes day one at the Brickyard in thirteenth

A newly refurbished track surface designed to iron out problems with the previous patchwork layout at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway had the reverse effect in the morning session, as the riders struggled to find grip on a slippery surface that ironically had an abrasive effect on the tyres.

Héctor Barberá made a brilliant start to the weekend with the eighth fastest time in the morning session. In the afternoon, he made gradual improvements, eventually clocking his best time of the day on lap fourteen of twenty, with an effort some two seconds quicker than his morning's best. Front tyre wear proved to be an obstacle to further improvement towards the end of the session, meaning he starts tomorrow morning's final free practice with work to do and a target of improving on thirteenth place so far.

Héctor Barberá:

"This afternoon's session was quite strange. We went out with a soft front tyre at the start and the carcass was moving around quite a lot, so we switched to the hard and my feeling improved a lot. It looks to be the better option but the track surface is like sandpaper and with five laps there is no rubber left on the tyre. We didn't have time to try anything else so our work is half done and I am sure we have lots of room to improve tomorrow. It has been a positive first day overall here at Indianapolis but we have work to do tomorrow, starting with the tyre pressure to see if we can get it working better and lasting longer."

MAPFRE Aspar press release.

Barberá looking for more US success

The tough Indy layout combines sections of the world famous oval with a series of infield corners designed specifically for motorcycle racing. The Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix is followed just a week later by the San Marino round - the fourth back-to-back sequence of an exhausting season so far.

MAPFRE Aspar rider Héctor Barberá lies eleventh in the championship but has been in improving form over the last four races. The Spaniard left the last round at Brno with tenth place despite some setbacks in the race, demonstrating his increasing pace and evolution of his Ducati, which has gathered pace since the Italian round in June. Ninth place at Laguna Seca after a fantastic weekend in practice is a good minimum target for the youngster to aim for on his second visit to the USA this season.

Héctor Barberá:

"The week off has been great for me to disconnect and spend time with my people, but also to continue to train hard. The second part of the season usually tends to be the hardest part and I want to be in top physical shape so that I can keep giving one hundred per cent until the end of the season. I am feeling very motivated about the upcoming Grand Prix - things have been working out well for us lately, we are working hard and it shows. We had a little setback in the race at Brno, but fought back well and I am sure that if we keep going like this, we will keep progressing. A ninth place result, which until recently was seen a good result, will seem like something normal. We have to be ambitious and believe that we can be fighting for a better position in each race. The first visit of the year to the USA was a positive one, so I hope the second one is at least as good."

MAPFRE Aspar press release.

Aspar commits to Japanese GP entry

Jorge Martinez says his Aspar team will make the trip to Motegi in October for the Japanese Grand Prix, a move that will be seen as a blow to those against the event going ahead.

As the largest team in the MotoGP paddock with entries in 125, Moto2 and MotoGP, Aspar's decision to go to Japan is seen as a significant one and will serve to strengthen opinion for the event, which was moved to October as a consequence of the devastating earthquake and tsunami that shook the region in March and damaged the Fukushima nuclear powerplant some 110km away from Motegi.

The debate over whether to go to Japan has raged for months, with Casey Stoner, and most recently Valentino Rossi, stating that they do not wish to go to the region for fear of being exposed to radiation.

However, with an independent report confirming the risk as 'negligible', the event has been given the green light by Dorna, while Tech 3 Yamaha became the first MotoGP team to confirm its presence during the Brno weekend.

Furthermore, Aspar himself points out that Dorna or Honda – which owns Twin Ring Motegi – wouldn't put the competitors at risk if there was the slightest chance of harm.

"Sometimes you talk too much without having all the information,” Aspar told motoworld.es. “If being 120 km from the Fukushima was that bad, people would not live there. A month ago, the Japanese championship was held at Motegi and companies are going to Japan every week to continue their business. If it were serious, many multinational companies have slowed their commitments to Japan. 

"What we'll do is reduce our stay. If we normally go 6 or 7 days, then we'll try to go for five days, the minimum essential. I do not think Dorna, Honda, or the most important companies related to this MotoGP would risk bringing people to a place where there was an obvious risk.”

Aspar's commitment brings the number of certain MotoGP entries to four – Hector Barbera joining Colin Edwards, Cal Crutchlow and Hiroshi Aoyama -, while Stoner, who has been particularly vocal about the situation, says his stance has softened in recent weeks. 

Aspar's presence means Julian Simon will ride in the Moto2 class, while Nico Terol's title aspirations in 125GP will also be given a crucial boost by not being forced to miss a round.

Barberá battles hard in Brno comeback

Héctor Barberá started from thirteenth on the grid, following a tough return from the summer break in which changes to his Ducati were not having the desired effect. The MAPFRE Aspar man gave his all on race day to take a creditable eleventh place. This was despite suffering from some big issues with his front tyre, lacking grip for almost all of the 22 laps in the Czech Republic. The Spaniard had to keep his cool on the last pair of laps, fighting to stave off two riders who had caught up with him and were hungry to overtake. All eyes now are on Indianapolis, and another chance for Héctor Barberá to have a solid race.

Héctor Barberá:

"It was a pretty difficult race, as I had problems with the front end five laps in and they wouldn't go away. Between the previous race and this one we worked hard on the front, but we still have a few things to resolve. Today it felt like I was losing the front when I hit the brakes on certain corners. This wasn't helped by the fact that the tyre was gradually degrading and making it tougher to brake hard every time. I tried to make the most of things at the start and push while I still had some confidence. Normally I do things the opposite way and end up riding faster as the race goes on. A few riders who had been behind me caught up with two laps to go, so I had to turn my focus to defending their attacks and shutting all the doors. This little battle at the end was fun, and I didn't lose any places from it. We made some changes just to try something new, but didn’t work on well. That's why we will be back to our normal settings for Indianapolis."

MAPFRE Aspar press release.

Barberá confident ahead of Brno race

Héctor Barberá was focused and determined throughout the second day of the Cardion ab Grand Prix Ceské republiky weekend, although the MAPFRE Aspar rider was left to reflect on personal errors at the crucial point of the session that leave him thirteenth on the starting grid. Despite that setback, the Spanish rider remains confident in the set up of his bike and optimistic about his chances of a strong fight back tomorrow.

Héctor Barberá:

"We did a good job today because this morning I was struggling to improve my lap times - I just kept hitting a ceiling. In the afternoon we made some set up changes to my Ducati and things improved considerably. We dropped the ride height and change the front and rear shock settings, which instantly gave us more confidence and pace. We still need another six or seven tenths to be where we want but tomorrow we will look to find this by working on power delivery and handling. Overall it has been a positive first day and the team has done a great job."

MAPFRE Aspar press release.

Héctor Barberá makes progress day one of Czech GP

The MotoGP World Championship roared back into life after two free summer weekends today, with the Cardion ab Grand Prix Ceské republiky marking the start of the season run in. The target for MAPFRE Aspar rider Héctor Barberá was to make constant improvements and although he struggled to do so in this morning's opening session he made good progress in the afternoon. A slight geometrical change to the ride height and suspension settings of his Ducati gave the Spaniard more confidence and he was able to set a consistent rhythm in the 1'58s, with a best effort of 1'58.120 - eight tenths quicker than his best effort this morning and 1.7 seconds off Pedrosa's lap record pace.

Héctor Barberá:

"We did a good job today because this morning I was struggling to improve my lap times, I just kept hitting a ceiling. In the afternoon we made some set-up changes to my Ducati and things improved considerably. We dropped the ride height and change the front and rear shock settings, which instantly gave us more confidence and pace. We still need another six or seven tenths to be where we want but tomorrow we will look to find this by working on power delivery and handling. Overall it has been a positive first day and the team has done a great job."

MAPFRE Aspar press release.

Barbera targets MotoGP top five

Hector Barbera enters the second half of his second MotoGP season believing he can beat his best finish of sixth, as he seeks to secure his Aspar Ducati ride for 2012.

The Aspar outfit, which fields teams in all three grand prix classes, looks certain to remain in MotoGP next year - and may even expand to two bikes.

Barbera has been the team's lone rider since its 2010 premier-class debut and is keen to prove his credentials, starting this weekend at Brno, a 'special' circuit for the 

#8.

"Brno is a special circuit for me - I managed to finish fourth here in my first season riding in the 125cc World Championship after qualifying in ninth, which is still one of my best ever races and one I will always remember," said Barbera.

"We were riding on standard kit and managed to fight with the factory riders. I love Brno and I am perfectly prepared for this one. I have done a lot of physical training over the break and I am looking forward to giving 200% on track. 

"There are a lot of fast corners which are good for me and the goal is to improve on my best finish this season, which was sixth at Jerez, and continue the good form we have shown at Mugello, Sachsenring and Laguna Seca".

After ten rounds Barbera holds eleventh in the championship and is the highest satellite Ducati rider.

source: crash.net

Mapfre Aspar Team get back to work at Brno

After a two week break following their visit to the shortest circuit on the MotoGP calendar, the teams and riders this weekend return to action at one of the longest. They will need every bit of recharged energy as they look to tackle a challenging circuit over 5km in length that plays host to the eleventh round of the season.

Recovered, motivated and ready to continue with the excellent form that he signed off from the first half of the season with. That is the half-term report for Héctor Barberá, who showed a clear step forward in performance levels at Mugello, Sachsenring and Laguna Seca over the past three rounds. The MAPFRE Aspar rider is keen to continue that form at Brno, a talismanic circuit for the Spaniard, who finished a stunning fourth here during his rookie 125cc season back in 2002.

Héctor Barberá:

"Brno is a special circuit for me - I managed to finish fourth here in my first season riding in the 125cc World Championship after qualifying in ninth, which is still one of my best ever races and one I will always remember. We were riding on standard kit and managed to fight with the factory riders. I love Brno and I am perfectly prepared for this one. I have done a lot of physical training over the break and I am looking forward to giving 200% on track. There are a lot of fast corners which are good for me and the goal is to improve on my best finish this season, which was sixth at Jerez, and continue the good form we have shown at Mugello, Sachsenring and Laguna Seca."

MAPFRE Aspar press release.

Héctor Barberá steps up the pace in final practice

A cool and cloudy morning once again gave way to classic Californian sunshine at Laguna Seca this afternoon, where hard compound tyres were the general order of the day when it came to race set-up. The action on track was just as hot, with the top six riders finishing in the 1.21s but Jorge Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa establishing themselves as the men to beat in tomorrow's race. The Spaniards are both past winners at Laguna Seca as is Casey Stoner, who made a late charge to separate them on the front row.

Héctor Barberá is enjoying his 150th Grand Prix immensely so far, having qualified eighth today with a time that was only a second off Lorenzo's pole position. The MAPFRE Aspar rider has taken to the Laguna Seca circuit like a fish to water, just as he did last year before being denied in the race by a broken chain, and today he dropped his pace into the 1.22s to suggest he has the promise to do well over race distance. The Spaniard qualified eighth on the grid as the second highest Ducati, immediately behind Valentino Rossi, and he is determined to sign off for the summer with a top result.

Héctor Barberá:

"I am happy because I have improved my lap times a lot and we have worked well all weekend. I really enjoyed myself on the bike again today and we know exactly what we need tomorrow. We have found some really good form over the last couple of races and every day we improve a little more, which is helping me get more out of the Ducati. We are in line with the factory bikes and I think we can have a good battle tomorrow. No doubt Hayden wants a good result here, Valentino too, so my objective is to stick with them as best I can. The main thing is to finish the race because I only managed two laps here last year and I want to bury that memory. It is a case of getting a good start and staying focused to make sure nobody gets away from me over the opening laps."

MAPFRE Aspar press release.

Barberá twelfth at Laguna

In the blink of an eye the MotoGP World Championship has switched continents and after packing up following last Sunday's race in Germany the riders were back out on track today on the other side of the Atlantic. The Laguna Seca circuit in California saw two free practice sessions for the premier-class only, with fresh morning temperatures giving way to a fiercely hot afternoon.

Héctor Barberá completed no less than 46 laps of the legendary circuit today, making the MAPFRE Aspar man one of the most active riders on track. The majority of them were spent assessing tyre performance, which will be a crucial factor this weekend, as well as an unsuccessful rear shock experiment this afternoon. His ninth lap of the afternoon session was his fastest of the day and made him the twelfth fastest rider overall, just over 1.3 seconds off the pace of Lorenzo.

Héctor Barberá:

"We have tried two different tyre compounds today and it looks like the harder of the two works the best. I suffered for grip throughout the first half of this morning's session but as soon as we switched to the hard my feeling improved. I really enjoy riding at this circuit and I think that even though our position is some way down the order we have started the Grand Prix well because we have improved with every outing. The objective for tomorrow is to cut the gap to the top and compete to be the best Ducati. We tried a few things this afternoon that we weren't sure about, including a different rear shock. We weren't too keen on it but we didn't have time to change back. The time flew past today but I have enjoyed myself. It is only day one and we have lots of room to improve."

MAPFRE Aspar press release.

Barberá ready to build on Mugello progress in Germany

Héctor Barberá is looking forward to riding in Germany, where he produced one of his best performances of the season last year. The Mapfre Aspar rider arrives on the back of a very positive seventh place last time out in Italy, in possibly his best MotoGP race yet. Barberá followed up with an even more impressive test on the Monday, when he set the fourth fastest time, and after gaining speed and confidence on his Ducati he is hopeful of continuing his form this weekend.

Héctor Barberá:

"We put on a good show last year in Germany so I hope to at least equal that. Both the race in Italy and the test on the following day were very good for us and we have turned the difficult situation we were going through around. Now I go to Sachsenring with energy and enthusiasm - we are ready for the next Grand Prix. The track is quite well suited to my riding style and even though it is short is has some fast and flowing corners. I like the track and tend to be quite fast there so now we have gone back to a setting that works everything comes easier, so I hope that continues this weekend. Our objective as always is to be amongst the leading Ducatis."

Mapfre Aspar press release