MotoGP: Sepang Test Difficult for Elias

2011 MotoGP

After winning the inaugural Moto2 Championship, Toni Elias returned to MotoGP, having his first official 2011 outing on the LCR Playboy Honda RC212V at Sepang last week.

But the test was difficult for Elias due to fighting the flu and adapting to the Honda. Elias completed 177 laps throughout the three-day test, and finished 17th overall with the best time of 2:02.916; his time was 2.159 off the overall leader, San Carlo Gresini Honda’s Marco Simoncelli.

During the next two weeks, the LCR Honda team will continue to develop the RC212V. Elias will be back at Sepang for another three-day test on Feb 22-24, and continue to adapt to the Honda.

Toni Elias (LCR Honda MotoGP) says: "It was a difficult 3-day testing for me. I flew to Malaysia one week earlier to train in this typical heat and to avoid the jetlag consequences but three days ago I have started to feel sick.

"At the end I had to take antibiotics for the flu so physically I was not okay and this bike requires to be in a good form. Despite the flu I think we had three productive days trying different adjustments to get more confidence and more stability on track.

"However we still have a lot of work to do because I am struggling to find the right setting for me but this is normal as I am continuing my adaptation to the RCV. I lapped in 2:01 in 2009 on a MotoGP bike so I am sure we will find the way to reduce the gap."

The LCR Honda MotoGP Team announced in late October its new cooperation with the Spanish Moto2 Champion Toni Elias and Honda HRC for the 2011 MotoGP Championship. Before competing in Moto2, Elias spent five years competing in MotoGP; his best finish was seventh overall in 2009 while competing for San Carlo Gresini Honda.

For 2011, the LCR Team is ready to take part in their sixth season in the MotoGP class thanks to the support of the Japanese Constructor which has renewed its cooperation with the Team Manager Lucio Cecchinello.

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