BLUSENS BQR FINISHES OFF THE PRESEASON ON A HIGH NOTE

Russel’s injury the only blemish in the last tests in Qatar.

The Blusens BQR team gave a good overall account of itself in the final test of the preseason at the Losail Circuit (Qatar), which is also the setting for the first race of the 2008 World Championships. The only bad point in the otherwise outstanding performance by the Catalan team's riders was the accident suffered by Russel Gómez.

The Barcelona-born rider came off his bike on the last day testing and, awaiting the results of a further medical examination, he has fractured bones in his left forearm and in the little finger of his right-hand. A decision will be taken in the next few hours as to whether he has any chance of disputing the first race of the season on Sunday, or whether he will return to Barcelona to be treated by Dr Mir in the Dexeus Clinic.

In spite of this significant setback, the feeling in the Blusens BQR team is that the final general test has been highly positive. As the General Manager of the Catalan team, Ricard Jové, explains, “In the 125cc class, expectations have been more than fulfilled, especially in the case of Scott Redding who was always up there among the top five riders. His team-mate, Efrén Vázquez, also put in some good work, seeking to find a good race tempo. In the 250 cc class, Eugene Laverty has managed to get fireworks out his Aprilia, and has ridden much faster than we could have expected in mechanical terms.”

Scott Redding has finished “highly satisfied at having taken full advantage of a very fast circuit, and one that is well suited to my style of riding. We are always very ambitious, but it really was a surprise to finish so high up in these tests.” The Bilbao rider, Efrém Vázquez was equally happy with the work-out: “I’m aiming to get into the top 15 every race, and at the moment things are on track. We've managed to progress constantly throughout these three days, and we’ll see the fruits of our work next weekend."

With regard to the 250cc riders, Eugene Laverty acknowledges that he has felt “quite at home on the bike” over the three days of work in Qatar. “Every time I get out on the track I go faster, and that gives me the confidence and mental strength to squeeze every last drop of performance from the Aprilia. I would say that we have finished the preseason a step ahead of what we expected.” His team-mate, Russel Gómez, has also been on the up since his fall. The Catalan pilot rued the mishap as “it could interrupt my progression, just when I was finally getting adapted to this Class.”

In spite of a good preseason, the Blusens BQR managers prefer to be cautious and keep their feet firmly on the ground. “At the moment things are going well, and in some cases, even better than we expected. Even so, we must bear in mind that the World Championships really start on Sunday, and no doubt the big boys will have more than one trick up their sleeves. Our objectives have been clear right from the outset, and we can't change them just because of a few good tests. In the 125 cc class, if we manage to get a rider in the top 10, that'll be a great step forward. In the 250cc class, just thinking about getting into the points is highly ambitious."

In the Qatar GP, the first race of the 2008 World Championship, the Catalan team will have three riders in the 125cc class: Scott Redding and Efrén Vázquez will be joined on this occasion by Dino Lombardi, who will be on the grid as a guest rider. This year Lombardi is to ride the Spanish Speed Championships in the Blusens BQR colours.