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At the end of Friday's FP2 at Assen, Rea's fifth fastest time on his Yamaha, 5 tenths behind the fastest Bautista, bodes well for the Northern Irishman, who is anxious to put behind him a not easy start to the championship. The variable weather at the Dutch circuit, however, could make a difference, especially in qualifying, but the feeling on the bike seems to have improved. Saturday's qualifying could therefore again decide the fate of the weekend, and much will depend precisely on the interpretation of the track conditions.
Did you feel more comfortable on the Yamaha than in Barcelona or Phillip Island?
"Yes, in Australia I didn't have a very good feeling ,"Rea explained at the end of the session, "even here the track was not in optimal conditions. In F2P the wind on the track was very strong, at Turn 6 at the end of the straight it was terrible, it was difficult to even get the bike past and there were also wet patches, so the test was not the best. Despite that I found the confidence to push the bike, I was surprised myself. Some things worked in the right direction, but obviously we will have to work on other aspects tonight. It's going to be one of those Assen weekends, the rain came several times during the day and one of the peculiarities of this weekend is how quickly the sector of turns 9 through 12 dries out, while the first sector takes longer. So it will be necessary to keep an eye on the weather and try to do a good qualifying. Being able to start from the first two rows would be a good result for the work we are doing."
Also in Barcelona the start of the weekend was positive, compared to then do you feel there have been changes?
"To be honest today the conditions were so variable that I think it was a strange day for everyone. So it's hard to have a clear idea of the feelings and values on the track, of our true potential, but I think I'm better prepared here in Assen than in Barcelona. The conclusion of that weekend was a very bad qualifying, you can't start 13th, that made the difference, especially on a circuit where you have to be gentle with the tires from the first lap. Here in Assen you have to attack in a different way, but even here qualifying could decide the fate of the weekend."
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