SBK, Gerloff: "Today I was so tired that I crashed on my coming in lap"

Garrett Gerloff is truly experiencing a magical moment: after a rapidly-improving end of the season and the opportunity to ride Valentino Rossi's M1 MotoGP in Valencia, today he also set the best time of the day on day 1 of the SBK tests at Jerez de la Frontera ahead of the world champion Jonathan Rea.

For Garrett at the end of the year a move to the factory team did not happen but he will probably be able to get his hands on the 2021 bike just like Razgatlioglu and Locatelli. Today, meanwhile, the American tried the 2020 (last year he raced with the 2019) bike and judging by his pace he looked as if he was pretty much at ease on it.

“I was fast today - he told us - the bike felt very good and I felt good. There are differences between the 2019 bike that I had last year and the 2020 that I rode all day. I made some changes and it got better and better. I made some comparisons today, the engine is more powerful but I didn't find any things that made me think that the bike is really different. There are some things that I have noticed and to which I have adapted ”.

You also crashed at the end of the session. What happened?

“I was exhausted when I crashed, my day was over and I was on the coming in lap. I hit the curb at turn 11, the penultimate one before returning to the pits. I did some damage to the bike, but up to that moment the day had gone very well "

You had the chance to ride Valentino Rossi's M1 MotoGP and then to spend the weekend inside his garage. How did it go? What will you bring with you from this experience?

"For me it was an incredible experience and in the end I was happy that Valentino was better but I was hoping to be able to do a few more sessions because two 45-minute sessions weren't enough to adapt to the MotoGP. Besides, the conditions were not the best. and I would have liked to have had at least one completely dry session. I want more ”.