Press Release From Q.M.M.F 9th July
West happy with handling, but struggles with speed – Rosell retires with a forearm problem
QMMF Racing Team rider Anthony West pulled all stops in the German Grand Prix to get a good result and some world championship points. But even though the Australian rider was faster than his immediate rivals in the twisty sections of the Sachsenring, he couldn’t take advantage of his riding skills, because he simply didn’t have the speed to go with the others on the straights. After seventh place in the wet qualifying, 17th position in the dry race was a disappointing result for the 30-year-old Queenslander.
Team-mate Elena Rosell also put up a strong battle within her group of riders, but was forced to retire after 19 out of 29 laps when the pain in her left forearm, caused by an inflammation of either a nerve or tendon, became too much to safely control the bike.
Anthony West – 17th place
“I can’t complain about the chassis or the handling, but the bike was simply too slow. I was quicker than anyone else around me in the first section of the track, but because it’s all just corners and very tight and twisty, I had to wait and couldn’t pass. On the back straight and the main straight however, the others passed me with ease, because they just had that much more power and speed. When I was behind them, I couldn’t even hold their slipstream. I followed Zarco for maybe three or four laps, and every time I was behind him in the corners, I felt so much faster than him, but I couldn’t do anything to pass him. The bike’s handling was not bad in comparison to the other bikes, the team did a good job and I can’t complain. But the bike is slow. From what I know, the airbox pressure is never right and the exhaust is not the most powerful one, because the better one from Moriwaki won’t fit on this frame!”
Elena Rosell – retired
“This could have been a good race for me. After the first laps, I gained a few positions and found myself in quite an exciting battle with two other riders, who I managed to keep at bay. I was feeling good on the bike and I had a lot of fun. But when the bike started to slide, I started to get a strange pain in my left forearm, like an inflammation in a nerve or one of the tendons. It got increasingly difficult to control the bike when the rear stepped out and on two occasions I was close to crashing. Eventually, I decided it was best to pull in before putting myself or others in danger. I underwent treatment in the clinic immediately and I hope to be fully fit for the next race at Mugello!”
