BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2 Team Wraps Up Weather-Disrupted Portimão Test

Challenging track conditions and an early stoppage due to oil on circuit could not prevent Izán Guevara and Alberto Ferrández from completing valuable development work ahead of the crucial Jerez test.

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The BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2 Team concluded its two-day test programme in Portimão on another weather-affected day, with the session ending prematurely due to oil on the track. Despite the disruptions, both riders, Izán Guevara and Alberto Ferrández, completed valuable track time and gathered important data ahead of next week’s scheduled test in Jerez.

Changing weather conditions throughout the test presented additional challenges, with the team running in heavy rain, damp conditions, and limited dry laps on slick tyres. Even with the unpredictable track surface, the squad leaves Portimão encouraged by the progress made.

Team Manager Alex De Angelis: “Strong rider-bike-team package”

Team Manager Alex De Angelis reflected on the two-day outing, acknowledging that the difficult conditions limited the team’s ability to fully evaluate the bike’s setup.

“After these two days, we can’t say we fully understood everything, mainly because of the conditions,” said De Angelis. “Alberto chose to ride as much as possible despite the weather, which was important for him to gain experience with the bike and the team. It was equally important for us to understand his approach to work.”

While setup work was compromised, the team was able to test the Moto2 machine across a range of track scenarios.

“We rode in heavy rain, on a damp track, and even managed some laps on slicks. That still gave us useful information,” he added. “We’re very satisfied with Alberto’s attitude and how he improves every time he goes out.”

Regarding Guevara’s performance, De Angelis was particularly impressed.

“Izán didn’t ride much, but it was impressive to see how fast he was immediately. From his first lap, his sector times were already competitive. Overall, we feel we’ve resumed from where we finished last season, with a strong rider-bike-team package.”

Izán Guevara: Encouraging pace in dry conditions

Izán Guevara described the second day as efficient rather than intense, as the team successfully completed its planned programme.

“Today wasn’t extremely intense because we already had a clear work plan,” Guevara explained. “We managed to complete everything, even though the conditions were not perfect.”

The Spaniard felt comfortable in the dry and showed promising pace from the outset.

“The feeling in dry conditions was good. I felt fast from the beginning, even using the hard tyre. I set my best lap time on a used tyre, which is encouraging.”

Guevara now shifts his focus to the upcoming Jerez test, where further development work is expected.

“We have many items to test next week in Jerez, so we’re looking forward to that.”

Alberto Ferrández: Valuable experience gained

For Alberto Ferrández, the Portimão test provided important learning opportunities despite the early conclusion.

“Unfortunately, we had to finish earlier than planned because of the oil on track,” Ferrández said. “There was quite a lot of water in the morning, but we were able to try many things and gather important information.”

The afternoon session allowed some limited dry running before the red flag brought proceedings to an end.

“We completed some laps on slicks before the session was stopped. Overall, I’m satisfied with how these tests went.”

With challenging conditions now behind them, the BLU CRU Pramac Yamaha Moto2 Team heads to Jerez aiming to build on the promising foundation established in Portimão as preparations continue for the upcoming Moto2 season.