MIE Racing Honda Team struggle to make headway at Aragón

MIE Racing Honda Leandro Mercado and his team used the morning’s final free practice session at Motorland Aragón to make further set-up adjustments and prepare as well as possible for the subsequent qualifying session. During the brief 15-minute Superpole phase, Mercado was able to complete two fast laps aboard his CBR1000RR-R FIREBLADE, the best of which a 1’53.120 which put him twenty-second at the session’s end. This time meant he placed on the eighth row of the grid for race 1.

The first of the weekend’s 18-lap races got underway at 2pm local time. From twenty-first on the grid, Leandro held this position through the opening laps as he worked to get into a rhythm. Although he gained one position, the Argentinian found himself struggling with the feeling with the bike and with a lack of rear grip. Unfortunately, the situation only worsened and, on lap seven, he decided to return to the pits, bringing his race to a premature end. The team will continue to work to find ahead of tomorrow’s Superpole race and second 18-lap Superbike race.