Best result since 2012 season: three points from Qatar

The best result since the last race of the 2012 MotoGP season. This is the main fact coming from Qatar Grand Prix for Karel Abraham. Cardion AB rider finished on the 13th position and scored three points in the 2014 MotoGP World Championship.

Karel Abraham

“Of course I´m happy to score some points, but in fact right now I can´t focus on anything but the pain from the shoulder. Honestly, in the second half of the race I only count down the laps and hope to be able to hold on the bike until checkered flag is out. In the first half of the race I believe to be able to fight with Yonny and Hiroshi, but then the pain got worse. In combination with insufficient grip on the rear it would be gambling to try to push on the limit. So I just finished the race. Now I have about ten days of rest before Austin and I have already planned another rehabilitation to get better before next MotoGP round.”

Marco Grana, šéfmechanik Cardion AB Motoracing

“We saw lot of crashes on the front wheel during the race. We finished the race without any problem and without crash. This means for us that we were prepared well. Of course we are happy with the result, our target was to finish on points and we made it. This result is very positive signal for us, especially after terrible winter tests, which had been affected by Karel´s injury and regarding the fact that he hasn´t be able to ride more than five consecutive fast laps before this weekend. The other positive fact is that we are able to stay with Hiroshi Aoyama riding the same bike as our team. The race showed that we had found very good setup of the front. Our target for next race is to improve grip on the rear, but generally our setup is quite good at the moment.  For race we used hard-soft tyre option and I think the result is positive.”

Optimistic test in Qatar: Abraham got faster
and closer to “open” Honda’s riders

Karel Abraham finishes last pre-season test on thirteenth position with loss of 2,468 seconds to the fastest Aleix Espargaro. The Czech rider is still struggling of shoulder injury, but he managed to move up in field of Open class compared to previous testing session in Malaysia. Abraham loses approximately one second to Nicky Hayden, the fastest rider on the same Honda RCV1000R bike.

Karel Abraham

„We had to catch up all what we could not try in Malaysia, so they were really busy three days. For me personally it was much more relaxed test than in Sepang. At first because in Qatar there´s more comfortable weather. And at second, because shoulder seems better and it didn´t limited me at least on Friday and Saturday. Compared to the previous test we observe a big step; we got at the level of Aoyama and Redding riding on the same bike as me. Just Nicky Hayden got away from us. Unfortunately last day of the test I started to feel again the shoulder. That’s pity, because we started to improve our times and I managed to ride under 1:58,5. On the other hand it is good that we ended a little moment earlier because the temperature fall and the wind started to blow and many riders crashed out in the end of session.“

Marco Grana, chief mechanic Cardion AB Motoracing

„I think that result of this test is quite success for us. Positive thing is that Karel’s problems with shoulder diminish day by day so he could work fully during all three days for the first time of this season. We don’t have any significant problem with the bike, Karel is getting use to it and he is finding differences comparing to the ART. The important thing is that we got closer to the other riders riding on Hondas. We have just minimal loss to Redding and Aoyama, Nicky got further but I believe that if Karel will be hundred percent healthy, it is not unreal to ride times as him. We finish the tests in optimistic mood and I think we can look forward to the first race in the season. If the health condition of Karel gets better even more, we can fight for a good result.“

Finishing second test still with pain in shoulder.
Abraham is waiting for start of the season

During three days of second pre-season test in Malaysia Karel Abraham improved his time by 1,3 seconds in spite of his pain in shoulder. He took twenty-fifth position in total test classification. During the final test scheduled for next weekend in Qatar team will focus to improve the setting of the bike Honda RCV1000R. The aim is to have the bike one hundred percent prepared for the racing season as soon as the rider recovers fully.

Karel Abraham

„Even if we are far from positions where we would like to be, today it means for me a bit of hope. I expected that third day the shoulder would make problems, but I was able to be on the bike enough laps and repeatedly ride times at level of my maximum. Next week we start to test in Qatar so we fly directly there. So it is clear that the shoulder won’t recover miraculously. I will continue with rehabilitation and I have to hope that it will get better gradually. Now when I ride regularly I will be able to see some progress. I would like to be prepared for the race in Qatar, but if it will be like that no one can say it. But I’m going to do everything to be prepared in best manner possible.“

Marco Grana, chief mechanic Cardion AB Motoracing

„All three days we were improving day by day and it is a positive new for us. The bad one is that Karel is still limited by his shoulder injury and we cannot ride at the limit. The result that we have reached isn’t naturally the position where we would like to be or where we should be. Despite that we cannot ride fully I consider this test as helpful. We worked on the setting and also on the electronic to be hundered percent prepared when even Karel will be hundred percent prepared. We just have to wait for now. We don’t know how long it will take, but we know, when it will come we could race fully. I have to repeat again that the bike is working perfectly and gradually we are able to move limits of new electronic Magneti Marelli. Big contribution is new rear tyre developed specially for our open class by Bridgestone. In relation with lower power of the engine respect to prototypes, we could not use harder set of tyres adequately.

Abraham back on the way to doctors after Sepang test

Final day of Sepang tests ended sooner for Czech MotoGP rider Karel Abraham. Struggling from the shoulder Abraham only tested some particular setups of the bike and quit the raceway to get back to the Czech Republic and start rehabilitation as soon as possible.

Karel Abraham

„In fact, today was completely ineffective. I did only twelve laps, two of them only to practice start. Then we had to quit, it did not have any sense to ride, if I couldn´t ride on 100 percent. I´m leaving back to Czech Republic immediately to get back to doctors as soon as possible. We do not have a lot of time before next tests.“

Marco Grana, chief mechanic Cardion AB Motoracing

„Today we were testing only in the morning. Unfortunately Karel´s physical condition went worse and he´s completely without power after two days of struggling the shoulder. We tried new 2014 rear tyre and the results are quite positive. Our goal for next testing in Sepang is to improve setup of Magneti Marelli electronics and general setup of the bike. Generally we need to learn the limits of new bike, but we can´t do that until Karel will be healthy and able to push on maximum.“

Abraham improved in Sepang even he made less laps

He made less laps than during first MotoGP testing day, nevertheless Karel managed to get faster, eight tenth seconds respect to yesterday with injured shoulder and he moved one position up. The situation is clearer also about injured shoulder. Apparently Abraham‘s difficulties are caused by lack of movement that should be adjusted by another rehabilitation.

Karel Abraham

„Today we made less laps than on Tuesday to not overload the shoulder. We improved a little bit the lap time, but naturally it is far from point where we could be. At least, I have consulted my problems with shoulder with doctor Cizmar who operated me in autumn. According him, the problem should not be as much serious as it seemed to be, however when I get home, we will have to continue with rehabilitation and we will have to put the shoulder more in motion. Tomorrow I will ride again and we will try to improve lap time and make more laps.“

Marco Grana, Chief mechanic Cardion AB Motoracing

„We are about 8 tenth faster compared to Tuesday, so it´s quite positive for us. But we are still remaining far from good level. We made lot of work on the setup of electronics and we are on good start point before final testing day. Tomorrow we want to try new 2014 rear tyre spec, and I hope we´ll be able to reach better lap time and Karel will get better to make more than 30 laps.“

Abraham still suffering pain from injury
which forced him out of 2013 season

Four months after operation of injured shoulder joint Karel Abraham appears in first MotoGP test of the season 2014. Result´s unsatisfying - the injury which forced Abraham to give up last season still complicating Karel´s ride. Czech rider rode in pain forty-one laps and he held twenty-sixth position with loss 6,469 seconds. He had to be treated in Clinica Mobile after end of the first MotoGP test day.

Karel Abraham

„It is simple: the shoulder still remains as a problem. I’m very disappointed, during working out and even it was fine in motocross trainings the injury now reappears. Honestly, it hurts as hell, especially in extreme positions and under strain. Those forty laps that I made were on limit that could be possible to manage. So back to Clinica Mobile and pray that it will get better during the night. I cannot do more now. But it is clear I will end up at doctors after this testing session. It’s a shame because the new Honda RCV1000R bike is perfect and we could do a lot of work today. I’m disappointed “

Marco Grana, Chef mechanic Cardion AB Motoracing

„We are very satisfied with the bike, Karel feels great on it and we don’t have any bigger problem with it. At eight p.m. we are still in garage and we working on it, but it is only due to swop on a new bike, that we do not know. We have only one problem, but enormous- Karel’s shoulder.  After six months when you are not on the bike it would be always difficult to begin ride fully much less when he is in pain. Karel has biggest problem when he is steering the bike from one side to another, we cannot make more laps, as we wanted. We have to hope that he will feel better tomorrow and we could start over. We have to change strategy, because it has no sense to try reach the most laps possible, because more laps Karel does, more he is tired and the shoulder hurts.“

I need to feel I enjoy racing again,
say Karel Abraham prior to his tenth season

This will be Karel Abraham’s tenth season in the Road Racing World Championship. In 2005, he was a fifteen-year old rookie. In the early 2014, he is still in recovery after a nasty shoulder injury and says, “I am not going to talk about my goals and achievements. The most important thing right now is to feel that I enjoy racing again. I am sure the rest will come,” says the rider who has just turned 24.

Karel Abraham will sit on his new bike during the first week of February, during winter testing in Sepang, Malaysia. “Not having the opportunity to ride it in Valencia in fall is tough luck, but it is not really a handicap in terms of racing. I was of course very curious, as this is a brand new bike. I can’t even ask anyone what it is like,” Abraham says with a grin in his face. Following the post-injury rehabilitation in fall, he started practicing again. His training partner is kickboxer Tomáš Hron. “I need to get into shape again and if one has a training partner to motivate them, it is much easier. That said, the involuntary rest is a handicap that will affect my performance; not in terms of speed but stamina. Before the injury, I could easily make fifty test laps per day. It will take a while to get back to this number,” Abraham guesses. “We are doing our best to prepare me for the official tests in Qatar in March. Not to mention the first race of the season,” he adds.

At the beginning of the MotoGP season, racers and their teams will spend more time across the Atlantic Ocean than usual. After the traditional evening race in Qatar and the Austin, Texas race, the paddock will head for Argentina, where the last world championship race was held in 1999. “It is looking adventurous since the circuit is brand new and far inland. Transportation arrangements are quite complicated so I am very curious about that,” Abraham noted. The championship will return to Europe at the beginning of May. The Grand Prix of the Czech Republic will take place on 15–17 August. In addition to Karel Abraham, fans can look forward to Jakub Kornfeil and rookie Karel Hanika in Moto3.