Two comebacks in the Copa de España SSP600
Javier Pérez Molina signed two comebacks in a tough weekend at the Copa de España SSP600, a round shaped by mechanical problems, lost track time and the challenge of adapting to a category that is still new to him.
A difficult start
The weekend got off to a bad start on Friday. Gearbox problems kept Javier in the garage for free practice, taking away crucial time to get to know the bike and prepare for the weekend. Despite arriving at Saturday without a single lap of practice, he completed qualifying and secured his place on the grid.
We got to Saturday without riding on Friday and with very little time to prepare for qualifying. Even so, we qualified, and that was already important after the way the weekend had started.Javier Pérez Molina
Sprint: from last to P28
Javier started Saturday's Sprint from 30th. A poor start dropped him to 33rd, but he did not give up on the race. Lap by lap he clawed back ground and crossed the line in 28th, a five-place comeback.
The start wasn't good and I ended up last. From there I tried to stay calm, find my rhythm and make up places. I managed to climb back to P28, although I still lack experience to feel comfortable and make the most of every situation.Javier Pérez Molina
Sunday: P27 and the gearbox again
Sunday followed a similar script. Javier once again had to fight back from the last positions and moved up to 27th. However, the gearbox problems returned and limited his chances of making further progress during the race.
On Sunday we were able to come back again and reach P27, but the gearbox problems stopped us from going further. It's a shame because I wanted to keep gaining places, but I'm also taking the work we did to recover ground.Javier Pérez Molina
Learning the 600
For Javier, this season is a major adaptation process to SSP600. Until now his experience has mainly been on smaller bikes such as MiniGP, and the step up to a 600 means learning to manage a bike with more power, more weight and a faster pace.
I still have very little experience on a 600. I come from very small bikes and the switch to this category is tough. I have a lot to learn and adapt to, but every lap and every race helps me understand the bike better and gain confidence.Javier Pérez Molina
Despite the mechanical issues and missing Friday practice, the two comebacks and the work done in the races leave a positive balance in terms of experience and learning.