Danny Webb happy with form in rain-hit Jerez Moto3 test

Danny Webb has declared himself satisfied with his form in both wet and dry conditions at the end of a three-day Moto3 test session in Jerez that was badly disrupted by cold and wet conditions.

The Kent rider topped the timesheets on a rain-hit opening day earlier this week and then followed up that impressive display to finish ninth quickest on the only dry day of the second pre-season test for the 250cc four-stroke single world championship class.

Rain once again played a major part in the final day today and wanting to remain injury-free ahead of next month’s final pre-season showdown in Jerez, Webb opted not to ride.
The Ambrogio Racing rider, who will race a Suter-Honda machine in 2013, told MCN: “It was a good and positive test despite the weather.

I built my confidence up a lot from the first test in Valencia and I was quickest in the wet and fastest by quite a way when the track was really wet. I just went out and immediately had a really good feeling on the bike in the rain. I kept pushing and felt like I could do anything on it and it kept gripping. I was happy and felt comfortable so I pulled the pin a bit to see what I could do.”

Webb admitted that he is yet to tap into the full potential of the Suter-Honda package while he stries to rebuild his confidence in the wake of a disastrous 2012.

Webb campaigned the woefully uncompetitive and unreliable Mahindra machine last season and for the first time in his six-year world championship career he failed to score a single point.

He said the confidence is gradually coming back and he added: “I’m just trying to get more confident because last year was a disaster and I knew the first test in Valencia wasn’t going to be that great because of the hangover from last year.

This week I’ve felt a lot better although I still don’t feel 100% confident. My confidence is lacking a bit when the bike moves about or it loses a bit of power. It starts making my mind wonder and I need to get out of my head thinking about what might happen.”

Explaining why he opted to sit on the sidelines on the final day, the 21-year-old said: “It was drying out towards the end but there was no point in going out and hitting a damp patch and maybe getting hurt.

There’s only three weeks to the last test and it is better to be fit for that rather than going out and risking a crash when you are not going to be setting a decent time anyway.”