Marc VDS Honda MotoGP rookies Franco Morbidelli and Thomas Luthi head for the start of the🃏 Europ꧟ean season at Jerez needing a step forward with the set-up of their RC213Vs.

Both were leftꦑ outside the points during a difficult Austin weekend, but this weekend w♚ill see Morbidelli able to call upon set-up data from a private test on the new Jerez surface in November (see video).

"After the difficult race we ha🐠d in Austin it will be important to regain so🔯me confidence this weekend in Jerez, which is a track we've tested at previously and for which we have more data and more experience compared to Argentina and Austin," said the reigning Moto2 champion, who had finished 12th and 14th prior to Austin.

"We know that Jerez is a track where controlling the power and the t🌊endency of the bike to wheelie out of the corners is imp✨ortant and that's what we need to focus on. We need to make another step forward with the bike, which will be the main goal this weekend."

Luthi missed the Jerez test due to injurie✃s from the 2017 Malaysian Moto2 Grand Prix weekend but should also benefit from the team's prior 😼track time.

"I'm 𝓡looking forward to racing in Europe again at Jerez," said the Swiss, still chasing his first premier-class points.

"It's unfortunate that I missed out on the November tesꦿt at the circuit, but it's positive that my🤪 crew were working there and that my crew chief Gilles Bigot already has some experience with the Honda RC213V at Jerez. Hopefully this means we will start the weekend on a little bit of a higher level.

"When I look back at Austin we couldn't really find any improvements on Saturday or Sunday and this is somethജing we need to change in Jerez, with the goal being to make a step each dayℱ and to secure some points on Sunday."

Team priܫncipal Michael Bartholemy said there will be nowhere to hide at Jerez if th🐻e set-up isn't working.

"After a reasonable start to the season in Qatar and Argentina we struggled to give both riders a set-up they felt comౠfortable with in Austin," he said.

"This we need to addre⛄ss this weekend in Jerez, a tight and twisty track that we know from th🧸e past punishes severely any weaknesses in set-up.

"This is important for us, as it will give us a good indication of exactly where we 🍃are with the bike and a clearer idea of which direction we need to work in with the set-up."

✨Marc VDS is still to confirm its 2019 machinery amid rumours of a change to eith๊er Suzuki or Yamaha.