FIM Moto2 World Championship
Catalunya Circuit, Spain
June 15, 2014
Race Results (all using Honda engines and Dunlop tires):
1. Esteve “Tito” RABAT, Spain (KALEX), 23 laps, 41’23.197 157.6
2. Maverick VIÑALES, Spain (KALEX), -4.244 seconds
3. Johann ZARCO, France (CATERHAM SUTER), -11.157
4. Mika KALLIO, Finland (KALEX), -11.301
5. Thomas LUTHI, Switzerland (SUTER), -11.424
6. Mattia PASINI, Italy (KALEX), -16.761
7. Ricard CARDUS, Spain (TECH 3), -21.275
8. Axel PONS, Spain (KALEX), -32.793
9. Marcel SCHROTTER, Germany (TECH 3), -32.932
10. Anthony WEST, Australia (SPEED UP), -32.960
11. Lorenzo BALDASSARRI, Italy (SUTER), -33.076
12. Julian SIMON, Spain (KALEX), -33.369
13. Takaaki NAKAGAMI, Japan (KALEX), -36.190
14. Dominique AEGERTER, Switzerland (SUTER), -40.703
15. Louis ROSSI, France (KALEX), -40.904
16. Josh HERRIN, USA (CATERHAM SUTER), -47.541
17. Roman RAMOS, Spain (SPEED UP), -47.593
18. Robin MULHAUSER, Switzerland (SUTER), -47.644
19. Azlan SHAH, Malaysia (KALEX), -54.002
20. Nicolas TEROL, Spain (SUTER), -59.057
21. Franco MORBIDELLI, Italy (KALEX), -67.827, crash
22. Gino REA, UK (SUTER), -71.853
23. Tetsuta NAGASHIMA, Japan (TSR), -82.101, crash
24. Thitipong WAROKORN, Thailand (KALEX), -85.699
25. Randy KRUMMENACHER, Switzerland (SUTER), -86.978, crash
26. Alex DE ANGELIS, Sam Marino (SUTER), -4 laps, DNF, crash
27. Xavier SIMEON, Belgium (SUTER), -6 laps, DNF, crash
28. Jordi TORRES, Spain (SUTER), -7 laps, DNF, crash
29. Luis SALOM, Spain (KALEX), -21 laps, DNF, crash
30. Jonas FOLGER, Germany (KALEX), -21 laps, DNF, crash
31. Sandro CORTESE, Germany (KALEX), -22 laps, DNF, crash
32. Hafizh SYAHRIN, Malaysia (KALEX), -22 laps, DNF, retired
33. Sam LOWES, UK (SPEED UP), -23 laps, DNF, crash
34. Simone CORSI, Italy (KALEX), -23 laps, DNF, crash
World Championship Point Standings (after 7 of 18 races):
1. Rabat, 149 points
2. Kallio, 115
3. Vinales, 89
4. Aegerter, 71
5. Corsi, 66
6. Salom, 59
7. Luthi, 51
8. Folger, 47
9. TIE, Zarco/Lowes/West, 33
More, from a press release issued by AirAsia Caterham Moto2 Team:
First Podium for AirAsia Caterham Moto Racing as Zarco Takes Third in Barcelona
Circuit: Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya
Circuit Length: 4.727 m
Race Length: 23 laps
Weather
Race: Dry; (air temp) 25°, (track temp) 45°
Race day in Barcelona saw the AirAsia Caterham Moto Racing Team claim their first podium of the season with a triumphant third place finish from Johann Zarco.
Also finishing just outside the points, Moto2 rookie Josh Herrin put in an excellent performance battling throughout the 23 lap race to cross the finish line in a hard fought sixteenth place.
#5 Johann Zarco: P3
“I’m very happy about the podium. I started on the grid from eighth position and the target was to catch the top group and stay with them, have the pace and see what happens.
“The beginning of the race was a bit difficult and I could not catch this group. I was always some gap from them but lap by lap I could relax myself and feel like how I felt on Saturday, so finally I was able to do consistent lap times. I was seventh for quite a while then a long time fifth, then on the last lap I could see the fight for the podium was possible.
Luthi tried to overtake Kallio and they went wide a little bit on the hard brake, so I came inside and on the last three corners I just really hoped to keep my position.
“I’m just so happy because after Friday I was not looking at the podium but I kept calm and we worked as a team to find a solution on the bike and on the riding, so after the work we have a good result. Now I have to try to repeat it.
“Thank you to everybody and also to Tony Fernandes, Datuk Din and AirAsia. I hope we can continue to show our thanks with these results.”
#2 Josh Herrin: P16
“I feel really good right now. I’m happy not only to finish another race but to also be just one position away from the points. My goal was to get into the top twenty so I’m really happy to finish in sixteenth place.
“After the way our luck has been so far this season I think me and everyone else in the team are pleased with today’s result. I also just want to say congratulations to Zarco, it’s awesome that he’s got the team’s first podium and to see everyone real happy.
“Hopefully our luck continues into Assen and we have a good weekend there.”
Johan Stigefelt – Team Manager:
“It was a hard weekend to start with and then we found a way with Johann in FP3. We saw that we picked up the pace quite a lot but then struggled a bit in Qualifying. We continued to work on this in morning Warm Up and with the tyres working well, we had a good strategy for the race.
“Johann had a decent start but then lost a couple of positions but he kept his pace and had a very good rhythm. It was a nail biting last lap and watching him pass both Kallio and Luthi to take third was exceptional. He did a great job!
“For Josh the team has continued to work hard and never given up, so todays result has been great and I’m very happy for that. He put in a good performance and was battling throughout the race which was excellent to see.
“I just want to thank everyone, the whole team who have worked incredibly hard and have helped to make this happen, especially Johann for making a great race and of course I must say a big thank you to all of our partners, Tony Fernandes, Datuk Din, Mia Sharizman and AirAsia who have made this all possible. It’s a good reward to be able to show them that we are able to get the results.
“I’m just super happy for the whole team and what both Johann and Josh have done. Now we must try to take this momentum further, build on it, continue to work hard and go to Assen with high hopes.”
More, from a press release issued by Marc VDS Racing Team:
Masterful Rabat wins at home
Barcelona, Spain – 15 June 2014: Tito Rabat gave his home crowd something to cheer about today, as he took his fourth win of the season in masterful style in Barcelona. After leading the race on the opening lap, Mika Kallio dropped back to eventually finish fourth, after struggling for rear grip from lap six onwards.
Rabat, starting from pole for the fifth time this season, narrowly won the drag race with his teammate to lead the race into turn one, but found himself pushed back to third as first Kallio and the Maverick Viñales forced their way through. The 25-year-old Spaniard retook the race lead for the final time on lap three, eventually pulling away from the pursuing Viñales to win by over four seconds.
While Rabat celebrated the win, Kallio was left frustrated after narrowly missing out on the podium on the final lap of the race. The 31-year-old Finn led the opening lap, but with rear grip dropping off just six laps into the race he fell back into a fierce battle with Tom Lüthi, Dominique Aegerter and, in the final stages, Johann Zarco. On the final lap Kallio forced his way through into third, but was pushed back to fourth by a hard, but fair, move by Zarco just three corners from the chequered flag.
Rabat’s win puts him 34 points clear at the top of the Moto2 World Championship standings, with his Marc VDS teammate, Kallio, now second, with a 26 point advantage over Viñales in third.
Livio Loi looked set to fight his way into the points today, as he battled his way through the field from 23rd on the grid. The 17-year-old Belgian had just made contact with the group disputing tenth place, but a mistake saw him drop back down the order to eventually finish 25th.
Tito Rabat // Race Winner
“I’m very happy with the whole weekend. In the race I made a good start and I enjoyed a good battle with first Mika Kallio and then Maverick Viñales, but then I pushed very hard to get away and managed to pull a gap at the front of the race. It’s always special to win at home, because you can feel the support of the crowd, but now we need to focus on the next race at Assen, to make sure we arrive there at 100% and ready to try and win again.”
Mika Kallio // 4th
“The first four laps were okay, but then we had the same problem we had in qualifying, with the rear grip dropping completely down. After that there was nothing to do anymore. This problem we have with the really hard tyre has always been the same for me, especially here in Barcelona. This time was a little worse, because the tyres are even harder than in previous years. Hopefully they’ll bring tyres to Assen and Sachsenring that are at the softer end of the range. Anyway, I passed Lüthi at the end of the back straight for third, but then he came back and pushed us both wide. That meant we couldn’t get back on the throttle and it allowed Zarco to come up the inside. We touched and I ran wide, and that was it. I’m disappointed not to be on the podium, but satisfied that at least we picked up more points.”
Livio Loi // 25th
“Obviously I’m disappointed with the result. We knew it was going to be a tough race starting from 23rd position on the grid, but I got a good start and made up some places, only to get pushed off the track on the entry to turn one. I fought my way through to the head of the group I was in, but then five or six riders would pass me on the straight every time. Eventually I managed to close on the group ahead of me, but then made a small mistake and dropped right back. I’m not happy with the result. We still have some issue with the bike but, even so, points could have been possible today but for the mistake.”
More, from a press release issued by QMMF Racing Team:
West battles to tenth and finishes tough weekend on a high note –
Ramos celebrates his best ever finish with 17th place
QMMF Racing Team had reasons to celebrate to the Grand Prix of Catalunya, with both riders overcoming most of their difficulties in practice to take the best possible results. Anthony West, who had jumped into the deep end on Saturday when he decided to use a new frame on his Speed Up for the first time, started from 27th on the grid, but bounced back with an incredible first lap, which he ended in 13th position. From there, he thrilled the audience with a breathtaking battle that continued on until the chequered flag, that he saw in tenth position. West is now looking forward to the upcoming tests of the team in Aragón, where he will continue his work on the set-up of his new frame.
Team-mate Ramon Ramos showed similar strength at his home Grand Prix. Starting from 32nd place on the grid, he was in 24th position after one lap and kept gaining, partially thanks to his own, much-improved riding and partially due to the incidents in the race. He made up positions steadily and finally celebrated 17th place, his best result in the Moto2 world championship so far. Ramos will test the new frame in Aragón for the first time, with the aim of giving his results a further boost in the races to come.
Anthony West – 10th place
“I had quite a good start and passed a few riders on the first laps. I fought really hard and felt I could stay with de Angelis. I passed him and he passed me back really aggressively. In two corners, I felt his front tyre in the side of me, so we were really close. He pushed really hard to get past me and then I couldn’t get the grip to stay with him, so I lost contact to this group and had to fight all the way to the end. With the new frame, I started to feel more confident as the race went on. It was a good thing that we tried, because I felt stronger and stronger in the race, especially with the front. On the last lap, one rider pushed me right out in one of the corners and three riders got past me. I went full gas into the next corners and pushed them back as hard as they pushed me. It was close, but I am happy with this finish and our result after a tough weekend. I am now looking forward to our test in Aragón. We will try the old frame again to compare, but I am convinced of the new version that gives me a lot of confidence on the front. In other races, the front got worse and worse, but here it felt better as the race went on. If can the fix our issues on the rear end too, we are going to be very fast. I want to thank the mechanics for working so hard. They pulled the bike apart twice this weekend in the heat and they have done a great job!”
Roman Ramos – 17th placae
“It was a complicated weekend. Things didn’t turn out for us on Friday and not in qualifying either, so we tried something different again in the warm-up session this morning, which definitely improved the bike. It was more comfortable to ride and I was faster than in qualifying. I was confident to be able to push harder in the race and to fight for a better position. In the end my hopes came true, even though we gained some of the positions due to other incidents. But my gap to race winner Rabat was closer than ever before, which is a success for us. Next week I will have the chance to test the new chassis as well. I can’t wait for this opportunity!”
More, from a press release issued by AGT Rea Racing:
Off track excursion leaves AGT REA Racing in 22nd position at the Catalunya GP
AGT REA Racing came away from the GP Monster Energy de Catalunya in 22nd position following an off track excursion into the gravel trap on lap one. After avoiding the initial crash of the race at turn one, Gino Rea lost time when he overshot turn five and entered the gravel trap, falling into last position. It was a lonely race for Rea as he was unable to make up ground however his lap times would have left him competitive within the top 20.
Despite a frustrating finish to the weekend, AGT REA Racing were delighted to welcome Nick Davis to the team as their new crew chief. The team are anticipating better fortunes in the rounds ahead.
Gino Rea: “The race was a real shame. After I avoided the crash in turn one, I ran off the track and through the gravel and by the time I re-joined the race I was a long way behind everyone. From then on I was pretty much on my own and only caught a couple of riders. It is a shame because my lap times were similar to the group in the top 20. If I hadn’t have ran off I think I could have been in that group and maybe we could have come away with a season’s best. We still have a lot of work to do and we need to be able to qualify higher so I’m looking forward to moving on to the next race.”
Team Principal, Dave Peterson: “We are happy to welcome Nick Davis to the team. He brings a level of professionalism and communication that we haven’t had until this point. Hopefully we will see results of that professionalism in Assen.”
AGT REA Racing hope to ride at the Aragon circuit this week to make up for their season’s testing deficit. The team’s 8th Grand Prix appearance will take place at Assen, Netherlands on June 28th.