Rabat takes his first win of the season in Mugello
Mugello, Italy: Tito Rabat took his first race win of the 2015 season, after a masterful performance saw him hold off a hard charging Johann Zarco in the Italian Moto2 Grand Prix at Mugello this afternoon.
Having bided his time in the early laps the reigning Moto2 World Champion pounced on lap seven, wrestling the race lead from Dominique Aegerter, which he then held to the chequered flag.
The win saw Rabat move to second in the championship standings, as well as closing the gap to series leader Zarco to just 31 points. With three podiums in as many races, including the win today, the 26-year-old Spaniard’s title defence is back on track.
Álex Márquez took a hard fought 12th place today, after a difficult start and then losing places as a result of another rider’s crash. The reigning Moto3 World Champion battled throughout the race with Alex Rins, despite contact from Mika Kallio causing some problems with his Kalex Moto2 machine. Márquez was pleased with the progress that he made at Mugello and will have plenty of reasons to feel optimistic ahead of the Barcelona race, as he continues to adapt to the Moto2 class.
Tito Rabat: Race Winner
“I am very happy to finally get a win this season, as it’s taken some hard work from both me and the team to get to this point. Every race we have improved and now we can win again, so big thanks to my crew, who have worked tirelessly to put us back on the top step of the podium. It was a tough race as I was having a few problems with the front in the last laps, but I knew I had enough left to hold off Zarco at the end.”
Álex Márquez: 12th
“Today I didn’t make a good start, I fell to the back of the field at the first corner, and I tried to recover but with so many riders in front of me I lost a lot of time. When I did fight my way through then Morbidelli and Rins touched and Morbidelli went down in front of me, losing me a lot of time. I recovered that time again and that’s positive for me but I had a lot of problems with the bike after I touched Kallio and we need to check what happened. But, overall, my rhythm wasn’t bad. I need a better result for the team and myself but we’ll keep going and improve step by step.”
Michael Bartholemy: Team Principal
“I think that was what we’ve been working towards after the three difficult races to start the season and in the last two races we were missing a little bit to make it happen, but we can now see that the package is competitive. This win is what we need and it will help build Tito’s confidence ahead of Barcelona. He’s fast again and he’ll be at home so I think his title defence will now get stronger because of the work done today. It was a good race from Alex too and I think that he could have been closer to the top 10 but he was behind the accident between Kallio and Morbidelli and he lost five positions. However, he fought back and he was able to fight with Rins today and for sure Alex will go much more confident to the next race in Catalunya.”
More, from a press release issued by QMMF Racing:
Julian Simon storms to seventh place in Italy – West 19th
QMMF Racing Team rider Julian Simon stormed to seventh place at the Italian Grand Prix and moved up to ninth place in the Moto2 world championship classification. The 28-year-old Spaniard had a flawless start from twelfth position on the grid, was in tenth place after one lap and continued to make rapid progress, moving up to seventh spot in only the seventh lap. Delighted with the set-up of his Speed Up prototype, he now looks forward to his home race in Barcelona in two weeks, where he is determined to fight for an even better result.
Team-mate Anthony West, who struggled to find the right feeling on the challenging 5.2 kilometer track all weekend long, managed to recover positions as well. Starting from 30th place on the grid, he battled his way to 19th when the chequered flag came down. The race of the 33-year-old Australian was better than his practice performance, but not enough to make him happy. He is no focused to put a difficult weekend behind him and to make a fresh start at the Catalunya Grand Prix.
Julian Simon – 7th
“I am really happy with this result and with the way the whole weekend went. Congratulations to the team, which has done really good work. They gave me a fast and strong bike, but they also pushed me to make a good race, which I did! In the past, this track was always difficult for me, but this year, riding at Mugello was a lot of fun. I had a good start, which was crucial, and I recovered more positions in the first corner. I am happy about this and about the setting of the bike that allowed me to be very consistant. I was able to push the whole race and I am just sorry that two laps from the end I ran off the line at the first chicane, After that, I thought it was better to take the seventh place home than to take more risks. I want to thank the federation and the team for all their support. I now look forward to the next race in Barcelona. This will be my home Grand Prix and I will push even harder to make a good result!”
Anthony West – 19th
“There is not much I can say. I am disappointed with the whole weekend and in myself, because I wasn’t able to go fast. Here on this track I don’t know what it is: Every time I come here, I can’t go fast, I am really slow and I am disappointed that I can’t do anything to fix it. I don’t know what it is, maybe a mental block, because I can’t get it together here on this track. I am not really happy with the result and I hope we can do better in Barcelona!”
More, from a press release issued by Tech 3:
Determined rides by Tech3 duo at Mugello
Tech3 Racing Team rider Marcel Schrotter met the chequered flag in 16th place today at the Mugello circuit to conclude a tricky weekend in Italy for round 6 of the 2015 Moto2 World Championship. The young German began the 21 lap sprint around the 5247 metre circuit from 19th on the grid and after the typically intense opening laps in the Moto2 class, he was running in 16th on lap five. Despite a challenging weekend, the young German dug deep as he looked to carry on moving through the field back into the top 15. He continued to push and with six laps remaining, he was in 17th before eventually completing the race in 16th place as he just missed out on the points, despite his best efforts.
Meanwhile, Ricky Cardus finished the Gran Premio d’Italia TIM in 17th position after a hard fought race in the fiercely competitive intermediate class. The Spanish rider started the Grand Prix in 22nd before he completed the first lap two positions higher. Cardus set into his race pace and he was running in 18th at just over the half way point of the race. As the end of the event moved closer, Cardus continued to attempt to plug the gap to the rider in front and ultimately crossed the finish line in 17th position and just over a tenth of a second behind his teammate. The 26 year old rider now looks on towards his home race at the next round in Barcelona.
Marcel Schrotter : 16th – Championship : 20th – Points : 12
“We hoped to close this tricky weekend with a good result and I am happy to have finished the GP, even though it’s disappointing to be outside of the points. We knew it was always going to be tough in the race as we didn’t have much time to work on the bike due to the crashes I had. I wasn’t feeling too confident as I had to start the race without being able to amend the issues which we experienced over the weekend. So the setup for the race was a bit of a gamble and I never really felt comfortable. Overall, it was tough weekend for everyone in the team. The guys are always trying to give me the best possible bike but we definitely need track time to get a good setup, and more confidence for me, in order to have success. I gave my all today, however, next time we will hopefully have a better weekend and get back to the positions we should be riding in.”
Ricky Cardus : 17th – Championship : Not Classified
“I’m happy that I managed to move up a few places from my qualifying position, but it was still a disappointing weekend compared to last year. This track is not my favourite one, but nevertheless, I was happy that I could improve my riding style in the last three days and the handling of the bike got better in every practice. We have gradually improved the feeling with the front and now my confidence with it is about 80% which is good progress compared to the start of the year. Having said that, we had an issue in acceleration as we couldn’t take full advantage of the power that we had available. If I didn’t have this, I feel that I could have been fighting with Marquez and Rins. I pushed hard from the start and in every practice, things improved but I must thank the team as they encouraged me and gave me a better bike every day. In Montmelo I think both the Mistral and I will be more competitive so now I look onwards to my home race in a fortnight.”
Hervé Poncharal – Team Manger :
“We had strong expectations for the Tech3 Racing Team riders in Mugello and in the end, it was a big disappointment to finish in 16th and 17th. A few riders crashed in front of us, so it was a good opportunity for Marcel and Ricky to capitalise on this and get some championship points. However, it wasn’t meant to be today. The whole weekend was frustrating as we were never in the hunt and there were too many crashes so we now need to work out how to regroup and motivate everyone again. Moto2 is a tough class and there is no room for people who aren’t top riders and we are not where we should be in the races. We are leaving Mugello with a bitter taste in our mouths, but we hope to bounce back in Barcelona with a pair of point scoring finishes.”
More, from a press release issued by Team Gresini Moto2:
MATTIA PASINI FIGHTS TO THE END TO CLAIM 18th IN HIS RACING RETURN
The Mugello weekend ended positively today for Mattia Pasini, at the start of the Italian Grand Prix as a Wild Card riding the Team Gresini Moto2 Kalex. Away from the competitions since the final GP of the 2014 season, the italian rider had a good start from the sixth row, moving up to the thirteenth position on the fifth lap, eventually crossing the finish line in 18th.
MATTIA PASINI (18th)
“My bike was really good today and sincerely it had the potential to allow me to stay with Alex Rins and Alex Marquez, in the positions immediately behind the top ten. However, starting a race after a long break it’s not easy: in fact, I had to get used to so many situations today, to which my rivals were already used from the first race of the season. I can therefore be satisfied with this performance: we made a nice weekend and even though I could collect more today, it’s also true that it was important to see the checkered flag, without making mistakes. We succeeded and I think this is the right way to try to start a new path”.
FAUSTO GRESINI
“Pasini did a very good job throughout the whole weekend: returning to such a competitive championship as the Moto2 World Championship after a long break was not easy, but Mattia proved to know how to defend himself very well in the race today. I’m satisfied with his result”.
More, from a press release issued by Team Federal Oil Gresini:
SIMEON CLINCHES SIXTH PLACE AND TEN VALUABLE POINTS IN ITALY
Today’s Moto2 Italian Grand Prix at Mugello saw Xavier Siméon collecting another positive result: aboard the Team Federal Oil Gresini Moto2 Kalex, the 25-year-old Belgian rider produced a determined performance crossing the finish line in sixth place. Simeon was able to put in a good pace, losing only a little in the last sector of the Tuscan track, finished the race just two seconds off the podium: a performance that bodes well ahead the forthcoming race in Barcelona.
XAVIER SIMÉON (6th)
“I had a good start then, as happened in Le Mans, in the early stages of the race I was not very aggressive; I preferred to avoid mistakes, especially after seeing Luthi’s crash and the mistake made by Lowes. Later I set my pace, still trying not to push over the limit. My bike worked very well today, even if I was losing some ground in the last sector of the track, the T4. Without that problem we could fight for the podium today, but the sixth place satisfy us anyway. I’m glad I brought home 10 points; now we focus on the next race in Barcelona trying to follow this path, and try to do even better”.
FAUSTO GRESINI
“Today Simeon raced very well, conquering with determination a good sixth place. Xavier struggled a bit with the set-up, but nevertheless he fought hard, bringing home some good points for the championship. A result that satisfies me. Now we want to continue like this in Barcelona”.
More, from a press release issued by Forward Racing:
Top10 for Baldassarri at Mugello
Lorenzo Baldassarri brings home a good 10th position for the Athinà Forward Racing team after the Italian Grand Prix is over.
The young Italian rider 16th on the grid was sporting a tricolor livery for the occasion. He had a very good the start and was able to recover several positions. After a fight with Salom, Simeon and Simon he finished the race in tenth position.
It was a race to forget for Simone Corsi who had to retire when he was in second position. After a good start, at the end of the first lap the Italian and Sam Lowes made contact and Corsi fell. He went back on track only to retire after 5 laps.
Simone Corsi
“Unfortunately the race finished ahead of schedule. I started well and I was fighting to stay with the race leader but at the end of the first lap, when I was second, I crashed after making contact with Lowes. It’s a shame: the feeling was good and certainly I could have fought for the podium in front of the Italian fans”.
Lorenzo Baldassarri
“I’m happy with this tenth place in front of my home crowd. It was really an all-out race: I had a good start, right away I was in the Top10 and I did the race with the fastest. I was struggling a bit on the straight and on the last corner, but the feeling was good. I am pleased with these points, after Le Mans it was important to turn the page”.
More, from a press release issued by KTM:
MIGUEL OLIVEIRA TAKES AN IMPRESSIVE MOTO3 VICTORY AT MUGELLO
Miguel Oliveira of Red Bull KTM Ajo rode a tactically clever and a superbly fought race on Sunday to win the Moto3 GP of Italy on the sweeping Mugello circuit. It was his first career win and the first ever for a Portuguese rider.
Danny Kent of the UK was second and Romano Fenati of Italy took third place to give KTM two of the three podiums.
The race, one of the closest ever in Moto3, saw the first six riders cross the line within one second of each other with a following pack of another 10 in hot pursuit.
Oliveira was running at ninth place in Lap 6 but immediately jumped to the front and stayed in the top group throughout the rest of the 20-lap race. He showed admirable corner speed and was very strong on the brakes on the circuit that is carved out of the natural landscape.
Going into the final lap was still anyone’s race and Oliveira let Fenati briefly have the lead. But under threat from at least another five riders he immediately took charge again.
Miguel Oliveira: “I practiced the move for the last corner many times during the race. I didn’t want to be in the lead in the final lap but in the end I didn’t have any choice. I knew I was very strong in the final corner.”
Romano Fenati: “This was a very close race and I had to fight a lot. It was very difficult and my tire dropped down very quickly. But its good to be on the podium and that is always important.”
Following Sunday’s race Oliveira moves up to fourth in the standings and sits just one point behind Fenati. Championship leader is still Danny Kent of the UK.
Red Bull KTM Ajo’s South African rider Brad Binder was also a major player in the race and maintained a top five place for the first two thirds of the race. Another strong KTM rider was Jakub Kornfeil of the Czech Republic and like Binder he was up with the leaders right up to lap 15. Both riders lost out however in the final dash to the line in this closely contested round.
Undoubtedly the most disappointed rider of the day was Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Karel Hanika. The Czech rider started from the front row for the first time in his career and stuck with the leaders right through to the final lap. He then had a close encounter with Efren Vazquez and went off the track. Hanika rejoined the race to finish near the back of the field.
Riders now have a two-week break before the next round, the GP of Catalunya.
Moto GP of Italy – Autodromo del Mugello – Round 6
Moto3 Results
1, Miquel Oliveira, POR, KTM, 39:39.510
2, Danny Kent, GBR, Honda, 39:39.581
3, Romano Fenati, ITA, KTM, 39:39.637
4, Francesco Bagnaia, ITA, Mahindra, 39:39.640
5, Enea Bastianini, ITA, Honda, 39:39.710
6, Niccolo Antonelli, ITA, Honda, 39:39.891
7, Jorge Navarro, ESP, Honda, 39:41.008
8, Isaac Viñales, ESP, Husqvarna, 39:41.086
9, Alex Masbou, FRA, Honda, 39:41.495
10, Brad Binder, RSA, KTM, 39:41.649
Other KTM
12, Niklas Ajo, FIN, KTM, 39:44.652
15, Andrea Migno ITA, KTM, 39:45.160
16, Jakub Kornfeil, CZE, KTM, 39:46.760
22, Philipp Oettl, GER, KTM, 40:05.958
25, Ana Carrasco, ESP, KTM, 40:07.686
26, Zulfahmi Khairuddin, MAL, KTM, 40:07.732
28, Karel Hanika, CZE, KTM, 40:14.135
DNF, Gabriel Rodrigo, ARG, KTM, 20:06.288
Moto3 Standings after Round 6
1, Kent, 124
2, Bastianini, 78
3, Fenati, 67
4, Oliveira, 66
5, Efren Vazquez, ESP, Honda, 60
6, Viñales, 55
7, Fabio Quartararo, FRA, Honda, 52
8, Bagnaia, 50
9, Brad Binder, 50
10, Masbou, 33
Other KTM
14, Hanika, 18
15, Kornfeil, 17
18, Migno, 12
19, Ajo, 12
21, Oettl, 11
25, Khairuddin, 2
Moto3 Manufacturers Standings after Round 6
1, Honda, 140
2, KTM, 100
3, Husqvarna, 55
Next Round: June 14 Catalunya, Spain