MICHELIN SEES LORENZO VICTORIOUS AT A VIBRANT VALENCIA
Michelin saw the 2016 MotoGP™ World Championship draw to an impressive conclusion as Jorge Lorenzo (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) ended the season where he started it in Qatar by taking victory and recording a new lap and race record in the process at today’s Gran Premio Motul de la Comunitat Valenciana in Spain.
Lorenzo started from pole position after setting the best-ever lap around the 4,005m Valencian circuit, with a time of 1’29.401 yesterday. Using the latest edition MICHELIN Power Slick medium compound front tyre, which has a new profile and is aimed for the 2017 season, the Spaniard got the holeshot from the start and led at the end of lap-one. Lorenzo never came under any real threat at the front and held first place for the rest of the proceedings, setting the race lap record on the fifth circulation as he recorded a time of 1’31.171. He finished the 30-laps in 45’54.228 to set a new race record at Valencia, a feat which Lorenzo had also completed at Qatar during his – and the MotoGP field’s – first outing on Michelin tyres this season.
The battle behind for the remaining podium positions was as intense and enthralling as any seen this season. A five-way tussle soon developed behind Lorenzo featuring World Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda), Andrea Iannone (Ducati Team), Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP), Maverick Viñales (Team SUZUKI ECSTAR) and Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team). The five modern-day gladiators clashed at every opportunity with numerous overtaking manoeuvres making for exciting racing and positions changing hands regularly. As the race progressed Marquez broke the shackles of the remaining quartet and tried to chase Lorenzo, he set many fast sectors as his new for 2017 MICHELIN Power Slick hard compound front tyre worked perfectly in the latter stages of the race. Marquez managed to take a large amount of time out of what was now an unassailable lead for Lorenzo, and despite his late charge the five-time World Champion had to settle for second.
A huge and colourful crowd of 110,050 packed the grandstands around the circuit to witness Iannone secure the final rostrum position after a thrilling head-to-head with Rossi which saw the two change places many times. Rossi was fourth with Viñales following him over the line for fifth. Pol Espargaro (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) took sixth and the position of First Independent Team Rider, with Dovizioso a very close seventh. Eighth place was secured by Aleix Espargaro (Team SUZUKI ECSTAR) and Bradley Smith (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) was ninth. Alvaro Bautista (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) rounded out the top-ten.
Michelin had a new profile front tyre available for this weekend that is a part of the plans for 2017. All the riders were given the option to use this latest version of the MICHELIN Power Slick and over 75% of the field chose to race with this new option today. Further evaluation of this tyre, plus some more of the latest front versions from the French company, will be tested at a two-day test in Valencia this week.
Michelin will be present at many winter season tests appraising the new tyres and gathering data in readiness for the start of the 2017 season, which is scheduled to get underway beneath the floodlights of Qatar next March.
Jorge Lorenzo – Movistar Yamaha MotoGP:
“I want to congratulate the work done by Michelin during the year. We improved the front tyre so much that now the front is more able to compensate the grip of the rear. Little-by-little we have also improved the rear as well after the problems of Argentina and Sepang and now this weekend we have had very competitive tyres. This was demonstrated by breaking the record on Saturday, taking the lap-record on Sunday and getting the race record as well.”
Nicolas Goubert – Deputy Director, Technical Director and Supervisor of the MotoGP Programme:
“This has been a very good weekend for us and we are extremely satisfied with the results we have achieved. We brought one of the new profile front tyres that we have for 2017 here this weekend and all the riders tried it, with many of them choosing to use it during the race. This is a clear indication that we are heading in the right direction for next year and the riders are happy with what we have to offer. Today we saw the lap-record and race record broken and yesterday the overall track record was surpassed, this also happened at the first race of the season at Qatar and at Misano, we are pleased to have gotten these results as it demonstrates that the progression has been throughout the season and not at just one race. We know we still have a lot of work to do and that starts on Tuesday with the first test for 2017. Overall we are quite pleased with how everything has gone in 2016, we have had issues to overcome and we believe we have faced up to all challenges and tried to find solutions for most eventualities. The whole Michelin team has worked very hard and I would like to thank them for their professionalism and dedication and we all look forward to more success next year.”
More, from a press release issued by Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS:
Morbidelli secures podium finish with sensational ride in Valencia
Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS rider Franco Morbidelli completed the Moto2 World Championship with a sensational ride into third place in Valencia today.
Morbidelli was a star player in a breathtaking season finale that delivered the 21-year-old Italian his eighth podium finish from 18 races. It was his fifth consecutive podium in a superb end to the season.
The 27-lap race featured a fierce, uncompromising fight between Morbidelli and Moto2 World Champion Johann Zarco, with a series of extremely close but clean overtakes.
While Morbidelli controlled the front-running mid-race the battle took its toll on rear tyre endurance and his pace began to fade with two laps remaining. On the final lap Morbidelli was forced to concede second place to Tom Lüthi to ensure he finished on the podium.
Morbidelli’s fast and consistent end to 2016 has announced him as a contender for the 2017 Moto2 World Championship with Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS.
With 213 points Morbidelli finished fourth in the standings, just one point behind third-placed Álex Rins.
For Álex Márquez it was painful end to the season with the 20-year-old Spaniard retiring after 17 laps with arm pump. The 14-turn Ricardo Tormo Circuit is one of the most physically demanding on the calendar and despite pain-killing injections Márquez succumbed to the issue with his left arm after suffering through practice and qualifying.
With a best result of second in the Aragon GP Márquez finished the championship in 13th place with 69 points and will now have surgery on his left arm.
The spectacular end to the season was enjoyed by a huge crowd of 110,050 people.
Franco Morbidelli: 3rd
“I had a very enjoyable race but also some bad lack because unfortunately with two laps remaining my rear tyre was destroyed and that cost me second place. But it was a lot of fun racing Zarco, we did so many overtakes that were on the limit but clean. Towards the end of the race I could not keep Zarco’s pace and just made sure I got the podium with third on the final lap. I want to thank everyone in my team for what has been fantastic finish to the season.”
Álex Márquez: DNF
“I knew after the problems with my arm in practice and qualifying it would be a difficult race but I tried to be positive and hope that after some laps the arm pump would go away. But every lap it got worse and I could not even operate the clutch to shift down properly. It was too dangerous to continue so I decided to stop. Now I will do the final test in Jerez and then have surgery on my arm to be ready for next season.”
Michael Bartholemy: Team Principal
“This was a really nice race and Franco put on a great show for the spectators, it is what motorcycle racing is all about. Unfortunately for Franco his rear tyre was destroyed in the battle with Johann Zarco and then at end he was caught by Tom Lüthi and this cost him third in the championship by just one point. But it was a fantastic season by Franco, he was one of the fastest guys on the track in the second half of the season and this is a good platform for next year. With all the left corners at Valencia it was difficult for Álex with his arm pump but he will have surgery in the winter and be back strong for 2017.”
More, from a press release issued by Gresini Racing:
DETERMINED LOWES WRAPS UP 2016 AT VALENCIA WITH A GOOD FOURTH PLACE
Sam Lowes claimed a good fourth place finish in today’s Grand Prix of Valencia at the Ricardo Tormo circuit: on his final race with the Team Federal Oil Gresini Moto2 before moving up to MotoGP, the 26-year-old British rider produced a solid performance, grabbing the fourth position with a nice pass on Alex Rins on the final lap.
Started from the third row with the seventh fastest time, Lowes took fifth place on lap 12 passing Julian Simon, then he pushed hard to close the gap on Alex Rins, overtaking him just a few corners from the finish.
Thanks to this result, Lowes maintained the fifth position in the World Championship with 175 points.
SAM LOWES (4th)
“After three bad races it was important to finish, and we did it. I knew I could keep a similar pace to the fastest riders, and we did it; the problem is that I was not so fast in the first 3 or 4 laps. I was a bit nervous at the start considering that all the crashes in the previous Grands Prix took place in the early stages of the race. Later, however, I could relax and I dug deep: it was not the best ride of the year, but it was a positive one and it’s important to end the Championship in the top five, although we deserved much more. This year I had a great time, the team is fantastic and I want to thank everyone”.
FAUSTO GRESINI
“I’m very happy with today’s result: it was important to finish the race and we hit our target of maintaining the fifth position in the Championship. Sam rode a good race, grabbing the fourth place in the final lap, and crossing the finish line very close to the riders in front of him. The Championship didn’t go as we hoped because of some mistakes, although actually we have been strong and competitive throughout the whole season, so we can be satisfied. I thank the whole team, Sam, and our sponsors and partners for the support they have always shown”.
More, from a press release issued by DRIVE M7 SIC Racing Team:
SENSATIONAL SEVENTH FOR KORNFEIL; TECHNICAL HINDERS NORRODIN IN SEASON FINALE
Comunitat Valenciana – Ricardo Tormo, Spain – Sunday 13th November
Circuit: Circuito de la Comunitat Valenciana
Circuit Length: 4.0 km
The final Moto3 race of 2016 saw mixed emotions for the DRIVE M7 SIC Racing Team with Jakub Kornfeil having a heroic ride to 7th place, whilst teammate Adam Norrodin was hindered with a technical issue, concluding the Valencia Grand Prix in 27th position.
Riding the #84 Honda for the last time, Jakub Kornfeil made an emotional exit from the team, giving everything to the season finale. The 23-year-old made a blistering start off the line gaining an impressive twelve places in the first lap alone. Putting in one of his best performances of the year, Kornfeil ploughed his way through the field and up to fifth place. Fighting with the leaders and setting some of the fastest laps of the race, the Czech rider overcame an unfortunate penalty and deteriorating tyres, to conclude his sensational performance in a superb seventh place and achieving 8th place overall in the Moto3 World Championship.
Adam Norrodin ended his rookie year in the field on a tougher note, as he battled with a technical issue from the start of the twenty four lap race. Refusing to give up but unable to make any significant progress, the young Malaysian rider admirably persevered as he tried to build his rhythm and improve his pace. Despite his finishing position today, Norrodin is happy with what he has learned during his first year in the 250cc class and is confident that he can come back fighting for the team in 2017.
Johan Stigefelt – Team Manager
“Jakub did an unbelievable job in his race today; the first few laps he was on fire. He really wanted to do well here and that’s exactly what he did. He caught the first group and was with them running in the top five for the majority of the race. From starting in twenty fourth position, this was fantastic to see. I’m very pleased with Jakub’s performance today. It’s a shame he had to drop one position during the race due to exceeding the track limit, but it was still an exceptional race from him and we couldn’t have asked for a lot more. I’m very happy to have finished eighth overall in the Championship with Jakub; this is our best position in Moto3 after these first two years.
Unfortunately for Adam he had a very difficult race here in Valencia. From the start he struggled to get up to speed. He couldn’t find his rhythm and from the beginning of the race he felt like there was something not quite right with the bike, so it was very hard for him to make any progress. He finished but not in the way we had hoped for. Now he has to go back and work hard over the winter so that he is strong both mentally and physically for next year.
I want to say thank you to Jakub, Adam and the whole team; everyone has given there all to this year and have done an amazing job. We have adapted well to the Honda and improved throughout the season. We will again continue with Honda next year, so I’m confident that this will give us a good advantage for 2017.”
#84 Jakub Kornfeil – P7
“I feel very happy; if someone told me we would get this result before the race I would not have believed them. To go from twenty fourth to seventh is great. I really enjoyed it. Many times I was the fastest guy on track. It felt really good to be able to overtake people the way I did and I really enjoyed fighting from the beginning; my bike was so good and it was my bike that allowed me to do this. I’m very happy for the setting and what my crew chief did because if I didn’t have this, for sure I wouldn’t have finished the first lap in eleventh place. The only small issue I had was that my tyres were going off because I was too aggressive with them at the beginning of the race; this is why I couldn’t stay with the leading group at the very end. The last eight or nine laps were quite hard and it was very much about damage limitation. With a few laps to go I got a penalty, so unfortunately I had to let one other rider in front of me. I lost a position but then I passed him again and was trying to catch the others ahead, but by then there just wasn’t enough laps left.
I want to say a huge thanks to my guys! My bike is so good now and this makes it very difficult to leave the team; the basic setting is so strong. Nevertheless I have had a great two years with everyone and I’m very happy to end our time together with a good result. It’s a little bit emotional.
Thank you to all the sponsors who made this year happen, the fans and especially my crew who never made any mistakes, always supported me and gave their all; they are fantastic! I want to say a huge thank you and goodbye.”
#7 Adam Norrodin – P27
“After crashing in qualifying my confidence was not so high this morning but I was able to build it back up during Warm Up and I felt ready for the race. My start off the line went well and I gained some positions, but then very quickly I felt that something wasn’t quite right with the front of the bike. It felt very strange and I was quite nervous to push too much. Unfortunately this is why I dropped so far back. I’m disappointed because I really wanted to finish my first season in Moto3 with a good result. I’m sorry to the team that I couldn’t do this today. I would also like to thank them for all their hard work this year; for trusting in me and giving me this chance. I have learned a lot. Next year I will come back stronger.”
More, from a press release issued by Tech 3 Racing:
Vierge clinches Rookie of the Year title with superbly executed ride in Valencia
Xavi Vierge rounded out the 2016 season with a strong run to 12th in the grand finale which saw him conclude the year as the top rookie in the fiercely competitive intermediate class. The 19-year-old commenced the race from the seventh row of the grid and he leapt up five places by the third lap before immediately setting into a positive rhythm. After ten laps, he remained in 14th, but he carried on pushing as he lapped at a consistent and formidable pace. Then, Miguel Oliveira, one of the challengers for the Rookie of the Year title, attempted to close in on Vierge, but the Spaniard showed amazing determination to hold off the pursuing rider. The distance dialled down and the Tech3 Racing Team rider expertly held his nerve to power across the finish line in 12th which marks a highly positive close to what has been an impressive 2016 campaign aboard the Mistral 610.
Isaac Viñales suffered a contrasting fortune to his teammate after he endured a tough final race for the Tech3 Racing Team where he retired from the sprint on the eleventh lap. The 22-year-old kicked off his last Grand Prix aboard the Mistral 610 from the tenth row of the grid, and after a solid start, he muscled his way up two places by the beginning of lap two. Yet, shortly after, he encountered grip issues which forced him to pit, closing his time with the team in an unfortunate way.
Xavi Vierge
Position: 12th – Championship: 20th – Points: 37
“I am delighted with my performance in the last event of the season and it’s super to end the year as the top rookie. We commenced the weekend well, but yesterday afternoon and also in the warm-up this morning, we had an issue with the braking. However, before the start of the GP, the team made some changes and then in the race, everything was perfect and the Mistral was great fun to ride. I pushed to the limit throughout the sprint, but the last part of the Grand Prix, in particular, was tough because Oliveira caught me by a tenth of a second in every lap. Yet, in the final five laps, I rode as hard as I could and it’s great to finish in 12th and as the Rookie of the Year. Thank you so much to the Tech3 Racing Team, my family and also my sponsors who have all supported me, I am really happy with how this racing year has ended.”
Isaac Viñales
Position: DNF – Championship: 24th – Points: 19
“My final race with the Tech3 Racing Team did not go the way I wanted it to and it’s a massive pity to finish my time with the crew like this. I had an issue with the grip and there was a lack of traction with the rear tyre, so unfortunately, I slipped down the order in the race because of this. In the end, I thought it was better to enter the pit box and retire. Again, it’s a pity to end the season in this manner, but thanks to the Tech3 Racing Team for their work this year.”
Herve Poncharal – Team Manager:
“It was an incredible finish to the Moto2 World Championship for the Tech3 Racing Team. We knew that there was a chance of Xavi winning the Rookie of the Year title, but we also understood how strong Miguel Oliveira is, after he finished as the runner-up in the Moto3 class last year plus, he also won the GP at this track 12 months ago. He is a strong rider, and furthermore, Marini, the other rival in the battle for the title, was ahead of us on the grid, so it was always going to be a close fight. Despite an average qualifying, Xavi had another great start and rode some incredible lap times to keep Oliveira behind him for the entire GP, which is fantastic. Xavi being the top rookie in 2016 means a lot for us because, as everyone knows, we run the Mistral 610, which is our own machine, in this very competitive class. Xavi was also a bit of a gamble for us. We took him from the Spanish CEV Championship and from the TargoBank CNS Team run by Raúl Millán. Since then, we have been learning how to work together and we have made some great advances at every round. I really want to thank Xavi as well as the entire team for their hard work and commitment, and I must also give an extra special thanks to KYB who have been tremendously helpful and supportive, as have Nissin, Sakura and everyone around us. Xavi fully deserves his success and I hope he has a good time celebrating tonight! 2017 is a new chapter and we would like to take this opportunity to welcome Remy Gardner once again, who will partner Xavi next year. Thanks again to the crew and on Wednesday in Aragon we will be back on the track for testing.”
More, from a press release issued by RBA Racing Team:
Guevara ends the season with a strong sixth position at Valencia, Rodrigo crashes out
Cheste, Spain
Today the Ricardo Tormo circuit hosted the last race of the 2016 Moto3 World Championship.
The day started with a solid warm up for Guevara, who set the third best lap with the time of 1’40.396. In the race, the Spaniard started from the second row and he faced the first few laps with caution. Once he made it through the initial phase, Juanfran started setting a consistent pace and made his comeback, approaching the front group. Guevara crossed the finishing line in sixth position, achieving 10 points for the World Championship Standings.
Rodrigo was very close to the Top-3 in the warm up of this morning, as he finished less than half a second off the best time. Gabriel made a good start in today’s race, moving from the eleventh spot on the grid to the leading group in the first few turns. Luck wasn’t by the side of the Argentinian youngster, who crashed out at the end of the first lap and was forced to abandon the race, without having the chance to fight for a good result.
#58 Juanfran Guevara: 6th
“I’m really happy. Generally speaking, this was a good weekend, the best of the season. I think there’s no better way to end the year. We were leading in two free practices and in all the other sessions we were among the fastest guys. It was a really tight race and it’s a great achievement to finish so close to the winner, only 0.899 seconds from him. On top of that, we were fighting in a strong group throughout the race. I’d like to congratulate the team on all the work they’ve done this year: the result of this weekend confirms the progress we made during the season. This ending gives us an extra boost to start the preseason. Grand Prix after Grand Prix we created a stable and strong group, I’m thankful for the work done both by the guys that are staying and the ones that are leaving.”
#19 Gabriel Rodrigo: not classified
”Today the feeling was really good in the warm up: we were very consistent when we were on our own. We ended in fourth position, but the result is positive, since we set four laps close to my best time on used tyres. The bike was perfect, I’m thankful to the team for all the work they’ve done throughout the weekend. All the problems that we had were sorted out and we improved. In the race, I knew I had to make a good start, because we were 11th: it wasn’t a bad position, but we were a bit far off. I got among the first group quickly, up to the fourth position. I was very aggressive, but without taking any extra risks. I was in a turn where it’s difficult to crash out, yet I lost the rear and we’ll have to check the data as I don’t know what happened. What matters is that during all the weekend we were very competitive, despite not finishing the race. We proved once again that we are a team to watch for the future. We know that we have a good base to fight and to finish with a good result, we’re strong. We’re looking forwards to the next season in order to keep on growing.”
More, from a press release issued by 3570 Team Italia:
2016 Moto3 World Championship
Gran Premio de la Comunitat Valenciana
Circuit de la Comunitat Valenciana Ricardo Tormo
November 11-13, 2016
Moto3 – End of the season for 3570 Team Italia
In Valencia Lorenzo Petrarca and Stefano Valtulini concluded the race in twenty-eighth and thirty-first position, respectively.
With the last appointment at the Circuit de la Comunitat Valenciana Ricardo Tormo, 3570 Team Italia archives an emotional season. At the end of the Championship, structured in eighteen races organized in four different continents, Lorenzo Petrarca and Stefano Valtulini closed the race in Valencia in twenty-eighth and thirty-first position, respectively.
While the World Champion Brad Binder (KTM) conquered the seventh victory of the season, Lorenzo Petrarca constantly improved his lap times and he won the battle against other two riders in his group. After collecting some points in Sepang, Stefano Valtulini concluded in thirty-first position because of an unexpected problem.
Lorenzo Petrarca (3570 Team Italia – Mahindra MGP3O #77) 28th
“This position doesn’t completely reflects our development during the weekend. Considering the lap times we improved a lot and it means we worked well. Unfortunately at the start I lost the contract with the other riders and that’s why I got this position. We archived a season in which I learnt a lot, it has been a special experience for me: I want to thank the team and all the people that made this possible.”
Stefano Valtulini (3570 Team Italia – Mahindra MGP3O #43) 31st
“We wanted to close the season in a different way, but various problems didn’t let us get a good result. It’s a pity because in the last few races we showed a continuous development, gaining some points in Malaysia. At the end of this season I want to thank the team and all the sponsor for giving me the possibility to race in the World Championship.”
Emanuele Ventura (3570 Team Italia – Team Manager)
“With Lorenzo we improved the lap times marked during the qualifying, showing once more the development achieved in the last few races and during this weekend. We are happy for this, we just missed some more constancy. On the other side, Stefano was penalized by a problem that didn’t let him mantain a good pace: we’ll try to understand what happened. We close a growing season, we helped the riders learn a working method that could be useful in the future. We really want to thank all the partners for the support during the season.”
More, from a press release issued by KTM:
KTM’S WORLD CHAMPION BRAD BINDER FINISHES IN STYLE AT FINAL MOTO3 RACE AT VALENCIA
18th Rd. Moto3 2016 – Comunitat Valenciana – Ricardo Tormo (ESP)
Brad Binder, Red Bull KTM Ajo’s 2016 Moto3 World Champion wrapped up his Moto3 career with a sensational win on the Valencia racing circuit, after scrambling back from 22nd place to first in a thrilling 24-lap race.
Brad Binder led in a group of three KTM riders with Joan Mir (ESP) of the Leopard Racing Team in second, and Andrea Migno (ITA) for Sky Racing Team VR46 taking the minor podium place. Mir also picked up the trophy for Rookie of the Year. Binder, who settled the title in Aragon before the series went to the three races in Asia, won by 142 points, the biggest winning margin ever in the small category bikes.
He started second on the grid but more or less inherited pole when rookie Aron Canet stalled on the line and had to start from pit lane. Binder was in the top three in the two opening laps and then seemed to experience problems in turn six and dropped like a stone from second to 22nd place, also briefly pulling off to the side of the track before opting to continue the race.
Binder: “Basically I’m not sure what happened. I opened the gas twice and the engine cut and the power came in again. It happened twice in two corners so I said, okay, something’s wrong. I thought maybe I was dripping oil in the track so I pulled off to the side but it looked okay, so I carried on. I thought ‘now its over’ but I pushed so hard and tried to limit the mistakes. To finish my Moto3 career like this is awesome.”
The South African, who has had a stunning season with seven victories and 14 podiums in the 18-round series simply put his head down, consistently set the fasted lap times and picked off riders until he was back in the lead group by the 16th lap. He hit the front in lap 21 but Mir, Enea Bastianini and Migno were determined to make it as difficult as possible for the 2016 champion to go out on a high note.
Then, in the middle of the scrap amongst the leaders, Binder went wide in lap 22 and slipped back to fourth place. His day was not done, though and he put in two brilliant laps to steal the lead back in the final lap.
Mir, who won in Austria in the middle of the season, was understandably pleased to finish on the podium. “It’s amazing, my third podium of the season. I am very happy for the team and for me. This podium means so much to me and thanks to my team. We struggled a lot in the early races but finally we’re on the podium so thanks to them.”
Migno, whose team worked hard overnight to repair his bike after a crash on Saturday, said the race had been difficult. “It was a tough race right from the beginning. I tried to start very fast and after two corners I was already in a good position. I saw I was very fast and I tried to push in front to see what happens.” It was Migno’s second podium of the season and he said this one was even more special than his last in Assen.
Binder’s Red Bull KTM Ajo teammate Bo Bendsneyder had the job ahead of him even before the race began. He was one of three riders who were docked 12 grid places for riding infringements during the practice rounds, as race officials tighten up the penalties for this activity. He did well to wrap up the last round in the points in 13th place. While Binder remains with Ajo Motorsports and moves up to Moto2 in 2017, Bendsneyder will stay in Moto3 with the team next season.
The three-way KTM podium sweep in the final round also preserves the Austrian manufacturer’s unblemished streak of Moto3 victories at the Spanish circuit. Five of the top 10 riders were on the KTM RC 250 GP.
Results Moto3 Valencia 2016
1. Brad Binder (RSA), KTM, 40:13.777 min (24 laps)
2. Joan Mir (ESP), KTM, +0.056 sec
3. Andrea Migno (ITA), KTM, +0.081
4. Enea Bastianini (ITA), Honda, +0.147
5. Fabio di Giannantonio (ITA), Honda, +0.713
Other KTM
6. Juanfran Guevara (ESP), KTM, +0.899
8. Philipp Oettl, (GER), KTM, +3.145
11. Raul Fernandez (ESP), KTM, +8.081
13. Bo Bendsneyder (NED), KTM, +8.603
14. Fabio Quartararo (FRA), KTM, +9.283
17. Nicolo Bulega (ITA), KTM, +9.652
20. Andrea Locatelli (ITA), KTM, +18.712
22. Karel Hanika (CZE), KTM, +18.976
29. Daniel Saez (ESP), KTM, +48.861
DNF Lorenzo Dalla Porta (ITA), KTM, +21 laps
DNF Gabriel Rodrigo (ARG), KTM, 0 laps
DNS Maria Herrera (ESP), KTM
Final Standings Moto3 2016 after 18 of 18 rounds
1. Binder, 319 points
2. Bastianini, 177
3. Jorge Navarro (ESP), Honda, 150
4. Francesco Bagnaia (ITA), Mahindra, 145
5. Mir, 144
Other KTM
7. Bulega, 129
9. Locatelli, 96
10. Romano Fenati (ITA), KTM, 93
12. Oettl, 85
13. Quartararo, 83
14. Bendsneyder, 78
17. Migno, 63
21. Guevara, 50
24. Rodrigo, 31
30. Dalla Porta, 12
31. Herrera, 7
32. Fernandez, 5
More, from a press release issued by QMMF Racing Team:
QMMF Racing Team says good-bye after seven fantastic years
QMMF rider Julian Simon rode a fantastic final Grand Prix of the season, holding fifth and sixth place for almost the entire race in front of his enthusiastic fans at Valencia. An unlucky crash with just four laps to go dashed all hopes for what would have been his best result of the season. Nevertheless, Simon managed to continue his ride and saved 23rd place with his usual never-give-up attitude.
Team-mate Xavier Simeon had shared Simon’s confidence before the start of the race, but wasn’t able to match his own impressive performance from the warm-up session on Sunday morning and finished the race in 16th place.
The season final in Valencia also marks the end of seven fantastic years in the Moto2 world championship for QMMF Racing Team. Both riders and all team members thanked the federation of Qatar for an exciting time with many strong results and said good-bye with a smile and the hope to get back together again some time in the future.
Xavier Simeon – 16th place
“I am very disappointed with my performance. All weekend long, my bike was very good and after the warm-up this morning, we made another step with the setting. I was able to ride fast with a very used tyre, which I hadn’t been able to do before. But for whatever reason, I couldn’t match that pace again in the race. In the opening laps, I couldn’t attack the way I would have liked to, because my riding was too smooth and not aggressive enough. This conditioned my race, because after that, I never could find that little bit extra in terms of speed and lap time to catch the group in front of me. I was hoping to do a good race today and it is a pity to finish the season like this. I want to thank QMMF for giving me the opportunity to ride for them and I want to thank the entire team that has done a great job all year. It is always difficult for everybody to end a nice story. I wish everybody best of luck and lots of success in the future and I hope we can maybe work together again one day in the future!”
Julian Simon – 23rd place
“I had a really good start and a string of really good opening laps. I was concentrated to the max and for a long time I also was in control physically, because I knew it was a long and demanding race after my back injury. Only in the last six laps, I lost my rhythm a little bit in the battle with Sam Lowes, who was running in fifth position, because my left leg and my left arm started to hurt because the strain on the left side is especially high on this track. With four laps to go, I braked hard into turn eight and I lost the front when I got off the brakes entering the corner. I couldn’t avoid the crash and it’s a shame that I wasn’t able to finish this season in the position I was in up to that point and that I didn’t get a good result in a race that was so important to me and also such a nice homage to Luis Salom. But now it’s time to think about the future and about the opportunities that might arise. I want to thank QMMF and the entire team for the great time we had together and for doing a fantastic job trying to get the maximum out of the bike at every race!”
More, from a press release issued by AGR Team:
SEASON FINALE FOR THE AGR IN THE 2016 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Schrötter 10th and Áxel Pons crashed
The German rider of the Argiñano & Ginés Racing Team, Marcel Schrötter says goodbye to the team and to the 2016 World Championship with a 10th position in the race held today at noon at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit in Cheste. His team mate, Áxel Pons also leaves the team, but unfortunately with a crash during the first half of the race. Luckily, with no injuries.
Marcel had a good start. From the 12th place he jumped on to the top 10 and kept improving. At the beginning as part of the leading pack and, from the ninth lap, in front of the second group that was fighting for the 7th position. During the first few laps his pace was around 8 tenths slower than the leaders, that were fighting for the overall runner-up position. By mid-race, the German rider’s pace was similar to that of the leaders for a couple of laps, but then it showed that he would have to fight for the 7th place with Pasini, Nakagami and Folger, which was not easy. Schrötter finished 10th, but his pace did not give him the top 10. 4 laps before the end, he was overtaken by Danny Kent; Marcel had saved a crash in corner 13. His top10 was due to a crash of a rider that was running ahead of him.
In the overall standings, Marcel finishes 14th with 64 points, clearly improving his 2015 season; and Áxel finishes in 16th place with 55 points, completing his best ever season both in Moto2 and with the AGR.
We wish Áxel and Marcel the best for their 2017 projects, as well as to the team’s technicians that will change job. Thanks to all of them for their professionalism.
We do not stop here, of course. This team has a test with its new rider for next year, Yonny Hernández @yonny68motogp, next week in Jerez, on Wednesday and Thursday, and another one on Monday the 21st in Valencia. It will be a day after the Ricardo Tormo sees the Moto2 European Championship finale, which was won by our rider Steven Odendaal @ODEND44L. The South African rider wants to finish in Champion style next weekend together with his team mate Jayson Uribe @jaysonuribe, who just renewed his contract for another season. Jayson will have his countryman Joe Roberts @joeroberts2727 as team mate at the Moto2 FIM CEV next year.
Marcel Schrotter #23 @MarcelSchrotter 10th: “I’m happy to have finished the race. Taking into account how difficult has this weekend been, I did my best, with a good start and overtaking in the first laps. I had no chance to catch up with the leaders, so I had to settle for the pace I had to avoid making mistakes that might have been dangerous. I rode as cleanly as I could, but I had problems again with the front and, some laps before the end, I had some trouble with my left arm, with a lot of pain. At the end, I had a scare and I thought I was going to crash. Overall, this year I gained a lot of experience and I have been lucky to be in a great team. The relationship with the team has been good, although in the end we didn’t achieve the results we expected”.
Áxel Pons #49 @axel_pons. Crash: “I want to thank the AGR, Karlos Argiñano and the technical team for the three years we’ve been together, specially this last year, in which I have grown as a rider and we shared some moments to remember. They were great with me and I also want to thank the sponsors. This is a farewell but we’ll keep in contact. I’m motivated to keep growing next year in another project. Thank you, AGR”.
Iker Burutxaga, Team Manager: “We didn’t finish with a good race. It was a pity. We are already thinking about next week, when we’ll start to test with new people and next year’s project. Looking forward to it. Good luck to Marcel and Áxel”.
More, from a press release issued by Tech 3 Racing:
Remy Looks Ahead To 2017 After Debut Moto2 Season
Remy Gardner can head into 2017, where he will join Tech 3 Racing, with his head held high following an impressive debut Moto2 season that saw him win a race in the CEV Repsol series before returning in style to the World Championship with the Tasca Scuderia Racing outfit that would see the #87 secure several point scoring rides throughout the year.
Yesterday’s season finale in Valencia may not have resulted in additional world championship points being added to his tally but a strong qualifying performance (17th) and an encouraging 8th in morning warm up ensure that Remy will be one to watch next year.
Arm pump after 8 laps during yesterday’s race prevented Gardner from finishing inside the top 15 but nevertheless he once again showed true Aussie grit to complete the 27 lap race in 18th at the flag.
With 2016 over, all focus now turns to 2017 where Remy will race alongside Xavi Vierge on the Tech3 machine.
Testing begins shortly but in the meantime be sure to stay up to date with all the latest #87 news via his website: www.remygardner.com
You can access all of Remy’s social media channels through his website too.
Remy Gardner: “I’m really disappointed with how the race went after such a positive weekend. After about 8 laps I got arm pump, something that’s never happened before and I just couldn’t ride properly. My arm was dead and before it happened and throughout the weekend my pace was good so I have to take the positives. I want to thank Tasca Scuderia Racing for the opportunity that they gave me to return to the GP paddock and to everyone that has helped me. I start testing with Tech3 on Wednesday and I’m really excited to get on the bike and hopefully we can be in good shape before the opening race.”
Full details of Remy’s debut test with Tech3 on Wednesday along with photos will follow in due course.