FIM MotoGP World Championship Sachsenring, Germany July 14, 2013 Race Results (all on Bridgestone tires): 1. Marc MARQUEZ, Spain (HONDA), 30 laps, 41:14.653 2. Cal CRUTCHLOW, UK (YAMAHA), -1.559 seconds 3. Valentino ROSSI, Italy (YAMAHA), -9.620 4. Stefan BRADL, Germany (HONDA), -13.992 5. Alvaro BAUTISTA, Spain (HONDA), -21.775 6. Bradley SMITH, UK (YAMAHA), -25.080 7. Andrea DOVIZIOSO, Italy (DUCATI), -30.027 8. Aleix ESPARGARO, Spain (ART-Aprilia), -30.324 9. Nicky HAYDEN, USA (DUCATI), -45.355 10. Michele PIRRO, Italy (DUCATI), -47.142 11. Hector BARBERA, Spain (FTR-Kawasaki), -47.824 12. Randy DE PUNIET, France (ART-Aprilia), -48.523 13. Colin EDWARDS, USA (FTR-Kawasaki), -54.428 14. Danilo PETRUCCI, Italy (IODA/SUTER-BMW), -60.323 15. Claudio CORTI, Italy (FTR-Kawasaki), -65.530 16. Michael LAVERTY, UK (PBM-Aprilia), -69.153 17. Hiroshi AOYAMA, Japan (FTR-Kawasaki), -75.601 18. Karel ABRAHAM, Czech Republic (ART-Aprilia), -79.683 19. Lukas PESEK, Czech Republic (IODA/SUTER-BMW), -1 lap 20. Bryan STARING, Australia (FTR-Honda), -3 laps, DNF, crash 21. Yonny HERNANDEZ, Colombia (ART-Aprilia), -29 laps, DNF, crash 22. Dani PEDROSA, Spain (HONDA), DNS 23. Andrea IANNONE, Italy (DUCATI), DNS 24. Jorge LORENZO, Spain (YAMAHA), DNS World Championship Point Standings (after 8 of 18 races): 1. Marquez, 138 points 2. Pedrosa, 136 3. Lorenzo, 127 4. Crutchlow, 107 5. Rossi, 101 6. Dovizioso, 74 7. Bradl, 64 8. Bautista, 58 9. Hayden, 57 10. Espargaro, 52 11. Smith, 51 12. Pirro, 36 13. Iannone, 24 14. De Puniet, 19 15. Barbera, 18 16. Petrucci, 15 17. Edwards, 13 18. Ben Spies, 9 19. Hernandez, 6 20. Corti, 5 21. TIE, Laverty/Abraham, 3 23. Staring, 2 24. TIE, Aoyama/Javier Del Amor, 1 More, from a press release issued by Repsol Honda: Magnificent win for Marquez in Germany but disappointment as Pedrosa declared unfit to race Today in the GP of Germany, Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez has taken his second win of the season and regained the lead of the Championship. Unfortunately, it was more disappointment for his teammate Dani Pedrosa who this morning was cleared by the medical staff for warm up, but then suffered a repeat of his dizzy spells as a result of his crash in yesterday’s FP3 session. He failed to take part in warm up and after doctors visited him again later in the morning at his motorhome they declared him unfit to race. In contrast, it has been a very good weekend for Marc. Starting from pole position, his third of the season, Marc dropped back to 4th briefly before passing Espargaro on lap three, Rossi on lap five and Bradl on lap six to take the lead. He then opened up a gap and controlled the race, fending off a late challenge from Crutchlow. This is Marc’s fourth successive win from pole here in Sachsenring (2010 in 125cc, 2011 and 2012 in Moto2) and completes a perfect weekend, after also taking pole and fastest lap (1’22.066). Since the introduction of the four-stroke MotoGP class in 2002, Honda have been the most successful manufacturer with eight wins in Germany. Marc now leads the Championship on 138 points with Dani, who drops to 2nd on 136 points. Marc Marquez 1st Championship Standing: 1st – 138 points “I am very happy with this victory. It was important to have a good race under the circumstances this weekend, without Dani and Jorge on track. I wish them a speedy recovery, because winning is important but without them the triumph isn’t quite the same. Even so, it is a good result, since we have taken the maximum points available and ridden a completely different race to those that we’ve had before. We led the race and maintained the gap to second place. It was good experience, although I perhaps prefer races that are a little more of a battle! We should be happy, and we have also held up well physically at a circuit where there is no time to rest on the bike. We’ll see how it goes in Laguna Seca, which will be a hard GP for me because I’ve never ridden there. We’ll take it step-by-s tep and remain calm whilst we get up to speed” Dani Pedrosa DNS Championship Standing: 2nd – 136 points “This morning I had my check up in the medical centre and I felt okay, my shoulder was painful but otherwise I felt fine. The doctors declared me fit to take part in warm up. Then shortly before the session I began to feel dizzy again and my blood pressure dropped. The doctors came to see me in my truck and we decided I shouldn’t take part in the session. I returned to my motorhome to rest and still felt dizzy and sick. The doctors arrived at my motorhome and informed me that they did not consider I was okay to race and would therefore declare me unfit” More, from a press release issued by Yamaha Factory MotoGP Team: Rossi Delivers in Germany for Sachsenring Podium Sachsenring (Germany), 14th July 2013 Yamaha Factory Racing’s Valentino Rossi made a welcome return to the Sachsenring podium today with third in the Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland. Today’s podium finish is his first at the Sachsenring circuit since his victory with Yamaha in 2009 and is a mark of his continued return to form following his Assen victory two weeks ago. Starting from third on the grid the nine-time World Champion took the hole shot into turn one and led local German rider Stefan Bradl into the first lap. As Rossi struggled to find grip from the rear Bradl was able to pass on turn 12. As the laps wound down pole man Marc Marquez squeezed for the lead. Rossi was able to pick up the pace again with 22 laps to go, re-passing Bradl for second position. Mid-race distance saw tyre wear drop dramatically and with 15 laps remaining Rossi was forced to allow satellite Yamaha rider Cal Crutchlow to pass. Despite the lack of grip he was able to build a gap of nearly 4 seconds to Bradl in fourth to secure third place and a second successive podium finish of the season. The result puts Rossi on 101 Championship points, six behind Crutchlow in fourth. Teammate Jorge Lorenzo now sits in third position in the Championship on 127 points having missed the race through injury. Despite the set back he is just 11 points behind leader Marquez. No decision has yet been made for Lorenzo’s participation in the Laguna Seca race as he recovers from yesterday’s collarbone surgery in Barcelona. His team will travel to the USA and set up as normal should the reigning World Champion decide to ride in next weekend’s Grand Prix. Valentino Rossi 3rd / +9.620 / 30 laps “It’s a good result, to stay on the podium is always a good result but I expected something more and to do a better race. During the weekend we made some choices, yesterday we decided to set up the bike in one way and today after some laps I started to suffer too much. The first ten laps were not so bad but after I started to have problems and it was too difficult to turn the bike, especially on the left I was sliding too much. We have to work to try and make another step to stay with the top guys. Next we will have Laguna, a very special track, and we will try to have better results there. We are five very fast riders and we are closer now because unfortunately Dani and Jorge are injured and we have another race next week. If I want to fight for the Championship I have to go faster and I have to be constantly faster so I have to make another step.” Yamaha Factory Racing Massimo Meregalli Team Director “We worked the entire weekend to manage the tyre life in the best way possible but we couldn’t make it as we wanted. We had a decent pace and in the end we got a podium, that is an important result and we got points. We knew at the beginning that this circuit was not one of the favourites for us and we had to manage it. We are looking forward to Laguna to fight for the positions that we are used to be fighting for. We are pleased that Jorge’s surgery was completed successfully yesterday and we wish him a very speedy recovery. We have made no decision yet on when he will return to race however we will bring his crew to Laguna to be prepared for any eventuality.” More, from a press release issued Cardion AB Motoracing: Abraham finishes race in 18th place Karel Abraham finished in 18th position in Sunday’s race at Germany’s Sachsenring. Despite his big effort to overcome a virus, he did not manage to finish in a point scoring position. The race was dominated by Spaniard Marc Marquez, who gained 25 points and now leads the championship. The Motogp class championship continues next week at the American circuit of Laguna Seca. Karel Abraham „Honestly I’m very happy that I was able to finish the race. The bike worked well and I did not have any problems. At around the half way stage in the race I started to feel tired and it gave me a hard time. At the end of the race I could not stand any more. We fly to Laguna Seca tomorrow and I hope that my condition will get better. The only thing that will work for me is enough sleep and rest, as the doctors have advised me. I’m sorry about the result because I like Sachsenring a lot and I was looking forward to the race. “ Marco Grana, chief mechanic Cardion AB Motoracing „We did what we could today, and finished the race. We don’t have any problem with the bike, we collected a lot of data, and therefore the machinery will be ready for the race in Laguna Seca. We are going in the right way for a setting that will fit Karel. The physical condition of our rider got a little better since Friday, but it is very different to ride in free practice and the to ride 30 laps of the race in hot weather. We were not able to influence that and we have to take it as it is. If our rider is ok in Laguna Seca, we can ride around fifteenth position.“ More, from a press release issued by Pramac Racing: Andrea Iannone had a sleepless night following yesterday’s crash during the FP4 session at the Sachsenring, resulting in a dislocation of his right shoulder. Despite his desire to continue with the good work carried out in the garage over the first two days of the German Grand Prix, the strong and relentless pain in his shoulder prevented Andrea from lining up on the starting grid at the Sachsenring. Andrea visited Dr. Costa and the Clinica Mobile staff in the morning to undergo treatment that will continue in the coming days, in hopes that the Italian will recover enough strength and arm mobility to allow him to compete in the United States Grand Prix, which will take place at Laguna Seca on 21 July. Andrea Iannone – Energy T.I. Pramac Racing Team “It was really hard to not race here. I really wanted to compete because I felt good, but it probably would’ve been a case of causing more damage than gaining satisfaction. Although it’s not easy, sometimes it’s better to say no. Tomorrow I’ll return to Italy and in the coming days we’ll decide whether it will be possible to participate in the Grand Prix at Laguna. I’d really like to because I’ve never raced there, so it would be the first time. Still, I want to evaluate the situation properly, as I can’t take unnecessary risks that could compromise the rest of the championship.” More, from a press release issued by LCR Honda: BRADL EQUALS HIS BEST CAREER RESULT AT HIS HOME GP Sachsenring, 14 July: the MotoGP contingent were warmly greeted by 87.000 local fans at today’s Grand Prix of Deutschland which saw Stefan Bradl equalling his career-best result again with a positive 4th place. The German rider was again a strong performer throughout the whole weekend and, after a brilliant start from the 4th spot on the grid, the 23-year-old began his battle with the front guys but missed the opportunity to jump on the podium at his home race. Stefan Bradl “I think it was a good weekend for us even if we missed the chance to achieve the podium. Actually I have done a good start and I was capable to lead the race for some laps but, when the guys passed me, I could see that they had more corner speed especially in section 2 which was the weak point for us. We have been very competitive and very fast in the remaining sections so we are pretty satisfied about our job. Okay… I missed the chance to reward my Team and my crowd with a podium finish but we do not give up and we will keep on fighting in Laguna. I especially want to thank my fans… I could feel their great support these days and it was something special to me”. More, from another press release issued by Pramac Racing: Tenth position for Michele Pirro After starting from the fifth row of the grid, Michele Pirro, substitute rider for injured American Ben Spies, finished in 10th place in the Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland round of 2013 World Championship, in front of 85,667 spectators. His best lap time clocked was 1:23.589, just a few tenths of a second from his ‘brand-mate’ Nicky Hayden, who preceded him by one position. It was a consolatory conclusion of three challenging days during which most of the work was focused toward trying to improve the bike’s feeling, which bothered Pirro throughout the entire race weekend. Michele Pirro – Ignite Pramac Racing Team “It wasn’t so bad. Regarding the pace, I think it was the most consistent day I’ve had over the weekend. I was close to Hayden for the whole race, and considering that he started from the second row, it means that was the pace I could safely maintain. With a better start, I could’ve climbed a few places, but we still have a lot of work to do. I’m not entirely satisfied, but considering how it all started, I can’t complain. Now I’ll focus on testing at Misano, where I’ll return to being a test rider.” More, from a press release issued by Bridgestone: Marquez marches to the top of the standings after stunning Sachsenring victory Round 8: Germany MotoGP™ – Race Sachsenring, Sunday July 14 2013 Bridgestone slick compounds available: Front: Soft & Hard. Rear: Soft, Medium & Hard (Asymmetric) Bridgestone wet tyre compounds available: Soft (Main), Hard (Alternative) Weather: Dry. Ambient 23-23°C; Track 39-38°C (Bridgestone measurement) Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez moved back to the top of the MotoGP™ points standings after a dominating performance at the German Grand Prix netted him his second victory of the year. Starting on pole position, Marquez had a poor start and circulated in fourth position before beginning his charge through the front-runners on the third lap. After seizing the lead from LCR Honda’s Stefan Bradl on lap six, Marquez controlled the race perfectly to cross the finish line 1.559 seconds ahead of Monster Yamaha Tech3’s Cal Crutchlow, who again braved injury for a stunning second place. Taking the final place on the rostrum was Yamaha Factory Racing’s Valentino Rossi who continued the strong form he showed in Assen. Following his best ever MotoGP™ qualifying performance, Power Electronics Aspar’s Aleix Espargaro was among the top three riders early in the race and ultimately finished in eighth position to once again be the highest placed CRT rider. Track temperatures today reached a peak of 39°C at the start of the race before dropping slightly towards the end of the thirty-lap contest. With Sachsenring requiring a lot of front-end grip in cool conditions, some riders considered using the soft compound front slick for the race. However track temperatures rose in the afternoon, so only four riders ended up selecting this option with the rest of the field choosing the hard compound front. With little time to test the harder rear slick compounds over the race weekend due to the cool morning sessions, most riders chose the well-tested softer rear slick options for the race with only two riders opting for the harder rear slick. Sachsenring is one of the most severe circuits on rear tyres as it features corners where riders attain high lean angles for long periods. Although almost all riders selected the less durable softer rear slick options, no unusual wear was reported during and performance over the race distance was consistent. Marquez now sits on 138 points to lead his teammate Dani Pedrosa in the MotoGP™ championship standings by two points. Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jorge Lorenzo is a further nine points adrift and third place in the rankings. Hiroshi Yamada – Manager, Bridgestone Motorsport Department “Today’s race was run at a very fast pace and Marc did a fantastic job for his second win of the year so well done to him and Honda. A few different riders led the race during the early stages of the race to the delight of the lar. It is a shame that Jorge, Dani and Andrea could not take part in the race due to injury, I wish them all a quick recovery and hope we can welcome back a full grid of riders at Laguna Seca next weekend.” Shinji Aoki – Manager, Bridgestone Motorsport Tyre Development Department “Today was a very good race and the quick pace we saw shows that most of the teams managed to find a bike setup that got the best performance out of the tyres. Tyre performance over the race distance was excellent with the consistent lap times showing that the decrease in grip level was quite predictable. Sachsenring is one of the most technical circuits on the calendar and I’m happy that after a difficult start to the weekend that the riders, teams and Bridgestone technicians were able to work together to find a solution to enable the riders to negotiate this challenging circuit both quickly and safely.” Marc Marquez, Repsol Honda – Race Winner “I didn’t expect to lead the championship after eight races and although the circumstances for this race were a bit special without Dani and Jorge here, it was important to take the twenty-five points for the championship . It’s my second victory in MotoGP and today was a bit different as I led the race and managed the gap at the front and while it was a great experience, I prefer races with a few riders fighting at the front but again I learned a lot today.” More, from a press release issued by Dorna Communications: Marc Marquez has won the eni Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland at the Sachsenring, picking up his second MotoGP™ victory and seventh podium finish from eight races. In the absence of both Jorge Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa, the same three riders were on the podium as at the Dutch TT, with Cal Crutchlow and Valentino Rossi finishing second and third. The Sachsenring delivered another highly dramatic weekend, not least as numerous riders suffered crashes across the three days. Crutchlow was one of them, heading into the race with injuries to his arms, hands and left leg, but heavy impacts for World Champion Lorenzo and erstwhile championship leader Pedrosa left both on the sidelines; the Yamaha Factory Racing rider bent the titanium plate in his shoulder, while the Repsol Honda Team rider sustained a small fracture, also to the left collarbone, and was suffering from dizziness. With both of his major rivals out of contention, Marquez – starting on his third pole position of the season – knew that a second race win (after Austin, Texas) would allow him to snatch back the advantage in the title race. A poor start saw the 20-year-old rookie drop to fourth place, but he picked off those ahead of him one by one and took the lead from home rider Stefan Bradl at the end of the sixth lap. Once Crutchlow took second, the Spaniard would manage the gap and win by 1.5 seconds. Crutchlow’s own race started from second. Fighting the pain of his injuries after two large accidents on Friday, the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 rider dispatched of Alvaro Bautista and Bradl and stole second from Valentino Rossi in a strong move at Sachsen Kurve on Lap 16. He then looked to threaten for a career-first victory, but Marquez had been looking after his tyres and was able to comfortably control the gap until the end of the 30th and final lap; nevertheless, Crutchlow becomes the first British rider since Barry Sheene in 1982 to collect four podium finishes in one season. Having returned to winning ways at Assen two weeks ago, Rossi has now claimed consecutive rostrums. From his first front row start since the Portuguese Grand Prix of 2010, the Yamaha Factory Racing rider seized the lead as the red lights went out. He proceeded to battle with local favourite Bradl but was overhauled by eventual winner Marquez on Lap 5. Three laps later, Rossi passed the German to go second, but then fell back to the final podium spot when Crutchlow steamed ahead. Bradl’s fourth place finish for LCR Honda MotoGP may have meant that he has still missed out on the podium, but the German has again equalled his career-best result. GO&FUN Honda Gresini’s Alvaro Bautista completed the top five from eighth on the grid, while Tech 3’s Bradley Smith ended his day sixth – confirming two British riders in the top six of a race for the first time in two decades – from the impressive Aleix Espargaro; from fifth on the grid, the Power Electronics Aspar rider rode his CRT-specification bike in as high as third place before feeling the wrath of the prototypes. Further down the order, the final points went to 13th-placed Colin Edwards (NGM Mobile Forward Racing) and the two riders who a day earlier had passed through to the Q2 shootout from Q1, with Danilo Petrucci and Claudio Corti 14th and 15th for Came IodaRacing Project and NGM Mobile Forward Racing, respectively. Two riders failed to see the end of the race, as there were crashes for both PBM’s Yonny Hernandez and Gresini’s Bryan Staring. Moto2 Jordi Torres has taken his maiden career victory in the Moto2™ eni Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland, becoming the fifth different rider to win in the intermediate class this year. Simone Corsi beat Pol Espargaro to second, championship leader Scott Redding was seventh and Xavier Simeon fell to ninth place from pole. On Saturday, Torres was narrowly beaten to the top grid position as Simeon claimed his career-first pole position for Desguaces La Torre Maptaq. Torres (Mapfre Aspar Team Moto2) would start second, while from the front row Espargaro (Tuenti HP 40) aimed to make the most of an eighth-placed start for chief rival Redding (Marc VDS Racing Team). Espargaro immediately seized the lead off the start line and would hold the advantage until Lap 19, when Torres – who maintained a consistent pace over the full 29-lap distance – dived through at the Sachsen Kurve. Behind the leading duo, Simone Corsi kept a watching brief and opportunistically overtook Espargaro for second place on the final lap; this capped off his first rostrum for almost two years. Despite dropping back another position, Espargaro finished four positions in front of Redding. Fourth place went to Italtrans Racing Team’s Julian Simon, while multiple Sachsenring podium finisher Alex de Angelis put on a charge in the second half of the Grand Prix to finish inside the top five for NGM Mobile Forward Racing, overhauling Tom Luthi (Interwetten Paddock Moto2 Racing) and championship leader Redding, who endured his worst result of 2013 thus far. Pole-man Simeon could not demonstrate such strong race pace and finished 12.8 seconds behind the winner. Reigning Moto3™ World Champion Sandro Cortese picked up the final point for Dynavolt Intact GP, while one standout performance came from QMMF Racing Team’s Anthony West who rose to eighth from 16th on the grid. Six riders failed to make the finish. Tech 3’s Danny Kent and TargoBank Motorsport wildcard Alex Mariñelarena departed the race early, with the Spaniard sustaining a contusion to the left knee. Blusens Avintia’s Kyle Smith was next to fall, soon joined on the sidelines by Desguaces La Torre SAG’s Marcel Schrotter. Argiñano & Gines Racing’s Roman Ramos (covering for Alberto Moncayo, who was injured in a training accident) retired into the pit lane, while winner Torres’ teammate Jordi Terol crashed out in the closing stages of the race. Sunday’s result marks the first time in 2013 that three different makes of Moto2™ chassis – Suter, Speed Up and Kalex – have shared the podium. Moto3 Alex Rins has won the Moto3™ eni Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland from pole position, overhauling championship leader Luis Salom at the penultimate corner of the race. Maverick Viñales, who also battled for the lead throughout, was third to ensure that the top three riders in the championship filled the podium places. Rins led from pole, but after an entertaining battle with Viñales, elected to yield the lead to the Team Calvo rider. The order would continue to change between the duo, until Lap 24 when Viñales took the advantage after Rins ran wide, only for Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Salom – who had typically waited patiently in third position – to seize the advantage in an impressive double overtaking manoeuvre at Sachsen Kurve. Following Salom’s move, Rins crucially passed Viñales into the final corner, which allowed him three laps to hunt down the lead. The margin was three tenths of a second at the start of the final lap, but Rins bravely dived up the inside of the penultimate corner to seal his second victory after Austin, Texas as the leading trio crossed the line separated by only two and a half tenths of a second. In fourth position, Mahindra Racing’s Miguel Oliveira overhauled Estrella Galicia 0,0’s Alex Marquez in the closing stages, with the latter having made charge in the second half of the race. Efren Vazquez was sixth on the second Mahindra, while Jack Miller was disappointed to finish seventh for Caretta Technology – RTG, having started fifth on the grid. The top eight was rounded out by equally disappointed home rider Jonas Folger (Mapfre Aspar Team Moto3), who had been fourth on the grid. Ongetta-Rivacold’s Alexis Masbou did not make the start following a problem in the Warm-Up, whereas four riders crashed out of the race. An early mistake by wildcard rider Kevin Hanus (Thomas Sabo GP Team) saw him collect Eric Granado (Mapfre Aspar Team Moto3), whereas wildcard Luca Amato (Mahindra Spiel-Kiste) and Lorenzo Baldassarri (GO&FUN Gresini Moto3) made mistakes of their own. More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse: Seventh and ninth for Dovizioso, Hayden in German GP At the end of what has been a challenging weekend in Germany, race day at the Sachsenring saw Ducati Team riders Andrea Dovizioso and Nicky Hayden ride to seventh and ninth place finishes, respectively. Starting from the ninth position on the grid, the Italian knew it would be a difficult race, but he advanced to seventh place by the halfway point and maintained the position to the finish. As for his American teammate, after falling in the morning warm-up, Hayden had to switch to his second bike, and he never had the grip that he needed to ride aggressively. The Ducati Team now heads straight to Monterey, California, for next weekend’s United States Grand Prix at Laguna Seca. Andrea Dovizioso – Ducati Team, 7th “Speaking from a personal perspective, I’m fairly pleased with the day; all weekend it was very difficult to do a pace in the low 1:23s, so I’m satisfied that I managed to do it for the entire race. Obviously, we can’t be pleased with this result, as we were 30 seconds back, but it’s just further confirmation of our current gap. We couldn’t expect anything else today. We’re working a lot, but again, the bike is similar to the one we started the year with, so it couldn’t be otherwise. I’m not looking for excuses; it’s just the reality at this moment. To all the Ducati fans, I say be patient. We’re working as hard as we can to improve our competitiveness, but it’s not a situation that you can solve race by race or with simple changes to setup.” Nicky Hayden – Ducati Team, 9th “It certainly wasn’t the race we’d hoped for. I was having a good morning warm-up until I had a crash right at the end. Even though it was a small one, it damaged the frame, so it was best to switch to the other GP13 for the race. I hadn’t ridden that bike much, and I didn’t have the same feeling as with the other one, especially in terms of grip. In the beginning, every time I pushed, the rear would come around on me. It was a long, lonely race. We need to understand what happened, because we had a much better pace than that all weekend, especially with old tyres. It’s a shame because as usual, the guys really gave me their all, and they deserve better than that.” Bernhard Gobmeier – Ducati Corse General Manager “Again, this wasn’t one of our best weekends. On Nicky’s side we saw good pace in the practices, and he was doing very well this morning until his crash. We expected that he could do a similar pace for the race, but with the other bike we didn’t find the same grip levels. As for Andrea, unfortunately he crashed the new development frame on Friday morning, and we had to go back to the standard version. Nonetheless, he did an excellent job to do those low 1:23s over the whole race distance. Again, we have a big job in front of us, and we’re working hard on new solutions, but they need time to be tested and produced before they’re brought to the racetrack.”