FIM MotoGP World Championship
Brno, Czech Republic
August 16, 2015
Race Results (All on Bridgestone tires):
1. Jorge LORENZO, Spain (YAMAHA), 22 laps, Total Race Time 42:53.042
2. Marc MARQUEZ, Spain (HONDA), -4.462 seconds
3. Valentino ROSSI, Italy (YAMAHA), -10.397
4. Andrea IANNONE, Italy (DUCATI), -13.071
5. Dani PEDROSA, Spain (HONDA), -15.650
6. Andrea DOVIZIOSO, Italy (DUCATI), -15.725
7. Bradley SMITH, UK (YAMAHA), -21.821
8. Pol ESPARGARO, Spain (YAMAHA), -23.240
9. Aleix ESPARGARO, Spain (SUZUKI), -43.784
10. Danilo PETRUCCI, Italy (DUCATI), -45.261
11. Yonny HERNANDEZ, Colombia (DUCATI), -49.973
12. Scott REDDING, UK (HONDA), -50.174
13. Alvaro BAUTISTA, Spain (APRILIA), -54.437
14. Stefan BRADL, Germany (APRILIA), -54.624
15. Loris BAZ, France (FORWARD YAMAHA), -60.316
16. Hector BARBERA, Spain (DUCATI), -61.595
17. Nicky HAYDEN, USA (HONDA), -62.388
18. Mike DI MEGLIO, France (DUCATI), -65.944
19. Jack MILLER, Australia (HONDA), -71.407
20. Claudio CORTI, Italy (FORWARD YAMAHA), -110.033
21. Karel ABRAHAM, Czech Republic (HONDA), -120.655
22. Maverick VIÑALES, Spain (SUZUKI), -7 laps, DNF, crash
23. Cal CRUTCHLOW, UK (HONDA), -8 laps, DNF, crash
24. Eugene LAVERTY, Ireland (HONDA), -18 laps, DNF, crash
25. Alex DE ANGELIS, San Marino (ART-APRILIA), -19 laps, DNF, crash
World Championship Point Standings (After 11 of 18 races):
1. TIE, Lorenzo/Rossi, 211 points
3. Marquez, 159
4. Iannone, 142
5. Smith, 106
6. Dovizioso, 104
7. Pedrosa, 91
8. Pol Espargaro, 81
9. Crutchlow, 74
10. Petrucci, 63
11. Vinales, 62
12. Aleix Espargaro, 53
13. Hernandez, 41
14. Redding, 37
15. Barbera, 20
16. Bautista, 16
17. Baz, 15
18. Miller, 12
19. Bradl, 11
20. TIE, Michele Pirro/Hayden, 8
22. Laverty, 7
23. Hiroshi Aoyama, 5
24. Di Meglio, 2
25. De Angelis, 1
More, from a press release issued by Movistar Yamaha:
Lorenzo Masterclass Seals Double #MovistarYamaha #MotoGP Podium at #CzechGP
Lorenzo delivered a perfect race to take victory for the Grand Prix Ceské Republiky, his fifth of the season. Teammate Valentino Rossi rode a solid but lonely race and came home in third to make it a seventh double podium of the season for the Movistar Yamaha MotoGP team.
Brno (Czech Republic), 16th August 2015
Movistar Yamaha MotoGP rider Jorge Lorenzo put on an incredible show today at Automotodrom Brno, keeping rival Marc Marquez at bay for 22 laps to cross the line with a convincing 4.462s gap. Teammate Valentino Rossi also put up a strong fight at the early stages of the race when he battled with Bradley Smith and Andrea Dovizioso to take the chequered flag in third place.
Lorenzo had a brilliant start, taking the holeshot from pole and immediately tried to break away with Marquez running closely behind him. After the opening lap the X-Fuera rider posted times in the low 1‘56s for the next eight laps. Riding faster than anyone on track, the pair created a gap to the group battling for third, but with 14 laps to go the Majorcan‘s pace proved to be too hot for his rival, and he managed to break away.
In his element, Lorenzo remained unthreatened for the remainder of the race and continued to manage the gap to Marquez perfectly, claiming a first victory in Brno for Yamaha since 2010 by a convincing length.
Starting the race from third on the grid, Rossi slotted into fifth place, but quickly fought his way back to the front, overtaking Smith for fourth, but he lost valuable time behind Dovizioso in their battle for third place. With Andrea Iannone looming in fifth, Rossi put extra pressure on the compatriot in front of him and made the pass stick at the end of the third lap.
The Doctor put his head down to close the over two second gap to the frontrunners, but was unable to claw back the lost ground. Riding a lonely race, he focused on holding off his trailing rivals and crossed the line in third place, 10.397 seconds from the front, to make it his eleventh consecutive podium of the season.
Today‘s race results have Lorenzo take over the lead from Rossi in the championship as the pair are on equal points, each having earned a total of 211 points so far, but Lorenzo having two more GP wins this season.
The Movistar Yamaha MotoGP team will remain in Brno for a one-day tyre test tomorrow.
JORGE LORENZO
I didn‘t need to push at the end, so this was not a perfect race, because I could have been a little bit faster. I had a margin, not enough to be comfortable but enough to risk less. I pushed so much at the beginning of the race and I gave my maximum to escape from Marc, who stayed behind me for a lot of laps. I expected the race to be a little bit quicker at the beginning and to be riding 1‘55,9, but with a full fuel tank, and also after the Moto2 the track seemed to have a little less grip, it was not possible. Luckily for me after a few laps I started to brake better with less fuel in the tank and enter corners faster than before. I improved my times only by one tenth of a second, but it gave me a 0,6s advantage in one lap and that went up to one second and I was able to get away little by little and win the race.
VALENTINO ROSSI
This weekend Jorge always rode very fast, but at the same time I had hoped to be closer and that I was able to stay with Marc, because during the practices my pace was not so bad. Unfortunately I wasn‘t fast and strong enough and also my rhythm was quite slow. It‘s true that I had a bad start and lost time, but that was not the problem, I simply didn‘t have a good enough rhythm and that‘s a shame. I expected Brno to be difficult, because it had been difficult for the last few years, but I expected a better race, so we have to understand why and try to be stronger at the next races. It‘s unbelievable that after eleven races Jorge and I are on the same level of points. It‘s difficult, because it looks like Jorge came back very strong after the break and he is in a great shape, but we will have to keep trying.
MASSIMO MEREGALLI
TEAM DIRECTOR
An incredible ride by Jorge again today, he continues to prove that in the right conditions he is untouchable and he thoroughly deserves this victory. He‘s been on phenomenal form all weekend, so we expected nothing less from him. Valentino also rode a very strong race today after a fantastic qualifying yesterday. He didn‘t have the best start, but in his usual form was determined to make up lost ground and finish on the podium yet again. I have to thank the entire team who have all worked extremely hard this weekend to make these results possible. Now we will test tomorrow before we head to the UK in two weeks where we fully intend to continue our domination of the podium.
More, from a press release issued by Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS Racing Team:
Redding takes hard fought 12th in Brno battle
Brno, Czech Republic – Sunday 16 August 2015: Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS rider Scott Redding rode to a determined 12th place finish, in front of a massive crowd of close to 140,000 fans packed into the historic Brno track in the Czech Republic today.
Heavy overnight rain meant air and track temperatures were cooler than those experienced during an Eastern European heat wave for practice and qualifying.
But the significant change in conditions didn’t make the 22-lap race an easier challenge for British rider Redding, who again found it difficult to find a confidence-inspiring set-up with his RC213V to mount a challenge closer to the top 10.
Redding had a race-long duel with Yonny Hernandez and he thought he’d secured 11th place with a bold braking move on the penultimate lap. But he made a small mistake that allowed the Colombian to sweep back through and claim 11th by just 0.2s.
Redding now heads to his home round at Silverstone hoping his great past success on home soil can provide the inspiration he needs to inject some momentum into a frustrating season.
Scott Redding: 12th
“It was another difficult weekend and in the race I was struggling to keep the speed. I feel so on the limit I don’t know where to push to find more time. The group in front can pull away easily and although it was another tough race I tried my best. I passed Yonny on the penultimate lap but made a mistake and he got back through. The longer we go without any results the more frustrating it is getting, My home race Silverstone is next and hopefully my previous success there, and a big home crowd can spur me on. We are certainly not going to give up.”
Michael Bartholemy: Team Principal
“Yet again we have to look back on another very difficult weekend. It looks like we are going round in circles trying to find a solution without any success. We have tried everything we possibly can on the bike to make him more comfortable. At this moment it is obvious that he does not feel like this is his bike. He has not gelled with it and now we are over the halfway point of the season we can’t say it is a matter of time. All we can do is stay committed to the task in hand and hope the situation improves very soon.”
More, from a press release issued by Aprilia:
BOTH APRILIA RS-GP MACHINES IN THE POINTS FOR THE FIRST TIME
AT BRNO ALVARO BAUTISTA FINISHED THIRTEENTH AHEAD OF STEFAN BRADL
Brno (Czech Republic), 16 August 2015 – Another notch in the Aprilia path of progress with both Bautista (13th) and Bradl (14th) finishing the Brno race in the points. This is a first for this début season. The Aprilia Racing Team Gresini riders rode an impeccable race after a good start which was undermined by the battle in the first turns.
Alvaro Bautista got off the line well when the lights went out, immediately moving up a few positions. Unfortunately, the usual battles in the first turns penalised him and he was forced to slow down a few times to keep from running off the track. In twenty-second place at the end of the first lap, Alvaro stayed focused and found his pace, recovering ground with each lap and putting times on the sheets that would have kept him just behind the top-10. His thirteenth place finish therefore leaves a few regrets for the Spanish rider who is comforted by the improvement that his technical package demonstrated over this weekend.
Stefan Bradl is also pleased with the result. Riding an outstanding race, the German rider gave up a position in the final stages of the race to his team mate who had a better pace. His hurting wrist obviously did not help Bradl’s performance, especially in the final laps. Stefan’s goal is still to find a more consistent race pace after showing that he has the speed he needs in the qualifying.
ROMANO ALBESIANO (Aprilia Racing Director)
“Having both riders finish with points for the first time confirms our excellent level, a situation that is streamlining our development work. In this race the thing that satisfies me the most is that we kept a good pace throughout and that shows the improvements in this period which are critical for us. The result could have been even better, but in any case it is in line with our goals this season. Now we’ll focus on the tests tomorrow with the new tyres, essential for getting the best possible start in the 2016 season.”
FAUSTO GRESINI (Team Manager)
“We are very pleased with the result today – two bikes bringing home points is undoubtedly a great confidence booster. It’s nice to watch races like this one, where both our riders were fast with a gap behind the top ten that was quite small at the finish line. It was just a shame about the time Alvaro lost at the beginning of the race due to contact with another rider, otherwise he could have brought home an even better result.”
ALVARO BAUTISTA
“This was a hard but fun race. I had a good start, but on the first lap I lost the advantage I had gained. So I set my pace. At the beginning I was struggling a bit to stop the bike but lap after lap the situation improved. I had a lot of riders in front of me and that complicated matters. I enjoyed overtaking but the fact that I had the pace to make a play for eleventh place leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. Our work keeps going. Even during the warmup a small change helped me to find more feeling with the bike over race distance. I would like to thank my team for all of their help on such a demanding weekend.”
STEFAN BRADL
“I think the team can be very happy with our result today. I had set the goal of being faster in the race than I was at Indianapolis and I was successful, plus it was fun battling with Bautista. I was able to stay ahead of Bautista for quite a few laps and then toward the end he managed to overtake me with a clean move: he earned the spot ahead of me. The team is working well and I hope we’ll be able to continue like this to further improve our race performance. In qualifiers I am able to get the most out of the bike for a few flying laps, but our priority is still to improve race performance. Today we took a step forward even if the bike became more difficult to ride in the second half of the race. In the last two laps I was also feeling pain in my injured wrist, but despite everything we managed to bring home a nice result.”
More, from a press release issued by Monster Yamaha Tech 3:
Consistent Smith completes Czech Grand Prix as top satellite rider
Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team rider Bradley Smith determinedly battled his way to 7th position at the bwin Grand Prix Ceske Republiky as he finished once again as the leading satellite rider aboard his Yamaha YZR-M1. The young Briton began the day strongly by completing the warm up in 5th place which left him fully confident for the race today. When the 22 lap sprint commenced, the 24 year old undertook an impressive start to climb into 3rd position at the first corner as he rode right in the mix with the factory MotoGP bikes. Ultimately, he crossed the line in 6th position after the first lap whilst exchanging some aggressive passes with Andrea Dovizioso. Smith then stuck into his strong race pace in order to remain with the group, yet was overtaken by Dani Pedrosa on lap seven. However, at the halfway point, the English star remained in 7th whilst setting a series of consistent lap times as he aimed to open a gap to his chasing teammate and due to his impeccable riding, he completed the race in this position. His result in the Czech Republic saw him pocket another batch of points to add to his tally in the world championship as he continues to reside in 5th, ahead of the Factory Ducati rider Andrea Dovizioso.
Meanwhile, Pol Espargaro delivered another resolute performance in the 11th round of the 2015 MotoGP World Championship as he clinched 8th position in the today’s race at the 5.4 kilometre Automotodrom Brno. When the highly anticipated event jumped into action, the Spaniard bolted from the middle of the third row and aggressively completed his first lap in 7th position. From here, he rode behind his teammate and embarked on a hot pace. On the fifth lap, Dani Pedrosa overtook him yet he remained fully focused and continued in his strong rhythm. As the race distance progressed, the 2013 Moto2 World Champion pushed onwards with his sights fully set on Smith, but as the lap numbers ran out, he met the chequered flag in 8th position in front of just over 138,000 fans. The result positively concludes a challenging weekend for the 24 year old in the Czech Republic which sees him progress up to 8th with 81 points in the World Championship standings.
Bradley Smith
Position : 7th Championship : 5th Points : 106
“It’s a good achievement to finish as the top satellite bike again and the result concludes a positive weekend for us in the Czech Republic. Having said that, it is quite frustrating to finish 21 seconds behind the leader but this seems to be our level at the moment. All weekend the team has done a fantastic job and I really enjoyed fighting for the front row in qualifying yesterday. In the race today we took a bit of a gamble due to the hot weather conditions and I rode the medium front tyre and when I was following the Ducati riders at the beginning, I overheated it slightly, which caused me to drop back a bit. However, from the halfway point onwards, I felt more comfortable. It seems that we lose too much time at the start and so this is the weakest point. It is limiting us a little but despite that, I know that the guys are working really hard to find any kind of solution. Another positive is that I extended my lead over Pol in the championship standings, plus I didn’t lose too many points to Dovizioso. We’re fifth and we will continue to fight as hard as possible to remain in that position so I am super excited about continuing this run at my home GP”
Pol Espargaro
Position : 8th Championship : 8th Points : 81
“Of course, I can’t be completely satisfied with today’s result, but compared to the race in Indianapolis we finally made a good step forward as we completely made up the gap to Bradley. We were able to improve the behaviour of the bike in the braking areas as well as the turning which was where I was stronger than my teammate today. Unfortunately, we are still lacking rear grip and I’m quite surprised that the other riders don’t seem to face the same difficulties. However I’m convinced that if we can solve this issue then we will be able to ride a lot faster. Therefore, we have still plenty of work ahead of us, but it has definitely been a productive day and we were able to draw some positive conclusions which should help us to make further steps forward during the next races. In addition, another encouraging point of the weekend was that I moved up one position in the championship standings and I’m keen to collect another top result at Silverstone to boost my placement further”
Hervé Poncharal – Team manager :
“To be completely honest, it was another tough day for my heart! I have to talk to Bradley and Pol because I am getting old and what they are doing on track is threatening my health! It was a long and intense race but I think we achieved the best that we could have hoped for by finishing in 7th and 8th. Six full factory bikes were the only ones in front of the Monster Yamaha Tech3 guys and none of them made any mistakes what shows how competitive our whole team is. The two riders have quite clearly shown that once again they are the best satellite riders so I am really proud of them. Coming back to my heart, when I saw them so close on the track, I knew how much they wanted to beat each other and it was a bit worrying to watch. That was almost the case from the very beginning of the race but I have to thank both for being clever, fast, cautious and for not taking too many risks as we took some strong and important points. Bradley still sits in fifth in the standings which is very impressive and it’s great for him to arrive at his home Grand Prix holding this place. On the other hand Pol made a lot of ground on some of his strong opponents and the pace of the two guys was very close so I think it was a positive weekend altogether. Hopefully they can have a few days off before they get back on track at the British Grand Prix”
More, from a press release issued by Bridgestone:
Lorenzo hammers out fifth victory of the year at the Czech Republic Grand Prix
Round 11: Czech Republic MotoGP™ – Race
Automotodrom Brno, Sunday August 16 2015
Bridgestone slick options: Front: Soft, Medium & Hard; Rear: Soft, Medium & Hard (Asymmetric)
Bridgestone wet tyre options: Soft (Main), Hard (Alternative)
Weather: Dry. Ambient 27-27°C; Track 41-42°C (Bridgestone measurement)
Pole-sitter Jorge Lorenzo led from start to the finish to take his fifth victory of the year at the Czech Republic Grand Prix, the result meaning the Movistar Yamaha MotoGP rider now has equal championship points as his teammate Valentino Rossi.
After exhibiting lap-record pace in qualifying Lorenzo proved he had the best pace over race distance as well, as he led into the first corner and steadily built a gap over Repsol Honda Team’s Marc Marquez, who was the only rider able to keep Lorenzo in sight in the early stages. As the race went on, Lorenzo’s lead grew and he ultimately took the chequered flag 4.462 seconds ahead of Marquez who finished in second place. Finishing a further six seconds behind in third was Rossi who kept his perfect podium record in 2015 intact. All three riders on the podium used a different combination of Bridgestone slick tyres for the twenty-two lap Czech Republic Grand Prix. Lorenzo used the medium compound slicks front and rear, Marquez used the medium front and hard rear slick, while Rossi used the hard compound front and rear slicks.
Clouds covered the Brno circuit during the morning Warm Up session but the sun emerged before the race, helping the track temperature to a peak of 42°C during the race. With track temperatures being similar to those in Free Practice 4, the tyre choice for the race was much the same as the riders used in race simulations yesterday. The medium compound front slick was by far the most popular race choice, with twenty-one riders selecting this option and the remaining four riders opting for the hard compound front slick. The soft and medium rear slicks had equal preference as the race tyre of choice at Brno, with eleven riders each selecting these options, while only three riders selected the hard compound rear slick.
Although both Lorenzo and Rossi sit on 211 championship points, Lorenzo is now the championship leader having won five races to Rossi’s three. Marquez’s second place at Brno means he consolidates his hold on third place in the standings with a 17 point lead over Ducati Team’s Andrea Iannone who is fourth overall.
Hiroshi Yamada – Manager, Bridgestone Motorsport Department
“We had a lot of cloud cover this morning but thankfully we had no rain and the race took place in almost perfect conditions. Jorge has been dominant all weekend and congratulations to him on his victory as he once again showed that if he gets a good start, he is incredibly hard to beat. It is amazing to think that with seven races remaining this year that we have two riders in Jorge and Valentino sitting on the same number of championship points – I can’t remember the last time we had such a close championship at this stage of the season. This must be exciting for MotoGP fans everywhere and I am sure will bring a big crowd to Silverstone in a couple of weeks’ time. ”
Masao Azuma – Chief Engineer, Bridgestone Motorcycle Tyre Development Department
“This morning it looked like that we were in for cooler conditions for the race but strong sunshine in the afternoon meant the track temperature this afternoon was almost the same as yesterday. As a result we didn’t see a big shift in tyre preference compared to yesterday, with the medium front slick and both the soft and medium rear slicks proving to be most popular. With the grip level of the Brno circuit getting worse each year, the general trend was for riders to select the softest rear tyre in their allocation to compensate for the slippery track surface. However the harder option rears were preferred by some riders and also performed well here. The lap times over race distance were quite consistent, which shows that tyre degradation over the twenty-two laps was controllable for the riders.”
Jorge Lorenzo, Movistar Yamaha MotoGP – Race Winner
“The weather for the race was warmer than this morning so I was not sure about my tyre choice. I decided to use the medium compound tyres front and rear as these felt the best for me. I was able to get a good start and open a gap during the first six laps, but later in the race I had to manage the traction from the rear and luckily, I had more pace than Marc. It was a very important victory as I now share the championship lead with Valentino and also extend my lead over Marc.”
More, from a press releases issued by Forward Racing:
Loris Baz – A victory for the team
The Grand Prix of the Czech Republic weekend closes with a smile for the Forward Racing team at Brno. Loris Baz, riding the Yamaha Forward of the Swiss team, crossed the finish line in 15th position, first among the Open bikes. Claudio Corti, his teammate, came twentieth at his second MotoGP race wearing the Forward Racing colors.
Baz, after two days of difficult free practices, became the protagonist of a good fight with his rivals in the Open category, Barbera and Hayden, and crossed the finish line in 15th position claiming the win and the point-zone. With the point gathered today on the Czech track, the Frenchman shortens the distance from the current leader of the category: the Spaniard Barbera is now only 5 lengths away.
Good race also for Claudio Corti who, after retiring in his maiden race at the Sachsenring, crossed the finish line in 20th place. The Italian, 24th at the start, now has another weekend of work on his shoulders before the race at Silverstone in two weeks time.
Loris Baz – 15th
“It was a really tough race, but I’m satisfied with the result. We made some small changes just before the race and I managed to stay in the fight all the time with my rivals in the Open category. I can only thank one by one to all the guys: we found ourselves in a difficult situation, but everyone continued to work at his very best. I went on track convinced I could do well and the victory is the only way to thank them for what they did”.
Claudio Corti – 20th
“I expected more from the race, but overall I’m happy with how the weekend went. It was important to do kilometers and finish the race after retiring in my opening event at the Sachsenring. I am confident and I am convinced that at Silverstone we will be closer to the other Open bikes. Well done to Loris for the win, it is a major achievement for the whole team”.
More, from a press release issued by Avintia Racing:
Difficult Sunday for Avintia Racing at Brno
16/08/15 Avintia Racing MotoGP – Czech Republic GP – RACE
The weekend started with high expectations for Avintia Racing at Brno. With Hector Barbera dominating on Friday, going straight to the Q2 and with Di Meglio completing the Open Class one-two on Saturday qualifying, everybody in the team was looking forward to the race. But after the 22-laps-race, the results were far from the expectations of Avintia Racing. Hector Barbera made a good start from the 11th place of the grid and was able to battle against several factory bikes in the opening laps, but once the tyres dropped off, it was impossible for him to keep the fast pace shown during the weekend. He battled with Loris Baz in the last few laps, but the Frenchman crossed the line in front of him and reduced Barbera’s advantage in the standings by one point, although the Spanish rider still leads the Open Class.
It was the opposite for Di Meglio during the race. The Avintia Racing French rider suffered in the opening laps but then got stronger in the last part of the race. After a hard battle with some Open Class riders, he finished the race in 18th place.
The MotoGP World Championship takes now a rest to come back in two weeks time at Silverstone, home of the British Grand Prix.
HECTOR BARBERA #8 / 16th (P2 Open) @HectorBarbera
It was a really difficult day. We tested some electronic setting during the warm up, but I didn’t feel great. Anyway I was quite confident for the race. We changed the strategy for this track, trying to fight with some factory bikes, but then I realized that this was a mistake, and after some laps my tyres were finished and I could not push at the end of the race. The bike was sliding everywhere, at the entry and the exit of the turns, and it was very difficult. But we have learned many things that we’ll apply in the next races.
MIKE DI MEGLIO #63 / 18th (P4 Open) @Mikejpp63
The race was very difficult. In the first part of the race, the bike was completely different to the bike I had during the free and qualifying practices, but I tried to calm myself and to play with the electronics trying to improve. Then with less fuel in the tank, I started to get back to the good feeling I had during the weekend. I caught Miller, but although I pushed hard, it was impossible to recover the gap with Hector’s group. I lost too much in the first part of the race. We saw many things that should help us to improve, but first we need to understand why the bike changes so much when the track conditions are different.
More, from a press release issued by Repsol Honda:
Second place for Marquez in Brno with Dani battling up to 5th
Repsol Honda riders Marc Marquez and Dani Pedrosa experienced very different races today in the Czech Republic in front of 138,000 fans.
Starting from second on the grid, Marc held his position behind pole man Jorge Lorenzo from the beginning. Dani – who’s qualifying was affected by his injured left ankle – started from 9th but after being pushed around by Hernandez in the first corner he found himself in 12th. He climbed back up to 10th by the end of the first lap, and then by lap four he was already in 8th as Jorge and Marc set an incredible pace and a gap of over two seconds, with Marc setting the race’s fastest lap (1’56.048).
On lap seven Dani caught and passed Smith and was now in sixth, chasing down Dovizioso and Iannone ahead of him, meanwhile Jorge started to push and open up a small gap over him and Marc, which he controlled to the end. By lap sixteen, Dani was on the back of Dovizioso and pushing hard to overtake. He managed to pass briefly on the penultimate lap before being passed back, and then on the final lap Dani made his move stick and crossed the line to take 5th by just 0.075 seconds.
Marc remains third in the Championship Standings on 159 (52 points behind Lorenzo and Rossi on 211) and Dani is seventh on 91 points.
Marc Marquez
2ND CHAMPIONSHIP STANDING: 3RD – 159 POINTS
“Today Jorge rode a very good race. We knew we were not far off him, but we were not close enough and we tried to stick with him, at least at the beginning of the race. After six or seven laps I began to lose performance and he was able maintain his pace. That’s where the difference was made. We achieved the goal we had for today: to try and open a gap to Valentino and the others from the start so I’m happy about that. When we have difficulties, as we did this weekend, we still have to score points. I think that this second position is good.”
Dani Pedrosa
5TH CHAMPIONSHIP STANDING: 7TH – 91 POINTS
“Today I did not make a perfect start, but it was not that bad. However, when I entered the first corner Hernandez went very hard up the inside and I had to pick the bike up. I was able to save it but when I leant back over, coming out of the corner, his teammate caught up and also moved me off my line, so I lost positions and a lot of time. My pace was not as good as this morning and I did not have as good a feeling with the bike due to some problems with the front. It was hard for me to recover but eventually I caught up with Dovizioso and Iannone. The Ducatis are hard to overtake – on the straight they are very fast – but I managed to pass Dovi on the final lap. It’s been a difficult weekend, even though today I could work better thanks to the physiotherapist and some medication.”
More, from a press release issued by Aspar Team:
POWER ELECTRONICS Aspar riders out of grip and out of the points at Brno
Nicky Hayden rides around issues to take seventeenth place as defective tyre causes Eugene Laverty to crash
Much like last Sunday’s race at Indianapolis the MotoGP podium was decided early on at Brno today, with the top three riders in the championship currently operating on a different level to the rest of the field. The threat of rain looked like it might shake things up but in the end it stayed dry, allowing Jorge Lorenzo to dominate for 22 laps. Marc Márquez did his best to give chase early on but he was struggling to stay in touch from lap eight, when Lorenzo began to edge clear. Valentino Rossi came through to take third, meaning the same three riders made up the podium as at Indy, albeit in a different order, with Lorenzo tying with the Italian on 211 points but now leading the championship by virtue of his better win record.
After setting their sights on success following a promising day yesterday it proved to be a disappointing race for the POWER ELECTRONICS Aspar Team. Despite not putting together a perfect lap in qualifying both Nicky Hayden and Eugene Laverty felt they had the pace to challenge for Open victory but it didn’t prove to be the case, for differing reasons. Hayden got a great start and made up several positions on the opening lap but soon began to lose grip and pace. In the end he had to drop back and consolidate seventeenth place, with his team-mate Eugene Laverty already back in the garage after a crash on lap five caused by a faulty rear tyre.
17th Nicky Hayden: “It was a tough race at the end of a tough weekend. We made a small change to the bike this morning that gave us more grip and my pace was pretty good on used tyres. I’d say I made my best start and best first lap of the season, making up five positions, and my fastest lap was the fourteenth fastest of the race but I couldn’t stay in the 1’58s, where I needed to be. The grip was really poor and the bike was sliding around a lot. Barberá tried to escape but I pushed hard to catch him and was finally able to make a move with five or six laps to go. At that point the pace was pretty good but I made a mistake in turn nine and then got my braking wrong into turn ten. Barberá and Baz came past, I didn’t realise there were two of them, and I tried to race them to the finish but the grip was gone. It’s a shame because we had the Open victory in sight almost until the end of the race but it wasn’t to be.”
Eugene Laverty (DNF): “When I crashed Jack [Miller] ran into me so I was lucky to come out uninjured, which is at least something positive. In Q1 yesterday we had a faulty tyre and I knew something wasn’t right from the start today. I pushed during the warm-up lap to see if it was the tyre and it was sliding a lot. It is strange because the Bridgestones are usually so consistent and I have never had a problem with them before. The crash was a shame but we can’t do anything about it now, just keep working. The team have done a great job developing the bike over the past two races and I’d like to be talking about good results at the end of the race rather than sounding like I’m making excuses. A few races ago we were a little lost but this is my first season in MotoGP and I am still getting to know this bike. Now our feeling with it is much better and I hope I can prove it soon.”
More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:
Fourth place for Andrea Iannone in Czech Republic GP at Brno. Andrea Dovizioso finishes in sixth
Both Ducati Team men had positive races in the Czech Republic Grand Prix, round 11 of the 2015 MotoGP World Championship held at the Brno circuit. Andrea Iannone finished fourth overall, despite a problem that hampered the performance of his Desmosedici GP15, while Andrea Dovizioso was classified sixth after holding on to fifth place until the final lap.
Dovizioso powered away well at the start and crossed the line at the end of the opening lap in third place. The man from Forlì, who was then passed by Rossi on the following lap, held on to fourth place until lap 8, when he was overtaken by his teammate.
The two Italians then held on to fourth and fifth places until the final lap, during which Dovizioso was passed by Pedrosa with just a few corners to go before the chequered flag.
In the Riders’ standings, Iannone remains fourth on 142 points, while Dovizioso is still in sixth position with 104. Ducati are third in the Constructors’ table, with 167 points.
Andrea Iannone (Ducati Team #29) – 4th
“Today we have to be optimistic about the result because I believe I did the best I could do. It was a race in which I could have fought for the podium and so we really have to find out what happened, seeing as my engine didn’t have as much sprint as it did during the rest of the weekend. I was losing a lot on the straights and so I had to make up time by pushing too hard with the braking. In any case I am pleased to have obtained this result despite the problem, because it means that we have reached an excellent set-up on my GP15. Together with the team we have been able to improve the bike in each session and we have done an incredible job. Finally we are back to being competitive again and this gives us a lot of motivation for the next few races.”
Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team #04) – 6th
“I am quite satisfied with how the race went today because before the start I didn’t have a great feeling with my GP15 and I was quite some way off the race pace. However we must find out how to improve the front because the bike does not turn the way we would like it to: this is a big handicap because I am not able to push hard, and that is what happened to me today in the race. Next week we will be testing at Misano which will surely also be useful to try and solve these problems ”
Luigi Dall’Igna (Ducati Corse General Manager)
“Today Iannone did a great race, fighting right until the very end, and I am really sorry about the final result because he had a problem with the engine of his GP15 that limited the performance somewhat. Unfortunately there was a glitch with the variable trumpet intake system and this led to the loss of some power: we calculated that Iannone probably lost a couple of tenths a lap, and so we lost a great chance to be up front and try to get onto the podium. In any case I believe that the positive outcome of this weekend is that here at Brno we finally found our competitiveness again. Pity about Dovizioso, who unfortunately never found the right feeling with his bike, but next week we will do a test at Misano before leaving for Silverstone, which will help us prepare for our home GP in the best possible way and in any case we remain optimistic for the next few races.”
More, from a press release issued by CWM LCR Honda:
CRUTCHLOW CRASHES OUT OF CZECH GP
A difficult weekend at the Czech Republic Grand Prix ended in disappointment for Cal Crutchlow today, as the CWM LCR Honda Team rider crashed out of the race on lap fifteen.
Crutchlow did not make the ideal start from tenth on the grid, dropping three positions by the end of the first lap, but the Brit battled his way back up to his original starting position by lap four.
However, at two-thirds distance his front tyre lost grip in turn eleven and he slid out of the race.
The team will be back at the Brno circuit tomorrow for an important post-race test as Crutchlow begins to prepare for a much better weekend in his home Grand Prix at Silverstone in two weeks’ time.
Cal Crutchlow #35 (DNF)
“I’m very disappointed with today’s race. First and foremost I want to say sorry to the team because I made a mistake in the race and crashed. We have not been feeling comfortable with our package all weekend and we’ve tried hard to improve it but even in the race I had a lot of difficulty trying to maintain the pace I needed to set.
“Tomorrow we have a test here, which will be important because the next round is my home Grand Prix at Silverstone and we need to make some improvements before we go there. All in all we feel disappointed right now but hopeful that things will be better next time.”
More, from another press release issued by CWM LCR Honda:
MILLER BATTLES TO BRNO FINISH
Jack Miller recovered from an off-track excursion and grip issues late in the race to take a hard-fought nineteenth-placed finish in today’s Czech Republic Grand Prix at Brno.
The CWM LCR Honda youngster did well not to go down himself when another rider crashed in front of him on the fifth lap but after running wide and returning to the track he quickly recovered the lost ground.
After making one pass the Australian youngster was hot on the heels of the riders in front of him but lost feeling in the latter stages of the race and needed to ride a mature final few laps to bring it home.
Jack Miller #43 (19th)
“I didn’t have the best start but I was getting into a rhythm when Eugene (Laverty) crashed in front of me and I had to avoid him. I really pushed to try and close the gap to Baz and once I got past Di Meglio I was really doing it. I started putting together a good race rhythm but after I pushed for five or six laps the bike started to feel a bit shaky.
“It was spinning up a lot so I had to back off and bring it home. I couldn’t do anything to stop Di Meglio coming back past me, the bike was wheelying on the straight and I couldn’t brake how I wanted. It’s a bit of a shame but I am happy-ish with today because we got some good time on the bike, learnt a lot and now we can look forward to the test tomorrow.”
More, from a press release issued by OCTO Pramac Racing:
Precious 10 th place for Petrux at Brno. Yonny ended up 11°
The OCTO Pramac Racing’s weekend in Czech Republic GP ended up with the precious “double Top 10” of Danilo Petrucci (10th place and the 10th position in MotoGP classification) and 11th place of Yonny Hernandez who managed to reply to the attack of Redding on the last lap.
Petrux confirmed to be one of the most consistent riders in the MotoGP, one of five who has always brought home points for the ranking. The rider from Terni started very fast recovering four positions on the first lap. After being passed by Pedrosa, Crutchlow and Pol Espargaro, Danilo tried to fight with Aleix Espargaro for ninth place (after the crashes of Crutchlow and Vinales) closing the gap until 6 tenths of a second on the last four laps. Then he decided not to risk any more and bring home a good Top 10.
Yonny’s start has been very positive too, with three positions recovered in the first corner. Unfortunately the Colombian rider’s feeling with his Ducati Desmosedici GP 14.2 appeared to be much lower compared to the warm up (9th time in 1’57.2). Yonny never managed to lap under 1’58 but he was able to win with determination the duel with Redding for the 11th place finish.
Danilo Petrucci reaches 65 points in the standings and gets back in the Top 10 of the Motogp classification.
With 5 points won in Brno, Yonny Hernadez reaches 41 in the ranking (13th place)
OCTO Pramac Racing consolidates sixth position (104) in the teams classification, reducing the distance from the Top 5 (-11).
Precious 10 th place for Petrux at Brno. Yonny ended up 11°
10° – Danilo Petrucci – OCTO Pramac Racing #9
I’m satistied. The position on the grid was not easy but in the first two corner I managed to recover some positions. I tried to keep the ninth place but I suffered a lot with the rear. I was hoping to get Alex Espargaro, I tried to push a lot but I had lack of traction especially in the corner exit. So I preferred not to risk it and take home this result. The team did a great job to put me in a position to achieve this resul. I think in this GPGP, despite some difficulties, everybody have been a great job.
11° – Yonny Hernandez – OCTO Pramac Racing #68
I didn’t manage to push as I had done in the warm up. I always had problems in the front and this did not allow me to find confidence. But we still did a good eleventh place that allows me to bring home precious points for the championship. I have to do my best in Silverston to get back to the Top 10
More, from a press release issued by Dorna:
Unstoppable Lorenzo emerges triumphant in the Battle of Brno to lead championship standings
Movistar Yamaha’s Jorge Lorenzo emerged victorious from the ‘Battle of Brno’ after an imperious ride at the bwin Grand Prix Ceské republiky. The Spaniard was untouchable during the race as he went on to take the win by 4.462s from Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez, with his teammate Valentino Rossi in third. Lorenzo now sits on top of the MotoGP™ World Championship standings, level on points with Rossi, after taking his 5th win of the season.
Conditions were almost perfect for the MotoGP™ race at the 5.2km Automotodrom Brno, with the sun shining and track temperatures approaching 42°C. Over 138,000 fans had packed into the grandstands at the iconic track to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first GP at Brno, and the scene was set perfectly for a showdown between the top three riders in the championship standings. Adding to the intrigue was the fact that all three riders had gone for different tyre choices. Lorenzo on a medium front and rear, Rossi on a hard front and rear, and Marquez with a medium front and hard rear.
Any hopes of a dramatic three-way battle between Lorenzo, Marquez and Rossi were dashed almost immediately, as Rossi got bogged down at the start. The Italian had worked hard during practice and qualifying to ensure that he didn’t let Marquez and Lorenzo disappear at the start of the race as in Indianapolis. It was all to be for nothing though, as he found himself down in fifth at the first corner.
Lorenzo and Marquez immediately opened a gap at the front, which had increased to 1.5 seconds at the end of the first lap. Rossi found himself held up behind Andrea Dovizioso, and by the time he got past on the second lap, the gap to his rivals was already over two seconds.
Marquez was matching the pace of Lorenzo and they were both lapping almost 0.5s a lap quicker than Rossi and after six laps the gap was up to 4 seconds. Lorenzo even started to pull away from Marquez, opening up a half of a second gap over his compatriot by lap 9. This had increased to two seconds by lap 12, with Lorenzo once again managing the gap perfectly as no one had an answer to his electric pace. The two-time MotoGP™ World Champion went on to take his 38th MotoGP™ victory by the comfortable margin of 4 .4 seconds from Marquez. Rossi eventually crossed the line 10.397s behind Lorenzo to finish third, and continuing his run of having finished on the podium at every race this season.
Ducati Team’s Andrea Iannone (+13.071s) finished in fourth as he was involved in an excellent battle towards the end of the race with his teammate Andrea Dovizioso and Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda). Pedrosa, who was nursing a bruised left foot after his highside in FP2, gritted his teeth to work his way up through the field from 9th on the grid. With 6 laps remaining, he caught Iannone and Dovizioso who were involved in a fight of their own and were 4th and 5th respectively at the time.
After Iannone and Dovizioso almost touched, Iannone made a slight break to take fourth, and left his teammate to deal with Pedrosa. Cue an awesome scrap over the last few laps as each rider overtook each other a number of times. Pedrosa (+0.15.650s) made a move up the inside of turn 11 on the final lap and held on to cross the line in fifth ahead of Dovizioso (+15.725s).
Monster Yamaha Tech 3’s Bradley Smith once again enjoyed a great start to find himself up into third at the very first corner. Smith could not quite match the pace of the leaders though, and found himself falling back, eventually crossing the line as the leading Satellite rider in 7th. His teammate Pol Espargaro was in eighth, ahead of his brother Aleix on the Team Suzuki Ecstar in ninth, with Octo Pramac Racing’s Danilo Petrucci completing the top ten.
Petrucci’s teammate Yonny Hernandez followed him across the line in 11th, ahead of Scott Redding (EG 0,0 Marc VDS Racing) and the two Factory Aprilia’s of Stefan Bradl (13th) and Alvaro Bautista (14th)
Forward Racing’s Loris Baz pulled off the perfect result for his team on their return after being forced to miss the Indianapolis GP due to financial issues. The Frenchman crossed the line in 15th to take the Open class victory by less than a second from Avintia Racing’s Hector Barbera in 16th. Nicky Hayden (Aspar MotoGP Team) was next across the line in 17th as the leading Open class Honda.
There were crashes for Eugene Laverty (Aspar MotoGP Team), Cal Crutchlow (CWM LR Honda) and Maverick Viñales (Team Suzuki Ecstar) while Alex De Angelis (E-Motion IodaRacing Team) was forced to retire.
Lorenzo’s win sees him replace his teammate Rossi at the top of the MotoGP™ World championship standings. Although both are on 211 points, Lorenzo has the advantage as he has won five races compared to Rossi’s three. Marc Marquez (159pts) remains in third, 52 points behind the two Movistar Yamaha teammates.
Dominant Zarco takes 4th Moto2™ win of the season
Ajo Motorsports Johann Zarco extended his lead in the Moto2™ World Championship standings after taking his fourth victory of the season at the bwin Grand Prix Ceské republiky. Zarco eventually crossed the line 1.421s ahead of Tito Rabat on the EG 0,0 Marc VDS Kalex, with Paginas Amarillas HP40’s rookie Alex Rins (+1.785s) completing the podium.
The sun had come out for the Moto2™ race with track temperatures reaching 38°C at the iconic Automotodrom Brno but it was Zarco who would shine in front of the passionate Czech fans. The Frenchman took the lead on just the second lap and after Rabat had a huge moment at turn 9, he went onto open up a 1-second lead at the front. Zarco managed this gap perfectly to take the race win and extend his lead in the Moto2™ standings to 79 points.
Rabat crossed the line in second, after a great start that saw him lead into the first corner. The Spaniard then lost at least three-tenths of a second after his near highside at turn 9 and try as he might, he simply could not make any meaningful dent into Zarco’s lead. Rabat looked comfortable through the race, but found himself coming under the attention of Rins on the final lap. Rins had chosen the harder rear tyre, and appeared to have better grip as the riders worked their way through the final few corners. It looked like he was lining up a move into the final chicane, but Rabat managed to hold him off to cross the line 0.364s ahead of his compatriot. This meant that Rabat moves up to second in the championship standings at the expense of Rins.
Rabat’s teammate Alex Marquez (+2.608s) completed his best result of the season in fourth. The reigning Moto3™ World Champion beating his previous best placed finishes of 8th at Jerez and Assen after an excellent battle early on with his old Moto3™ rival Rins.
Speed Up Racing’s Sam Lowes (+7.844s) recovered from having to start in 13th to finish in 5th. The British rider experienced technical issues in Qualifying and was forced to fight his way through the pack during the race in a case of damage limitation to secure 11 championship points.
AGR Team’s Jonas Folger (8.056s) finished in sixth, ahead of the Derendinger Racing Interwetten Kalex of Thomas Luthi in seventh. Luthi had actually led the race on the first lap, but found himself dropping back through the field as the race progressed.
Sandro Cortese (Dynavolt Intact GP), Luis Salom (Paginas Amarillas HP40), and Franco Morbidelli (Italtrans Racing team) completed the top ten. Robin Mulhauser, Lorenzo Baldassari, Florian Alt, Louis Rossi and Xavi Vierge all recorded DNF’s.
Zarco (224pts) now leads the Moto2™ championship standings by 71 points from Tito Rabat (145pts), with Alex Rins (144pts) in third.
Antonelli claims maiden Moto3™ victory
Ongetta-Rivacold’s Niccolo Antonelli claimed his maiden Moto3™ victory in a exhilarating 12–lap race after the original was red flagged. The Italian took the race win by just 0.152s from Gresini Racing Team Moto3’s Enea Bastianini, with Brad Binder completing the podium on the Red Bull KTM Ajo.
There were dramatic scenes at the legendary Automotodrom Brno as the original race saw two four-rider crashes, with the second resulting in the red flag being shown. The first incident occurred at turn 1 and involved Tatsuki Suzuki, Niklas Ajo, Phillip Oettl and Jules Danilo. The second was a turn 3 and saw Andrea Locatelli, Lorenzo Dalla Porta, Gabriel Rodrigo and Hiroki Ono crash. Rodrigo and Ono were taken to the Medical Centre for checks on their left leg and right foot respectively, with Rodrigo being taken to Brno Hospital for further checks and both riders missing the restart. Ajo and Locatelli also failed to re-take their starting spots on the grid.
The re-started race saw a number of riders switch to the soft tyre option due to the reduced length. The race itself was a frantic sprint which saw 11 riders break away at the front and open up a 2 second gap after the first 7 laps. There were incredibly dramatic scenes as at times riders were eight abreast entering into corners, and the lead swapped hands multiple times between Antonelli, Miguel Oliveira, Brad Binder, Danny Kent and Efren Vazquez.
Antonelli took the lead with 2 laps remaining and didn’t look back, going on to claim his first GP victory, and his first podium finish on his 62nd attempt. His compatriot Bastianini fought his way back from 15th on the grid to claim second. South African Brad Binder had been dicing for the lead the entire race, but had to settle for third, 0.376s behind the winner.
Leopard Racing’s Efren Vazquez (+0.540s) crossed the line in fourth, ahead of the Estrella Galicia 0,0 Honda of Jorge Navarro (+0.560s). Romano Fenati (+0.821s) on the SKY Racing Team VR46 KTM had a brilliant race to finish in sixth. The Italian had to claw his way through the field after starting from 22nd due to receiving a 3-place penalty from Race Direction for riding slowly on the racing line during Qualifying. On lap 6 he was up to eighth, and was in second on the final lap before dropping back to sixth in the last few corners.
Championship leader Danny Kent (Leopard Racing) looked like he was managing the race superbly from the middle of the leading group. Unfortunately contact with Navarro on the penultimate lap knocked the British rider out of his rhythm and he could only manage to finish in seventh.
Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo), local hero Jakub Kornfeil (Drive M7 SIC), and Scottish rider John McPhee (SAXOPRINT RTG) completed the top ten.
Fabio Quartararo, Isaac Viñales, Karel Hanika and Jules Danilo crashed out on just the second lap, with the latter two managing to re-join to finish 26th and 27th respectively. Alexis Masbou and Kevin Hanus also recorded DNF’s.
Kent (199pts) still tops the Moto3™ standings but his lead over Bastianini (154pts) has been reduced to 41 points with 7 races remaining. Fenati remains in third with 122 points.
More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki Press Office:
ESPARGARO TOP-10 WHILE VIÑALES CRASHES
The Czech Republic Grand Prix in Brno ended on mixed feelings for Team SUZUKI ECSTAR with Aleix Espargaro not completely happy with his final position of ninth and Maverick Viñales satisfied with his performance despite crashing out of the race.
The whole weekend was pretty hard for Espargaro, who again recorded some improvements that were positive, but not enough to make him feel totally comfortable with his machine. In the morning warm-up he tried some further set-up configurations which unfortuantely didn’t prove so positive, therefore he decided to go onto the grid with a more solid and consolidated set-up. At the start he got away well, gaining a couple of places immediately after the first turn, and then he fought to overtake the riders ahead to get into 11th place. When he succeeded, his pace was fast enough to recover a little more and then settle into his final position.
Viñales made a positive start, losing only one place off the line and managing to be competitive immediately in the early laps. He fought hard in the second half of the top-10, keeping a consistent pace that was always in the 1’57s bracket. Unfortunately his eagerness drove him to push harder and harder, and he pushed the front-end of his GSX-RR and crashed-out with only six laps to go. At that point his gap from the leader of the race was less than 20 seconds.
Satoru Terada – Project Leader:
“The final result with Maverick crashing-out and Aleix in ninth place is not completely satisfying to us, but overall the weekend gave us some positive feelings and we must be pretty happy overall. Aleix struggled to find the optimal feeling on his GSX-RR but he made some steps forward since the last race. Maybe we deserved a better result with him, but we are happy that we could make some improvements with the bike and he could find some good direction. Maverick had a very good weekend, his new approach to the race is proving to be effective and we were very proud to see him fighting for better positions than in his last races. Unfortunately he crashed out, but this is racing and he was pushing hard; in fact he was not so far from the race leaders and fighting for positions with other factory riders, which is very positive overall.”
Aleix Espargaro:
“I cannot say I’m happy with the weekend because once again I struggled to find a good feeling with the bike. It is positive that we finished the race and I got into the points, but overall we still need to work a lot harder. I feel disappointed, not only for the result, which is under our expectations, but most of all because I cannot understand why we can’t find the good confidence we had in the first part of the season any more. After six or seven laps, when the tyre drops in performance, I can’t keep the corner-speed and the back-end slides a lot under acceleration. My pace was too slow and we must investigate and understand why we are not performing as we did before.”
Maverick Viñales:
“Of course on one side I am disappointed because I crashed and couldn’t finish the race, but on the other side I am really happy because I was very close to the top, only less than 20 seconds from the leader with only six laps to go; and this is incredible and a big-step forward for us. We know how much we lose with the lack of horsepower and therefore the other aspects of the machine are performing very well. Today I tried to push very hard and finally crashed but these are things that happen in racing. I’m proud of the work I’ve done with my crew, I also want to thank all of them, because we are finding a very positive approach to the race that makes me feel totally comfortable. This is one of the reasons why I feel at ease in trying to push more, the first part of the season was devoted to get acquainted with the bike and now it’s time to be more daring. I made a positive start, improving my performance in the early laps, and my race-pace was closer to what we deserve, finally fighting with other factory riders. The crash is all part of the game, luckily I had no injuries and it gave me some more points of reference for the future. Today I was pushing and I crashed, maybe the next time I will push again but without crashing. This has been the best weekend since my start in MotoGP™, I have the feeling that we are becoming stronger and stronger and this gives me further motivation.”