DISAPPOINTING END TO AUSTRALIAN GP FOR SAM LOWES

The Team Federal Oil Gresini Moto2 has unfortunately registered another setback in today’s Australian Grand Prix at the Phillip Island circuit: Sam Lowes in fact has been forced to retire from the race after a crash on lap two.

Started from the front row of the grid and eighth at the first corner, the 26-year-old old British rider was battling in the leading group, taking seventh position just before the fall. The team now moves to Sepang, where Sunday, October 30 is scheduled the last of the three consecutive flyaway races, the Malaysian Grand Prix.

SAM LOWES (DNF)

“Heading to the grid before the race I felt a problem with the position of the handlebars, evidently due to the crash in this morning’s Warm Up. On the grid before the start we tried to solve this issue, but after the start I was still not feeling at ease, and it was not possible to stay focused. It’s my fault and I’m sorry for the team”.

FAUSTO GRESINI

“I’m disappointed: because of this retirement we lost one position in the overall standings and I hope that in the next races we can return to see the finish line. I feel sorry for Sam and I understand that this weekend the conditions of the track have been difficult, but we need to find back the right balance”.

More, from a press release issued by Sky Racing/VR46:

BITTER SUNDAY FOR THE SKY RACING TEAM VR46 AT PHILLIP ISLAND

Bulega and Migno, both victims of the fight of the first laps, were not on the grid for the restart. Dalla Porta, penalized with a drive through, crossed the finishing line in 19th place.

Cowes (Australia) – In a really excited first laps of the Australian GP, Nicolò Bulega and Andrea Migno are both forced to retire. Fighting in the leading group from the first turns, the riders of the Sky Racing Team VR46 are victims of a contacts in the first laps. Following the red flag, exposed by the stewards after the crash of John Mc Phee, both, by regulation, they could not get back on track for the restart. Lorenzo Dalla Porta, 14th on the new grid, was penalized with a drive through penalty for jump start and he crossed the finishing line in 19th place.

Pablo Nieto, Team Manager: “What a difficult day for the whole team: we were in the top positions in all the free practices, we did a great things in qualifying and this epilogue is very bitter for us. Nicolò and Andrea were fighting for the podium and Lorenzo, in the second start, was immediately with the fastest guys.”

Andrea Migno: “It is a shame: I was with the top guys, I had a good feeling for achieving something important today. It was windy, McPhee was in front of me, he lost the front and he braked. Unfortunately I could not do anything to avoid it. It was a big crash and I wish John all the best for a quick recovery.”

Nicolo Bulega: “It is not the ending that I expected for this weekend. We were competitive and it was a pity. I did a good start, I was with the fastest guys but I was forced to retire after a contact with Quartararo.”

Lorenzo Dalla Porta: “It was a difficult race: I had a good start and I was fighting with the fastest guys for the podium. Unfortunately, I was penalized with a drive through and I back on the track at the end of the group.”

More, from a press release issued by DRIVE M7 SIC Racing Team:

NORRODIN CLAIMS HARD FOUGHT ELEVENTH PLACE AT PHILLIP ISLAND

Phillip Island, Australia 

Circuit: Phillip Island

Circuit Length: 4.4 km

In one of the most action packed Moto3 races of the year, rookie Adam Norrodin battled to the end to claim his second consecutive point scoring finish, crossing the line in a hard fought 11th place.

Defying the odds in a race that saw multiple crashes, the 18-year-old Malaysian exuded confidence from the very beginning as he launched himself off the line and into fourteenth place on the opening lap. Looking strong Norrodin had worked his way through the field to 8th place, when a multiple rider pile up brought out the red flag.

Restarting from the fourth row, Norrodin made another solid start, determined to take full advantage of the ten lap sprint. Provisionally holding sixth position, Norrodin was caught up in the chaos and pushed wide. Despite being swallowed up by the pack and reduced to eighteenth place, the determined Malaysian regained his rhythm and battled his way back through the field in a heroic last lap fight to finish 11th.

Starting from row eight, teammate Jakub Kornfeil worked hard to build his pace and battle his way through to tenth position, when his hopes of a solid finish were dashed when he made a mistake going into turn four. Forced to retire and unable to ride back to the box, meant the Czech rider was excluded from the restart and unable to continue in today’s Australian Grand Prix.

Johan Stigefelt – Team Manager

“It was a crazy race today, with so many things happening. Adam started twenty sixth but he made a fantastic start in race one. Already after the first lap he was in the top ten and fighting hard. This was incredible after our results in qualifying and warm up; he made a huge step. The red flag came out when he was eighth but he stayed calm and focussed throughout it all. When it restarted for the final ten laps he made another incredible start off the line and was in the top six after the first couple of laps. With four or five laps to go he was pushed wide and dropped down the order but he never gave up and came back very strong in the end. He did his fastest lap (fifth fastest of the race) on the final lap, which was a really good time. I’m very pleased with Adam today and his performance here this weekend. To come to a circuit for the first time, be faced with constantly changing conditions and finish just outside of the top ten is great.

Jakub had a tougher start to the race and he gave himself quite a bit of work to catch the leading group, but he got his head down and did it. Unfortunately whilst in tenth place he made an error going into turn four when he was downshifting and this forced him to run wide and retire from the race. It’s very disappointing because if Jakub could have restarted the race, I know he could have been in the leading group with Adam.

We look forward to Malaysia now and I hope that we can get some good points with both riders at our Home Grand Prix.”

#84 Jakub Kornfeil – DNF

“Before the race I felt good; I knew I had the pace to go with the front group. Unfortunately I didn’t make the best start off the line and then there were a lot of crashes that effected my position. Nevertheless I stayed positive. I knew that I had a good bike and good tyres, so I got my head down and started to push forwards. I had a lot of battles and the first few laps were very hard but I fought my way up to tenth place. This put me back with the leaders and I was ready to battle with them when I made a mistake and my bike stopped at turn four. This was just one minute before the red flag, which is a real pity because if I could have ridden it back to the box, I would have been able to restart the race. It’s disappointing because I feel I had a big possibility to take a lot of points today; at one point I was the fastest rider on track. Anyway now I have to just refocus and concentrate on Sepang.”

#7 Adam Norrodin – P11

“This is the best feeling! I’m so happy with this result today, especially after qualifying so far back on the grid. I knew I had to be really strong for this race and make a good result before heading to Malaysia. My start went really well; I felt so comfortable with the bike and I made it up to eighth position before the red flag came out. When we lined up to restart I knew that I had to make the most of this opportunity. I made another good start and was in the top six when I had a moment with another rider, so I dropped down to eighteenth. I didn’t want to lose this chance so I just said to myself, ‘crash or finish well’. I gritted my teeth and pushed as hard as I could. I had a few moments but I managed to fight my way back up to eleventh. I’m so happy to come away with more points and go to my home GP on a positive note. We never expected to do so well here at a circuit that I have never been to before, so this is great result for us all. I want to say a big thanks to my team, family and friends who have supported me throughout the weekend even when things were not looking good. These people are so important and huge reason why I can leave Australia happy and motivated for Sepang.”

More, from a press release issued by Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS:

Morbidelli takes second in thrilling photo finish at Phillip Island

Despite a near perfect high-speed race Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS rider Franco Morbidelli missed a career first Moto2 win by a fraction of a second in today’s Michelin Australian Grand Prix.

In a thrilling photo finish at the seaside Phillip Island Circuit Morbidelli was beaten by just one hundredth of a second by Swiss rival Thomas Lüthi after a titanic 25-lap battle.

The official winning margin was 0.010s, about one metre, after 111kms of racing.

It was a superb comeback by the 21-year-old Italian who suffered three massive crashes during practice and qualifying.

Morbidelli started ninth and applied huge race long pressure with multiple overtakes on Lüthi from lap two before grabbing the lead on his own on the penultimate lap.

Leading the final lap Morbidelli looked in control for a historic victory when Lüthi timed a slipstream overtake to snatch a dramatic win.

After his starring role in a breath-taking battle Morbidelli was far from heartbroken to claim his third runner-up finish of the season. It was his sixth podium in the last nine races.

After two days of variable weather including rain and cold winds the race was run in sunny but cool conditions with an ambient temperature of 12 degrees.

A battered and bruised Álex Márquez did not start the race following his heavy crash in qualifying on Saturday.

After spending Saturday night in Melbourne for hospital checks and then being declared fit to ride Márquez withdrew from the race as precaution after struggling in the pre-race warm-up session.

Márquez was suffering discomfort from pain in his abdomen, left wrist and back and he will undergo a medical check on Wednesday to assess his fitness for the Malaysian GP next weekend.

Franco Morbidelli: 2nd

“I am happy because I rode a great race after a very difficult two days with big crashes and the team had to fix the bike and change the engine. But I was confident for the race and the pace with Lüthi out front was unbelievable, he was really fast. I understood the chance to overtake at turn one with two laps to go and make a strategy for the end of the race. I tried but on the run to the finish he took my slipstream and he won. But it was a great second position after a tough weekend and good result for the team. I must say a big thanks to my team who a did lot of work to fix my bikes after my crashes.”

Michael Bartholemy: Team Principal

“The final corner at the fast Phillip Island circuit is always a little tricky and when you have the experience of a rider like Tom Lüthi it is always an advantage to have the slipstream to the chequered flag. Franco rode a perfect race, he did nothing wrong and with all the overtakes it was a really nice race for all the fans. I am sure we are very close to Franco’s first Moto2 win, I’m very happy with this result. With Álex when he was not feeling 100% after the warm-up it was better for him not to race here so now he will rest and have some physiotherapy and I am sure he can be on the grid in Malaysia.”

More, from a press release issued by Tech 3 Racing:

Vierge continues notable momentum by powering to 10th in Australia

Tech3 Racing Team rider Xavi Vierge produced a solid display at the Australian Grand Prix to seize 10th aboard the Mistral 610 as he carries on his impressive wave of progress in the ultra-competitive Moto2 class. Vierge leapt off the third row of the grid when the lights went out and he elbowed his way through to 5th by the close of the first lap as he duelled with the leading group. The 19-year-old then stuck into a formidable rhythm as he battled against the pack of vastly experienced competitors but he was shuffled back to 8th by the close of the 5th lap. Shortly after, he was touched by another rider which caused him to slip down to 14th, yet he remained focused and mounted his recovery charge, before muscling past Marcel Schrotter to clinch 11th at just under half distance. Vierge remained fully involved in the intense fight for 9th with four other riders for over a third of the race, and he pushed tirelessly as the chequered flag crept closer. Eventually, he ended the GP in 10th as he scored his best finish in the Moto2 World Championship. The hard-fought result marks a highly positive ending to the event for the 19-year-old after he impressed throughout the weekend.

Meanwhile, Isaac Viñales did not compete in the round 16 battle after being forced to withdraw due to damaging his shoulder in qualifying. Yesterday, the Spaniard fell at the second corner in the early stages of the shootout after hitting a false neutral. The intermediate class rookie was checked over by the medical staff this morning, but he was deemed unfit to ride. Despite the injury ruling him out of the Phillip Island contest, Viñales hopes to return to the track at the Malaysian round in a week’s time.

Xavi Vierge

Position: 10th – Championship: 23rd – Points: 25

“I am very happy with how the weekend panned out because yesterday, I achieved my highest qualifying position of the year and today I rode the best race of the season! I finished the first lap in the leading group but then, unfortunately, not long afterwards, another rider touched me and I lost a lot of positions. However, I got into a really consistent and competitive rhythm and after fighting non-stop, I ended up in the top ten. I am looking forward to the next GP in Malaysia so that the Tech3 Racing team and I can try and continue in this way. Finally, I have to say thank you to my crew for giving me such a good bike today, I enjoyed every lap.”

Isaac Viñales

Position: DNS – Championship: 25th – Points: 13

“Of course, withdrawing from the race is the last thing that any rider wants to do and it is a real shame for me because I like the Phillip Island circuit and it was fun on the Mistral 610. I fell in qualifying yesterday and I damaged my shoulder. The medical staff checked me this morning but I was declared unfit to ride which is a big pity. Now I will wait for the Malaysian GP and I am confident that I will be able to return to the track after a few days of rest.

Hervé Poncharal – Team Manager:

“It was another very good weekend for Xavi Vierge, however, I must start by saying that it was a real shame that Isaac couldn’t compete today. He had a nasty crash yesterday where he hurt his shoulder and that lead to him being declared unfit to ride. He is already working on his recovery and we all hope that he will be fit enough to race in Malaysia. With regards to Xavi, he produced his finest qualifying performance of the season and when the GP kicked off, he got a great start and finished the first lap in 5th. He was pushed wide by Morbidelli, plus Simon and maybe someone else in the opening stages of the Grand Prix, so he lost contact with the group in front of him. However, he focused and gave it everything he had to get back into the top ten to secure his best result of the year. He fought in a strong group which contained the current World Champion, Johann Zarco, and not only did he gain some valuable points for the championship, but he learnt a lot today as he was battling with riders who are much more experienced than him. Thanks to the whole team, KYB, Sakura, Nissin and everyone else because they are all helping us a lot and clearly we can see that the whole package is improving at every round, and this includes Xavi. Once again, we must not forget that he finished ahead of the World Champion today, so I am very happy and everyone at Tech3 will be back at the track soon in Malaysia, with hopefully both guys on board.”

More, from a press release issued by RBA Racing:

Bitter end of the Australian Grand Prix for the RBA Racing riders

Phillip Island, Australia

Today the circuit of Phillip Island was the venue of the sixteenth race of the 2016 Moto3 World Championship.

The beginning of the day was positive for Rodrigo, who set the fourth best time in the warm-up, finally held with some favourable weather conditions. In the race, thanks to the penalty given to another rider, Gabriel could start from the third row of the grid. The Argentinian was competitive since the beginning, fighting for the leadership. On the sixth lap the race was stopped and, in the second start, Gabriel put in his best effort once again to try and achieve a good result, battling lap after lap. When he was only few turns from the chequered flag, the Argentinian crashed as he tried to keep a spot in the Top-5, ending the race without having a chance to cross the finishing line.

After the tough crash from yesterday, Juanfran Guevara went out on track for the warm-up. The Spanish youngster confirmed a competitive pace, finishing only 0.437 seconds off the best time of the session and setting the eighth best lap. Right at the start of the race, Guevara had a crash on the second turn. For the rider from Lorca there was no chance to go back on track after the accident and that prevented him from taking part in the second start of the day.

#19 Gabriel Rodrigo: not classified

“The weekend was alright generally speaking. In the warm-up I felt once again confident and I finished fourth. The improvements that we made on the bike worked well and I was feeling strong ahead of the race. I had quite a good start, but Binder had a solid pace: we tried to stay with him and we managed to, we were within the first five guys. On the sixth lap there was a crash of another rider and I barely managed to get out of the accident. The race was stopped and we went out again, but on the second time I had some issues with the front of the bike. We’ll have to check the data in order to find out what happened. In this start, Binder got away quite soon and I ended up in the second group, fighting for the third position. I was trying to push in the parts of the track where I could and I was managing the situation in order to stay in the front of the group. On the last lap another rider overtook me and I had to lift the bike in the turn. When I got back on the line, I lost the rear. I ended up in the gravel and I had to let the bike go, in order to avoid crashing into the wall. It was a shame since it could have been a great race. Things can turn out this way, so we can only keep the good and learn from it for next year. Now it’s important to get better, we’re headed to Malaysia looking forwards to fighting again.”

#58 Juanfran Guevara: not classified

”It was a complicated day. To be fair we kicked off decently, because this morning we had a positive warm-up and we had a good pace to stay with the leading group in the race. Beside that, I really liked the setting of my bike. In the race we had a good start, we moved up some eight positions right at the beginning, we had a good strategy. On the second turn there was quite a big group in front of me: they had some contact and they fell to the ground. In order to avoid them, I braked a bit too hard on the front and right in that moment the bars crossed. It was a real shame. I tried to restart to keep going, but there was no chance to get back on track. I believe we could have finished the weekend with a good result, especially because of the red flag and the second start. We couldn’t take part to the second race because I didn’t manage to bring the bike back on my own to the pit box when they stopped everything on the sixth lap. In any case this weekend we proved that we were a lot more competitive on the wet and also on the dry, and that we can fight to stay in the front.”

More, from a press release issued by Forward Racing:

Baldassari a whisker away from podium, Marini 16th

The Australian Grand Prix ended under a clear sky for the riders of the Forward Racing at last.

Lorenzo Baldassarri, who started from the 3rd row of the grid, lost a few places at the start but went immediately on the charge to comeback in the Top5 after a few laps. “Balda” pushed a lot to get the podium as in 2015, but at the end of the race his tires were very consumed and he had to settle for fourth place as he was taking too many risks.

Lorenzo demonstrated his ability to maintain a good pace and to defend his position in order to gain important points for the Championship standings.

Different fate for Luca Marini who, during the warm-up, was the protagonist of a crash that got him a bruised left shoulder and back. Nevertheless he decided to take part it the race, as the Italian was able to get his bike in shape again thanks to the extraordinary work of the team.

The pain unfortunately did not allow the member of the VR46 Riders Academy to keep his pace, he closed in 16th place and was able to collect important information on a track on which he had never raced.

The Forward Racing Team is preparing to get back on track in a few days at the Sepang International Circuit where the last stage of this extra-European “trio” will be held.

Lorenzo Baldassarri – 4th

“This fourth place gives us more strength to face the next two missing races. I like Phillip Island a lot but the weather conditions this year were complicated, even this morning there was a nasty wind. In the start I lost some time because I found myself in the middle of the “traffic”, but I was able to bridge the gap, I hoped to better manage my position but in the end I felt a bit on the edge and I preferred to bring home a sure result. “

Luca Marini – 16th

“This morning I crashed in the warm up, and I’m still feeling pain on my back and on my left shoulder, I’m not happy because in better condition I could definitely have done much more. However, we are very close to our goal: scoring points is very important for the Championship. In the upcoming days I will try to recover my 100% fit to get ready for Malaysia aiming to gain some more ground for the Rookie of the Year Award.”

Giovanni Cuzari – Team Owner

“It was a weird weekend because of the weather but the overall balance is undoubtedly positive. “Balda” confirms to be fast and consistent, he was able to manage his race and reach the best possible result: this is a clear sign of growth and talent.

As for Luca, I’m more than satisfied, I like how he is carrying on his work with the team. This morning his crash forced our mechanics to a race against the time to repair the damaged bike: a big thank you goes to them. Once the race started “Maro”, despite the pain, was aiming for the Top 15 and he was very concentrated. I am very proud of all the guys today. Now we head to Malaysia determined to do our best. “

More, from a press release issued by KTM:

BRAD BINDER TAKES SIXTH MOTO3 VICTORY AT PHILLIP ISLAND

16th Rd. Moto3 2016 – Phillip Island (AUS)

2016 Moto3 World Champion Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) on Saturday wrapped up his sixth victory of the season at the spectacular Phillip Island circuit in Australia, and in doing so, continued KTM’s domination of wins on this circuit. Andrea Locatelli (ITA) put his KTM in second position and Spaniard Aron Canet was third in what was one of the most dramatic race weekends of the season. There were red flag situations in both qualifying and on race day.

Brad Binder’s victory was his sixth of the season and he now has an impressive lead of 130 points with two races in hand. The South African was not only thrilled with his win but also because his younger brother Darryn finished a close fourth behind Canet to make it a memorable day for South African motorsports.

Binder: “Today was great. I started off quite well and I saw that after the first lap there was a 0.5 gap. I knew I needed another 2-3 perfect laps to open the gap and I thought if I could break his slipstream I can get away. I’m stoked to get another victory but my brother came fourth and that’s almost more special.”

The South African laid down the challenge as the race got away as scheduled. But the opening laps were characterized by a series of multi rider crashes and was red-flagged after British rider John McPhee went down hard in the middle of a melee of bikes and riders in lap six.

This came at the cost of a spectacular comeback by French KTM rider Fabio Quartararo. He had been a front row starter after Saturday’s qualifying, then because of some technical irregularity, he had to start from the back of the grid. He had charged his way through the field in the first six laps to be on Binder’s rear wheel when the red flag went out. He then had to start again from the back of the grid at the restart, this time for only 10 of the planned 23 laps. Quartararo went on to finish 12th.

Binder’s dominance on the KTM RC 250 GP was undisputed. He started from pole and led the race up until the red flag. He got away in the lead at the restart and was almost six seconds in front at the end of the 10-lap restart.

And while Andrea Locatelli managed to stick to Binder’s wheel for the first half of the restart, he too had an impressive four-second lead over Canet at the checkered flag.

Locatelli: “I’m really happy because here it is incredible. For me this track is one of the best. This weekend was really difficult but we worked hard for this.”

While Binder closed out the championship two races ago, the fight for the minor places in the points was, and is, still wide open. The number of riders who exited the circuit during the race meant there were no changes in the points from places 2-9. The fight for second and third in the championship now goes to Sepang.

Bo Bendsneyder, Binder’s rookie co-rider in the Red Bull KTM Ajo Team finished in the points in 10th place and managed to avoid getting into trouble in any of the multi-rider crashes of the day.

Next Race: October 30, 2016 – Sepang International Circuit (MAL)

Results Moto3 Phillip Island 2016

1. Brad Binder (RSA), KTM, 16:22.009 min (10 laps restart)

2. Andrea Locatelli (ITA), KTM, +5.937 sec

3. Aron Canet (ESP), Honda, +9.594

4. Darryn Binder (RSA), Mahindra, +9.642

5. Livio Loi (BEL), Honda, +9.680

Other KTM

10. Bo Bendsneyder (NED), KTM, +10.358

12. Fabio Quartararo (FRA), KTM, +10.569

14. Philipp Oettl (GER), KTM, +10.979

15. Maria Herrera (ESP), KTM, +13.763

19. Lorenzo Dalla Porta (ITA), KTM, +50.454

DNF Gabriel Rodrigo (ARG), KTM

DNF Nicolo Bulega (ITA), KTM

DNF Andrea Migno (ITA), KTM

DNF Joan Mir (ESP), KTM

DNF Juanfran Guevara (ESP), KTM

Standings Moto3 2016 after 16 of 18 rounds

1. Binder, 294 points

2. Enea Bastianini (ITA), Honda, 164

3. Jorge Navarro (ESP), Honda, 143

4. Bulega, 129

5. Mir, 124

Other KTM

8. Romano Fenati (ITA), KTM, 93

10. Locatelli, 85

12. Oettl, 77

14. Quartararo, 68

16. Bendsneyder, 59

21. Migno, 47

22. Guevara, 40

24. Rodrigo, 22

27. Dalla Porta, 14

31. Herrera, 7

More, from a press release issued by Remy Gardner’s publicist:

Gardner Gave It Everything At Phillip Island – Now Focused On Sepang

Remy Gardner had a tough week but arrived in Australia for his home Moto2 race at the picturesque Phillip Island circuit with one thing on his mind – racing into the points in front of the local fans.

With the weather playing havoc during Free Practice, Gardner took advantage, storming into the top ten in FP1 before qualifying 23rd after a spill in the sole grid deciding session.

Race day dawned and with the rain making way for blue skies the stage was set for an Aussie fight through the pack.

As ever, Remy picked off places in the opening corners after an agressive start and was soon locked wheel to wheel with World Championship leader Johan Zarco who had dropped into the mid-pack. The opening lap was almost over with Remy comfortably in the top twenty when disaster struck and the #87 slid out of contention at turn 10.

Able to rejoin, to the delight of the fans, Gardner was forced to retire with half of the race remaining.

Remy Gardner – “I’m gutted. It’s been a tough week but that aside I arrived at PI ready to give my all and that’s what I did. We had the pace to run in the top ten and I was confident that despite being 23rd on the grid that I could fight my way into the points. I’m sorry to disappoint all the fans that were cheering me on but want to thank them for their support not just at home but throughout the season. With Sepang next week I don’t have much time to feel down, and so I will pick myself up and focus on doing the best I can in the final two races. A big thanks to the Tasca Scuderia Racing team for their efforts and hard work. See you all in Malaysia.”

More, from a press release issued by QMMF Racing Team:

Simeon happy about hard-fought eleventh – no luck for Simon

QMMF Racing Team rider Xavier Simeon battled his way to a hard-fought eleventh place in the Australian Grand Prix. The 27-year-old from Belgium started well from 20th place on the grid and held 15th place after one lap, then gained positions steadily until he broke into the Top Ten of the Moto2 field on the ninth lap. With a little more top speed on the main straight, he could have gained even more positions, but Simeon found it difficult to attack out of the slipstream. In the end, he beat current world champion Johann Zarco, who finished in 12th place, but crossed the line just fractions of a second behind Frenchman Xavi Vierge and German Marcel Schroetter.

Team-mate Julian Simon also started strong and was as a high up as sixth after one lap. But as the race went on, the Spaniard ran into difficulties with the front end of his bike and finally crashed on lap ten, whilst still defending a place within the point rankings. Luckily, Simon walked away unhurt and is now determined to fight for a better result at the next round in Malaysia next weekend.

Xavier Simeon – 11th place

“I am very happy. I was able to break into the Top Ten and to fight for an eighth place. I had a very good feeling with the bike and I could ride very fast, so I enjoyed the race a lot. I had big fights with several other riders including Julian for some laps and it’s a pity he had a crash. I also fought with Zarco, so for me it was a good race. The only thing missing was a little more speed at the end of the main straight. I could never attack out of the slipstream. I tried many times to pass Marcel Schroetter at turn four, but he was also braking very late, so it was not easy to pass him. But anyway, we fought for the Top Ten and I am happy with that. Now we go to Malaysia with a lot of confidence. It’s a track I like a lot, but where I suffered with the hot temperatures in the past. I need to adapt very well to be good in the race!”

Julian Simon – did not finish

“It was a difficult weekend due to the weather conditions, but I had a really good start in the race and I was going well on the opening laps. But as the race went on, I ran into problems and the bike got increasingly difficult to control. A few laps before I crashed, the front started to tuck away in the corners and eventually I couldn’t avoid a fall. Luckily it was a crash without any physical consequences, which is the most important thing. Now we think ahead to the next race in Malaysia, where we will try to do well and get a good result!”