Rabat finishes top ten with a superbly judged ride in Brno
Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS rider Tito Rabat staged a miraculous comeback to salvage a superb tenth place finish in today’s Czech Grand Prix.
Rabat rode an inspired race from 20th on the grid to master the tricky and constantly changing conditions at the 5.4km Brno circuit.
The race was declared flag-to-flag although the rain stopped just prior to the start with riders then having to conserve their wet weather tyres on a constantly drying track.
Rabat and his team made a crucial choice on the grid to go with the hard compound front and rear Michelin wet weather tyres, which paid dividends as a dry line appeared over the final stages of the 22-lap race.
After a cautious start Rabat began his forward move as the track dried and was 12th with five laps remaining before securing a remarkable tenth place with two laps to go and finish ahead of Yonny Hernandez and Dani Pedrosa.
Rabat’s teammate Jack Miller did not race as he recovers from back and wrist injuries suffered at last week’s Austrian GP.
Rabat and Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS will remain at the Brno circuit for Monday’s official MotoGP test day.
Tito Rabat: 10th
“This is a very positive result after a very difficult weekend with a lot of problems in the dry conditions. The start of the race was hard for me because I could not stay with the group ahead in the tricky conditions. But I focussed on adjusting to the conditions and our tyre choice was perfect as the track dried. When I got to tenth with two laps to go I made sure to finish and score points. Now I am looking forward to the test tomorrow to better understand the Honda RC213V, at the moment I am risking too much to try and be as fast as the other riders. I need to be faster but riding in an easier way.”
Michael Bartholemy: Team Principal
“I was not expecting a top ten by Tito after practice and qualifying so this was a great performance and excellent tyre choice by both the rider and the team to go for the hard compound front and rear. A top ten finish in MotoGP has capped a nice weekend for Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS.”
More, from a press release issued by Pull&Bear Aspar Team:
Eugene Laverty makes spectacular comeback at Brno
Pull&Bear Aspar Team climb to ninth overall after Czech GP, with Laverty sixth and an eleventh position for Yonny Hernández at Brno
The eleventh round of the MotoGP World Championship brought with it a surprising result, even for those who were watching the race. Brilliant comebacks from the back of the group, coupled with tyre complications for other riders, provided a first GP victory for Cal Crutchlow. The MotoGP class is experiencing a streak of six different consecutive winners (Jorge Lorenzo, Valentino Rossi, Jack Miller, Marc Marquez, Andrea Iannone and Crutchlow). On the podium alongside the first British winner for 35 years were Rossi in second and Marquez in third. The next race for the MotoGP World Championship takes place in a fortnight’s time at Silverstone.
Pull&Bear Aspar Team riders Eugene Laverty and Yonny Hernández both staged comebacks from the back of the group to pick up points at Brno. Laverty’s rise up the order took him to sixth place –finishing just five seconds off the podium. Following a difficult start, in which he dropped down several places, tyre wear for other riders and increased comfort allowed him to gain ground. The Northern Irishman would have needed only a few more laps in order to ascend to fourth, which would have equaled his best result to date. In the final stages of the race he was almost two seconds faster than those ahead of him. Yonny Hernández took his best result of the season at Brno with eleventh place, after setting off slowly due to a problem with his engine mapping losing him power. Once the issue was resolved, the Colombian was able to move up from the twentieth position on lap nine to eleventh at the chequered flag.
6th Eugene Laverty: “The start was the most difficult. I went with the hard rear wet tyre and that’s why I’m a little disappointed with myself, because I braked at Turn 3 like in the warmup at the start, and because of the hard rear the bike bumped up. I lost 4 or 5 positions there and it was so hard to gain places. I could only really overtake when they started to go backwards. I’m angry with myself for the start, because the bike was good for a podium today, but we’ll save that for next time. Let’s pray for more rain at Silverstone. We know we can be strong, so I’m just hoping for more rain. I used the hard rear tyre and the guys around me had the soft tyre. Every time I was with them in the corner, the rear grip meant they disappeared. I tried to come back, and every time it happened they held me up -because I couldn’t overtake them. I was lapping slower than I wanted to. I really enjoyed the final laps. It was so important to be smooth with the gas, because there wasn’t so much grip. I started to really push on the last three laps, because I could see Marquez there. In the end, it wasn’t about how many laps were left, more the mistake I made at the start which cost us the podium today. In the wet conditions we know we can be really strong. In the warmup this morning I was fastest until one minute was left. When it’s really wet, we can be strong. Even in these conditions we can be really strong, except for the first laps. I want some more rain, so I can go after the podium.”
11th Yonny Hernández: “The positive thing about today is that we finished the race and we picked up almost twice the amount of points that we had in the overall standings. It is our best result of the season. However, I leave here with a bittersweet feeling, because we started the race with an engine map that gave us little power -and on the first few laps we lost the group Laverty was in. When I saw they were breaking away, I switched to the mapping with much more power and the times dropped almost by themselves. Gradually I gathered pace and was able to manage the race when other riders lost tyre performance. In short, we added five points to our total and I hope that at Silvertsone we can maintain this trend.”
More, from a press release issued by Monster Yamaha Tech 3:
Espargaro clinches valuable points in tough Czech Grand Prix
Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team rider Pol Espargaro persevered against the challenging conditions at the Czech Grand Prix to finish in 13th after what was a tricky race for the 25-year-old. The Spaniard kicked off his round 11 campaign from 12th on the grid and immediately ran with the factory MotoGP bikes at the front of the field. He slipped to 8th on the third lap but pushed onwards as he aimed to stay with the leading group. As the track began to dry Espargaro was shuffled back, despite his best efforts, and by lap fifteen he was running in 13th. Eventually, he met the chequered flag in this position to close what was a tough weekend. Today’s result sees the 2013 Moto2 title winner move up to 7th and as the top independent rider in the 2016 World Championship standings and he now intends to produce a strong result at the next round after tomorrow’s test in Brno.
Meanwhile, Bradley Smith endured a disappointing end to the event after unfortunately suffering with a technical issue which caused him to retire from the Grand Prix. The Briton leapt forward from the middle of the fourth row of the grid and quickly set about moving through the pack as he completed the opening lap in 9th. He was pushed back one position a short time later, but remained focused and did his best to preserve his tyres for the second part of the race. However, at the midway point, the 25-year-old had to pit due to a technical issue with eight laps left to run. Nevertheless, Smith fully aims to bounce back in front of his home fans at the British Grand Prix in a fortnight’s time.
Pol Espargaro
Position: 13th Championship: 7th Points: 81
“This morning in the warm-up I struggled quite a lot in the wet but to be honest, we managed to improve the bike significantly for the race. Therefore, I was able to pass many riders at the beginning of the GP as I felt really comfortable. However, when the track started to dry, I began to face some difficulties because I lacked grip and traction, but I tried to keep my pace without making any mistakes so that I could take home as many points as possible. I believe that today we weren’t able to use the electronics to their best potential, plus I think the hard rear tyre would have been a better choice, especially at the end of the race. Yet, I rode this compound for two laps and I didn’t feel 100% happy with it, so we went for the option that we used in the warm up. Now I really hope that we’ll have a dry race in Silverstone because with no rain, we are usually strong and we will be able to show our true potential.”
Bradley Smith
Position: DNF Championship: 15th Points: 42
“Of course, it’s disappointing to have another DNF for a technical issue, especially as my race was running positively up until that point. The opening lap went quite well, and I was able to make up a few positions plus, I felt quite comfortable on the bike. When the track started to dry, I could increase my pace and push harder so that I could go with the guys close to me. Still, at the same time, I was looking after my tyres because I was certain that tyre management would be crucial at the end of the race. Yet, unfortunately, I didn’t have the chance to prove that as I had to pit in. The riders who I was close to before I pitted, ended up finishing in 5th and 6th so this is where I would have seen myself at the end of the race and that definitely would have been a good result ahead of my home GP. Considering that it was one of the weekends where we were closer to the front from the word go, it’s a big shame, but also due to it being the second time I’ve had to retire because of a technical issue in 2016, which is just bad luck. However, with the test tomorrow, we will go over a few things which will boost my confidence for my home Grand Prix at Silverstone, which is up next.”
Hervé Poncharal – Team manager:
“On a day like today in the Czech Republic, we all know that anything can happen in the race due to the weather. This is the third time this season, after Assen and Sachsenring, that we have had very difficult and mixed conditions. Like a lot of riders on the grid, we went for the soft compound of tyre as it was the only one we tested and with a lot of standing water this morning in warm up, it worked well. When the track dried out, it was clear to see that the guys who gambled and chose the hard tyres had an enormous advantage. Our two boys did their best to stay on track and lose as few positions as possible. Unfortunately, Bradley had to pit and retire due to a technical issue, which is a shame because he was having a strong race until then. Pol bravely put his head down, reached the flag and got three points. The only thing that we can take as a positive is that Pol gained one position in the championship due to some DNF’s. This is more of a weekend to forget than one to celebrate, but hopefully, Silverstone will be dry and sunny. Plus, in addition, of course, I have to say congratulations to Cal for his victory today!”
More, from a press release issued by Pramac Racing:
Scott is stunning on the the first 15 laps.
Petrux ends up 7th after a great comeback.
An eventful Sunday for Octo Pramac Yakhnich, protagonist in #CzechGp after a difficult week end.
Scott Redding dances with Andrea Iannone and Andrea Dovizioso in the Ducati leading trio and remains glued to the # 29 until lap 15 when the front tire betrays him. Petrux, forced to start from the 16th position, manages to be consistent, catching position after position until the double overtaking on the last lap which earned him a valuable seventh.
Scott starts well from the 13th position and laps very fast. On lap 2, setting the fastest time, he is already third. Two laps later an other best-lap let him overtake Dovizioso. Halfway through the race he is still trying to catch Iannone then an abnormal consumption of the front tire, perhaps due to the soft compound that has not held up in less than ideal conditions as the track started to dry up, forced him to slow down to get to the finish line. For Scott only one point (15 °) that sounds like a joke.
Petrux got off a good start too. Between the first and second lap, he easily passes Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo to place itself firmly between the seventh and ninth. Even when three laps to go Baz and Laverty were able to overcome him exploiting the hard rubber, Danilo remained focused and on the last lap he managed to pass Vinales and Iannone (whi experienced the same problem of Scott) for a precious seventh.
15th – Scott Redding
I was very happy with my race. I made a good start and was going well. I felt a great feeling and I was in control. The set up of the bike was perfect. I felt that the front tire was starting not to be performing but it was a normal thing, and I would even settle for Top 6. I was also able to recover some thents to the front group. But suddenly the uncommon degradation of the front tire cost me the race. It’s a shame.
7th – Danilo Petrucci
I can not say to be particularly satisfied even if P7 is a good result. It has been a strange race. We had a good pace in the warm-up and we have made many changes. The tire choice was decisive. Maybe we could have a chance with the hard front but we have goals and I wanted to do the race on my target that is the Top 10. In the end I managed to reach the seventh and is not bad. I would like to thank the team and all the people who are close to me.
More, from a press release issued by Aprilia:
APRILIA IN THE POINTS WITH STEFAN BRADL
DIFFICULT CONDITIONS FOR THE BRNO MOTOGP RACE
The weather had a strong impact on race Sunday at Brno. The heavy rainfall in the morning stopped a few minutes before the MotoGP start, forcing the riders to start in rain configuration, but with the possibility of a bike change during the race. There actually was an improvement in conditions, but the track maintained characteristics to allow the riders, albeit with some difficulty, to finish the race with rain tyres.
After the warmup, the sensations in the Aprilia camp were good, as Alvaro Bautista’s eleventh best time and Stefan Bradl’s good pace demonstrated. With the track drying out and intermediate conditions, however, the Aprilia Racing Team Gresini riders were unable to find the right feeling. This was a situation that, with a first-season bike like the RS-GP, is to be expected when conditions are particularly unpredictable.
In any case, Stefan Bradl was back in the points at the chequered flag, thanks to his 14th place finish, whereas Alvaro Bautista (who also made a pit stop to change bikes, going back out with intermediate tyres), had to settle for sixteenth place.
ROMANO ALBESIANO – APRILIA RACING MANAGER
“Something in the race evidently didn’t go right. We need to analyse the data now to take a deeper look at the problem, but my first impression is that our setup was unable to adapt to the evolving track conditions. Compared to the warmup, where we did well, the lower quantity of water on the track probably reduced grip, making us struggle harder. We need Sundays like this one to collect data and increase our experience. For similar situations in the future, we will certainly not be unprepared”.
FAUSTO GRESINI – TEAM MANAGER
“This was not an easy race for us. We had hoped to express ourselves better in the wet, but instead we encountered some difficulties. In any case, a demanding Sunday like this one does not stop our work. In a few days we will already be on the track again at Misano for two important days of testing in order to continue developing the RS-GP. We must not give up, but to the contrary, we must increase our efforts. Our potential is definitely not what was seen in the last two races”.
ALVARO BAUTISTA
“The track conditions were really tricky today. This morning during warmup in the wet, the feeling was not bad, but in the race I struggled a lot, especially in braking. I always had the feeling I was losing the front, so I wasn’t able to push, whereas coming out of corners I was losing a lot more than my rivals were. Nine laps from the end I made a pit stop to change bikes, but even with the intermediate tyres we were unable to improve our position. Now we need to leave this race behind us and focus on improving the RS-GP, getting back to our level in the next round at Silverstone”.
STEFAN BRADL
“Today we did not make any mistakes at the start and we finished the race, so we were not lacking in concentration. In any case, I am not satisfied with the way things went. In the first laps I had a good pace, managing to stay with the group, but then, when the asphalt began to dry out, our electronics setting did not work as well as it could have. The traction control limited me very much coming out of corners. It was a feeling I had in the warmup as well and we made some changes to try and improve it, but evidently it wasn’t enough”.
More, from a press release issued by Avintia Racing:
Baz fourth and Barbera fifth: Avintia Racing celebrates a dream weekend at Brno
Expectations were high for Avintia Racing ahead of the Czech Republic Grand Prix. Hector Barbera showed his speed as early as Friday and confirmed his grat shape yesterday, securing a second row grid position with the fifth fastest lap time. Loris Baz was 17th and on the sixth row of the grid, but with rain forecasted for the race, he was quite optimistic. The forecast proved to be true and the Frenchman was third fastest in the Sunday morning warm-up. The rain then stopped just before the MotoGP 22-lap-race, which made the tyre choice crucial.
Hector Barbera made a good start and when he got the pace, he began to overtake riders and moved up to second place. But ten laps before the end, he felt something was not working well on his bike. Although there were vibrations and a lack of power, he managed to finish the race in fifth position, but it would have been possible to get an even better result. Starting from the rear of the grid, Baz waited until a dry line appeared on the track, and after recovering many positions, he passed his teammate to secure a fantastic fourth place. This result confirms that Avintia Racing took the right decision signing a new contract with Baz for 2017. It’s also a big boost for his confidence ahead of the last seven rounds of the championship.
Loris Baz and Hector Barbera gave Avintia Racing the best team result in MotoGP, and they also were the best Ducati riders at Brno, celebrating a dream weekend for the Spanish team.
Loris Baz | P4
“We rode a great race and we took the right decision with the tyre choice. As I’m heavier than the rest of the riders, I always have to use harder compounds, and before the race we decided for the hard rear wet tyre, which was perfect. You never know if you took the right decision because you never know if the rain comes back. But we recovered from the rear step by step and with some more laps, we could haven even gone further. I think we needed more experience with this tyre, the bike was a little bit hard and it was difficult to overtake the other riders. But I’m extremely happy and this is the best way to thank the team for the new contract for next year. I was also looking forward to get a good result to dedicate to Luis Salom, and finally we did it”.
Hector Barbera | P5
“I’m happy because we did a good race. After 12 laps, I had a technical problem and I had limited performance from the bike during the last ten laps. I tried to do the maximum to stay at the front, I saved the tyres, I was riding really smoothly, but I finished the race with some difficulties. Anyway, I’m happy, because every race we get closer, and sooner or later, we’ll get the result we deserve. I want to say a big thank you to the team, because they made this possible. Big congratulations to Loris, I’m really happy for him, because he’s a good rider and an even better person, and he needed this result. To be honest, the season started to turn really difficult for him. I always support him, I encourage him, but when you get inside a hole, the best way to get out is like he did, with a good result”.
More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:
Iannone finishes eighth in Czech Republic Grand Prix at Brno after leading until lap 15. Dovizioso forced to retire
The two Ducati Team riders had a good race today in round 11 of the MotoGP World Championship at the Automotodrom Brno in the Czech Republic, but unfortunately were unable to obtain the results they had hoped for at the chequered flag.
After a morning in which a heavy downpour continued to fall on the Moravian circuit, it stopped raining shortly before the start of the MotoGP race but the track surface remained wet. Dovizioso and Iannone both powered away well from the line and the Romagna-born rider passed into the lead on lap 2 by overtaking Marquez. Iannone moved into second place on the next lap and then took the lead followed by Dovizioso and Redding, who subsequently swapped places. On lap 10 abnormal front tyre wear forced Dovizioso to come into the pits: after switching to his second bike, he then retired on lap 16.
Andrea Iannone remained in control of the race until lap 15, but the rider from Vasto then encountered the same problem with the front tyre and, despite stubbornly carrying on, he could do little else in the last two laps other than try and reach the flag, and he eventually finished in eighth place.
Andrea Iannone (Ducati Team #29) – 8th
“I am disappointed about how the race went because I believe that today we once again had very high potential. I started the race without pushing really hard in order to try and save the tyres as much as possible and was still in the lead with seven laps to go, and it was only at that point that the front tyre began to show some problems. Other riders such as Dovi, Scott and Jorge had their problems before, maybe because they pushed harder right from the start, whereas I had a good margin and as a result could ride well without pushing and was in any case quick. It was really a pity that the race didn’t go the way we wanted it to go.”
Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team #04) – DNF
“I feel really bad about the way the things went in the race because I was very competitive and was in a position to get a good result. For the race we opted for the same tyres we had used in the morning warm-up and which, in very wet track conditions, had proved to be excellent. Before the race however it stopped raining and, even though the track stayed damp, the front tyre soon began to deteriorate in an abnormal way, so much so that I was forced to come into the pits. It was a real pity, because this was a great opportunity to score a good result and so I am a bit disheartened because I return home from Brno with no points.”
More, from a press release issued by Movistar Yamaha:
ROSSI POWERS THROUGH FIELD TO TAKE SECOND IN BREATHTAKING BRNO RACE
Movistar Yamaha MotoGP‘s Valentino Rossi fought hard today to take second in the Grand Prix of the Ceské Republiky with teammate Jorge Lorenzo finishing in seventeenth at the Automotodrom Brno.
Brno (Czech Republic), 21st August 2016
Movistar Yamaha MotoGP‘s Valentino Rossi brilliantly turned the Grand Prix Ceské Republiky around, claiming an incredible second place on the podium after making a perfect tyre decision. Jorge Lorenzo secured seventeenth position after being forced to switch machines twice due to a problem with the front tyre on his first bike.
Wet conditions made for uncertainty regarding the tyre decision at the start of today‘s race at the Automotodrom Brno. Rossi had a cautious start as he launched his Yamaha from sixth on the grid and dropped back to twelfth position, before picking up the pace. The Italian overtook his teammate for eleventh place but was then passed by Dani Pedrosa.
After waiting seven laps for his harder spec tyre to get up to temperature, The Doctor knew it was time to put the hammer down. He had to let Cal Crutchlow go in front and followed him to Pedrosa, Bradley Smith and Pol Espargarò, who he passed with 14 laps to go. A lap later Rossi gained a position as Andrea Dovizioso suffered a technical problem. The Italian kept following Crutchlow and continued to work his way past Danilo Petrucci and Maverick Viñales, as Aleix Espagarò retired from the race, and then set his sights on Marc Marquez in fifth place, overtaking him with seven laps to go.
Riding as the fastest man on track the nine times World Champion passed Hector Barbera a lap later and had the crowds cheering as he wrestled second place from Andrea Iannone. Rossi then quickly took off, creating a distance between himself and the Italian, but soon realised that the margin between him and the now leading Crutchlow had grown too large to close in the last four laps. The Doctor decided to settle for second place, finishing 7.298s from first and taking twenty points for the championship.
Lorenzo was on the same tyre combination as his teammate and took a while at the start to get heat into his tyres. From second on the grid he fell back to sixteenth place before being able to push hard. The Mallorcan made a charge in the second half to the race as his tyres started to produce more grip. What followed next was a flurry of overtaking manoeuvers as he fought his way to tenth place.
Lorenzo kept riding aggressively, but was forced to come in to the pit box with seven laps to go after losing much of the central tread from the front tyre. The unforeseen sudden pit stop forced him to change to his second bike which was fitted with slick tyres for a potential normal bike change in the flag to flag conditions. The track was still far too wet for slick tyres so he returned to the pit box a lap later to switch back to his first bike which had since been reequipped with a new front tyre. This then allowed him to finish the race in a disappointing and distant seventeenth place.
Rossi‘s second place moves him up to second position in the world standings with 144 points, 53 points behind the leader, with teammate Lorenzo six points behind him in third place.
Movistar Yamaha MotoGP now head to Silverstone in the UK for the British Grand Prix in two weeks‘ time.
MASSIMO MEREGALLI
TEAM DIRECTOR
After seeing today‘s weather forecast we knew that the game would be decided by tyre choice. We chose the hard rear for both Valentino and Jorge because we expected the track to dry very slowly and we thought that the hard option would let us finish the race without changing the bike. We were right! Of course we also expected the first laps to be difficult for both riders and they were extremely good to manage the situation. Valentino handled the beginning of the race with his usual calm and experience and he did not panic when he got back to 12th position. He was also reactive to understand when it was time to change the pace and attack. Second position is fully deserved and allows him to reduce the gap to the top of the standings. Despite the final result, Jorge‘s race was impressive. Without the problem of the front tyre, he could have been on the podium. All team members worked really hard from Friday and especially today during the race, as they were ready to face all circumstances. We will now stay in Brno until tomorrow for the IRTA test to work on some new parts and have a direction for the second half of the season.
VALENTINO ROSSI
At the beginning I was desperate because I thought we made a mistake, but lap by lap the hard rear became better and it was a very long race, you have to stay concentrated not to make a mistake. I started from p12, so it was a great race and I‘m happy with these 20 points, also because I‘m second in the championship and I think today we did a good job and we made the right choice.
JORGE LORENZO
It‘s a big pity because I was doing a great race, only I had some difficulties stopping the bike at the beginning when there was a little bit more water and especially with the hard tyre on the exit I didn‘t have grip. I needed to be very careful and that is why I was quite far from the top. Little by little, as the track dried, the rear became better and I started to gain confidence, so seven laps before the end the front tyre tore up so I had to change bike twice and finished the race on the first bike in seventeenth. Rossi was unlucky in Mugello and I was very unlucky today, a lot of bad luck this season. We have to work, so this doesn‘t happen more often, because we see it happen sometimes in the dry and today in the wet and we have to try not to have more tyre mishaps in the future.
More, from a press release issued by Repsol Honda:
Marquez takes crucial podium finish to extend Championship advantage, Pedrosa 12th
Marc Marquez scored a momentous podium finish in today’s Czech GP, which saw fellow Honda rider Cal Crutchlow making history as the first British racer to win a premier-class Grand Prix in 35 years (since Barry Sheene won the 500cc race in the 1981 Swedish Grand Prix).
Race day in Brno dawned under a heavy rain that stopped about an hour before the start of the MotoGP race, leaving the track completely soaked and the strong possibility of a flag-to-flag race. With that in mind, Marc and Dani with their teams opted for soft rain tyres, front and rear, a choice that proved less than ideal as the track never dried off enough to recommend a bike swap.
Marc was the only rider on the podium who raced on both the softer rain tyres option, a fact that highlights his talent and race craft. After crossing the line in first at the end of lap one, Marc had to give way to four Ducatis charging from behind, but he managed to control the gap and not loose too much ground. He was also careful to manage his tyre wear by choosing the wetter lines, and after Crutchlow and Valentino Rossi also passed him, he was able to overtake Andrea Iannone and Hector Barbera and take third.
With Jorge Lorenzo out of the points, Marc extended his leadership in the Championship to 53 points over second (now Rossi) and 59 over Lorenzo.
Dani Pedrosa experienced a very difficult race. He didn’t get a good start from ninth on the grid and ended the first lap in 12th. In the first phase of the race, he was able to keep the same pace as his teammate and recovered a few positions, but as the track progressively dried off, he lost speed and just managed to finish in 12th place. He nevertheless maintains fourth position in the Championship.
Tomorrow the Repsol Honda Team will take part in a one-day post-race test.
Marc Marquez
3RD
“I’m happy with the end result because the most important thing is that today I extended my advantage over second in the overall standings, as I only dropped four points to Valentino [Rossi] while Jorge [Lorenzo] didn’t score points. We proved that we’re competitive both in dry and wet conditions. This year we’re working like ants, making gradual, steady improvements and having a very complete season without changing our mindset. I made a mistake with the tyres choice, but it’s easier to judge things in hindsight. Perhaps the best choice was the hard compound on both the front and rear, but I was expecting a flag-to-flag race since the track normally dries quickly, which wasn’t the case today. When I saw that there was less than 10 laps to go and the track was still wet, I started to manage my tyre wear. I saw that [Cal] Crutchlow and Rossi had a faster pace, so I concentrated on my other rivals and I can say I won the battle with them.”
Dani Pedrosa
12TH
“It has been a disappointing day. Actually I didn’t have the right feeling on the wet today while normally I’m quite fast in the rain. Since the change they made in the front rain tyre after Assen I have been struggling a lot to be fast and today my main problem was that the wheel locked when I was braking. That’s meant that I couldn’t use the front brake to stop the bike, I was forced to stop the bike a lot with the engine but obviously I was very slow and I had no chance. We never cease working hard, hopefully we will come out with a solution both for the dry and the wet”.
More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki Press Office:
VIÑALES & SUZUKI ECSTAR TOP-10 AT TOUGH BRNO MotoGP
Team SUZUKI ECSTAR’s Maverick Viñales fought to ninth position in today’s Brno MotoGP™ in the Czech Republic under difficult and changeable conditions as team-mate Aleix Espargaró was forced out after a strong showing earlier in the 22-lap race.
The 400th MotoGP race started wet and both GSX-RR riders opted for soft Michelin tyres, with a potential opportunity to pull-in to change machines during the race. But both stayed out – as did most of the riders – as the track dried in the closing laps.
In such tricky conditions, the choice of the tyres affected Viñales’ final performance as the track didn’t dry enough for a flag-to-flag, but also was too demanding for soft wet tyres, resulting in that riders who chose hard wet tyres had an advantage towards the end of the race.
Different issues affected Espargaró’s performance: After a very positive jump and a vigorous competitiveness for almost two-thirds distance, an issue with the engine prevented him collecting a deserved result. His performance has been more and more positive throughout the weekend, with a further step in the morning in the warm-up session where he found the final configuration for a set-up that allowed him to feel much-more confident.
Tomorrow the Team will stay in Brno for a day of testing with Viñales, as Espargaró will take available time to recover from his hand injuries, incurred last weekend in Austria.
Ken Kawauchi – Technical Manager:
“Today’s result in terms of classification is disappointing, but from a development point of view, we must be happy. The last two races in the wet had been a real disaster, but today until middle, or even last part of race, both riders did a very good job. The race has been really difficult and the tyre choice affected our result, but Maverick did a very good run until the tyres wore-out too much. To Aleix I have to apologise; until he had the engine issue, he was having a very good race but he couldn’t finish, so we need to investigate further in order not to have this happen again. The positive is that we’ve learned a lot about the wet conditions and we have found very effective solutions, so this means that we will be able to increase our competitiveness.”
Maverick Viñales:
“Probably we took the wrong choice with the tyres? We started with the soft thinking that the track would have gone to dry much quicker so to get to a flag-to-flag, but finally this didn’t happen so the performance finally dropped a lot. Anyway, I’m happy because if you see at the classification of those who had soft tyres, we are third, and furthermore we could make very good steps forward. Today I’m really happy, we are making solid progress in the wet, today I tried to catch-up with leaders but finally had to preserve the tyre and not crash. The bike was performing very well, I need to thank my crew because they did a very good job.”
Aleix Espargaró:
“This year is really unlucky. This morning in the warm-up we tried a modification in the very last run and I had the feeling it was correct, as I felt lot more comfortable and it helped me a lot in the start and in the first laps as I managed to stay close to the top. Then suddenly I felt something was wrong in the bike, the engine was not performing normally and I had to give up. It will be very important to go and understand what happened. At the end of the day it’s the first issue like this in two years of development, it’s frustrating, but it’s something that happens in races.”
More, from a press release issued by LCR Honda:
FIRST-CLASS CRUTCHLOW AND LCR HONDA SECURE FIRST EVER GP VICTORY
Cal Crutchlow was peerless in the treacherous conditions at the Grand Prix of the Czech Republic, as he took his and the LCR Honda Team’s first-ever victory in the MotoGP class. In doing so, he became the first British rider in 35 years to seal a premier class win – ever since Barry Sheene ran out victorious in the Swedish GP of 1981.
The historic day came amidst tricky weather at the Brno circuit, with rain falling all day but stopping just before the MotoGP race. Crutchlow and his LCR Honda Team took the gamble of fitting a hard wet tyre to the front and rear of his bike, only one of two riders to do so, and despite having taken time to get up to pace, it soon became the combination to be on.
Having started in tenth place on the grid, Crutchlow was down to 15th by the end of lap three, but he was soon on the move, passing riders at will before hitting the front with just over seven laps remaining. The Brit never looked in trouble, and came across the line with a huge stand-up wheelie to celebrate, over seven-seconds clear of his nearest challenger, Valentino Rossi.
Crutchlow’s win comes at a fitting moment, just two weeks after the birth of his first child Willow, and two weeks before the next round of the MotoGP World Championship, at Silverstone in the UK.
#35 Cal Crutchlow – 1st place
“This win means a lot to me. I thought the feeling might be different, but after having become a Dad two weeks ago, nothing matches that. Don’t get me wrong though, I haven’t won a race for many years, maybe six or seven, so it’s been a long time and it’s something really, really special.”
“I’m pleased to be the British rider that’s broken the run, especially after some of the stick I’ve had. I’m also so pleased for my LCR Honda Team, because I wrecked a bike during practice yesterday and they were working until midnight to get it ready for me today. So to repay them with this win is great – they never give up.”
“Victory has been a long time coming and I was emotional on the cool-down lap. I was playing with them in the end though, I knew I had made the right tyre choice on the grid and pushed when I needed to push. I’m ecstatic.”