ROSSI AND MICHELIN CONQUER IN CATALAN CONTEST
Valentino Rossi rode to a stunning victory on new compound Michelin tyres at the Catalunya MotoGP™ this afternoon as the nine-time World Champion fought off the challenge of his nearest rivals to take his seventh premier class win at the Montmélo circuit.
Starting from fifth on the grid, Rossi was blocked on the first corner and relegated to eighth position. He quickly rectified that with his trademark passing manoeuvres and was soon in to fourth place. Over the next few laps Rossi passed the Honda of Dani Pedrosa, pole-setter Marc Marquez also on a Honda and previous championship leader – and Yamaha team-mate – Jorge Lorenzo, as he moved to first place on lap-seven. Using the new compound hard front and rear MICHELIN Power Slicks, the Italian consistently circulated the Catalonian circuit at the head of the field before Marquez chased him down and challenged for the lead with five laps remaining. The pair battled for the victory as the race drew to a close, before Rossi took the initiative after a mistake by Marquez and made the final decisive break to take a hard-fought, but thoroughly deserved victory, with Marquez following him home with the consolation of taking the championship lead.
A crowd of almost 100,000 people packed the grandstands and were treated to a superb day of racing from all three classes. In beautiful, warm sunshine today’s track temperatures rose to the highest this weekend as the asphalt reached 48°C, this combined with the poor condition of the surface, which gave little grip to the riders, made tyre choice an important factor. The majority of the field went for a hard front and rear selection, to give durability over the tough 25-lap race. Pedrosa was one rider to make a different choice, as he chose a medium compound rear to partner his hard front, and used the pair to good effect to take the final podium position.
Fourth-place went to Suzuki’s Maverick Viñales, while the honour of First Independent Rider was secured by Pol Espargaro on a satellite Yamaha, an impressive result and one that also showed the performance of the medium compound MICHELIN Power Slicks, as the Spaniard was one of only two riders to use these on the front and rear of their machines. Cal Crutchlow on a Honda was sixth, Ducati’s Andrea Dovizioso seventh, with the Aprilia of Álvaro Bautista taking eighth. Danilo Petrucci on a Ducati was ninth and Honda’s Jack Miller rounded out the top-ten – the best result of his premier class MotoGP career so far. Lorenzo didn’t make it to the chequered flag, after an incident which saw Ducati’s Andrea Iannone collide with the current World Champion and leave both of them on the side of the track and out of the race on lap-17. This was the only crash during today’s race and for the second successive event no crashes were contributable to tyres, a fact that underlines the advances Michelin is making as the season progresses.
Today’s race was held on a revised circuit configuration, to the one originally planned, due to the tragic events which have overshadowed this weekend’s proceedings. During Friday’s second Moto2 Free Practice session Spanish rider Luis Salom crashed at turn-12 and the 24-year-old succumbed to his injuries. Following the fatal crash and subsequent discussions, the layout of the circuit was changed for safety reasons and the F1 track configuration was implemented. This featured the addition of the chicane at turn-12, designed to miss out the corner where the accident happened. Everyone at Michelin would like to pass on their condolences and deepest sympathies to the family, friends and team of Luis Salom.
Michelin will remain at Montmélo for a one-day test on the Monday where the latest versions of the MICHELIN Power Slicks will be tested and evaluated by all riders. The paddock will then move to the most northerly circuit on the calendar, as the championship heads to Assen in the Netherlands for the Dutch TT on Sunday 26th June, the first time this iconic race has not been staged on a Saturday.
Valentino Rossi – Movistar Yamaha MotoGP:
“We were a little bit worried about what might happen, because yesterday we had a bit of a problem with the hard tyre and making it work, but today it was good and worked well in the temperature with my bike. I think it was difficult for everybody with some spinning, but the tyres worked really well and I am very happy with the result.”
Nicolas Goubert – Deputy Director, Technical Director and Supervisor of the MotoGP Programme:
“This has been a very difficult weekend for all concerned, after what happened on Friday, and I would firstly like to pass on my condolences to the family and friends of Luis Salom, it was a terrible tragedy and one that nobody ever wants to happen.
“Regarding the race weekend, we had a selection of tyres that we thought would work well here in most conditions, but we never expected the surface to be as poor as it was. The track gave very little grip and all the teams had to work hard to get the best for their bikes. The change of layout also made a big difference and changed the stresses that were put on the tyres. For the race itself the track was at almost 50°C, but the majority of the field used the new hard compound tyres to cope with these difficult conditions and although we experienced quite high levels of wear we were pleased with the overall performance. Valentino rode a great race and when he came under attack from Marc the performance in the tyres was still there in the last laps to produce a memorable end for the fans. One of the most pleasing aspects of today’s race was that again we had no crashes that the tyres could be held responsible for and it was a close race right until the end. This is another step forward for us and shows that we are continuing to work in the right direction. We now have a test on Monday, when we have some tyres for all the rides to try, hopefully this will give use more information as we head towards the second half of the season and some very challenging circuits.”
More, from a press release issued by KTM:
BRAD BINDER FIGHTS BACK FOR COURAGEOUS SECOND IN MOTO3 OF CATALUNYA
7th Rd. Moto3 2016 – Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya (ESP)
Red Bull KTM Ajo rider and championship leader Brad Binder put in a heroic final lap at the Moto3 GP of Catalunya on Sunday to fight back to second place. The South African turned up the gas after having a very near miss in the last stages of the 22-lap race when he almost crash out after he was bumped by another rider. Binder went on to finish second behind Jorge Navarro of Spain while Italian Enea Bastianini was third.
Bastianini was followed across the finish line by the Sky Racing Team VR46 duo Romano Fenati and Nicolo Bulega on their KTM machines to give the Austrian brand three of the top five finishers. Fellow KTM riders Fabio Quartararo and Joan Mir finished 7-8.
Brad Binder, who had won the previous three races on his KTM RC250 GP, started on pole and got away fast to lead the race in the initial stages. Already with a reputation for his superb race tactics, he stayed firmly anchored in top group and was frequently in the lead. In the second half of the race it became clear that Navarro was going to be his main challenger for the win but it was the incident with KTM rider Argentina’s Gabriel Rodrigo that spoiled Binder’s chance of making it a Moto3 class record of four consecutive wins.
Speaking immediately after the race, Binder was philosophical about the outcome: “When I was sitting behind the group I knew I had battled in the first sector but in the last three I was a lot quicker. I don’t know where Rodrigo was trying to go, but I had the inside curve. But I am so, so lucky not to have crashed out. On the one hand I’m disappointed because I thought on the last three laps I was a lot stronger than the other guys. But at the end of the day I’m so happy to be on the podium because it definitely could have been a zero.”
Race incident aside, Binder lived up to his reputation as a ‘never give up’ rider who this season has also won after starting from the last position in the grid. He was particularly fast and very impressive in the final lap when he dived under both Bastianini and Fenati to finally secure his podium second. With it, he leaves Barcelona having conceded only five points in his impressive, 44-point lead in the championship.
It was an emotional weekend for the MotoGP paddock, and particularly for Binder after the fatal accident on Friday of his friend, the talented and popular Luis Salom. Binder’s Red Bull KTM Ajo team, in which the Spaniard had one of his best racing seasons in 2013, displayed a racing bike in the pit garage with Salom’s #39 and a tribute message that read: “You will always ride with us #39”.
Next Race: June 26, 2016 – TT Circuit Assen (NED)
Results Moto3 Catalunya 2016
1. Jorge Navarro (ESP), Honda, 42:18.228 min (22 laps)
2. Brad Binder (RSA), KTM, +0.564 sec
3. Enea Bastianini (ITA), Honda, +0.817
4. Romano Fenati (ITA), KTM, +0.925
5. Nicolo Bulega (ITA), KTM, +1.531
Other KTM
7. Fabio Quartararo (FRA), KTM, +13.605
8. Joan Mir (ESP), KTM, +13.672
11. Bo Bendsneyder (NED), KTM, +14.840
13. Juanfran Guevara (ESP), KTM, +32.006
17. Philipp Oettl, (GER), KTM, +36.384
18. Andrea Migno (ITA), KTM, +41.731
19. Andrea Locatelli (ITA), KTM, +42.985
DNF Davide Pizzoli (ITA), KTM, +1 lap
DNF Gabriel Rodrigo (ARG), KTM, +2 laps
DNF Maria Herrera (ESP), KTM, +20 laps
Standings Moto3 2016 after 7 of 18 rounds
1. Binder, 147 points
2. Navarro, 103
3. Fenati, 80
4. Bulega, 66
5. Francesco Bagnaia (ITA), Mahindra, 54
Other KTM
8. Mir, 42
10. Quartararo, 39
12. Locatelli, 30
15. Oettl, 27
16. Guevara, 25
18. Migno, 21
23. Bendsneyder, 7
24. Rodrigo, 6
28. Herrera, 2
29. Lorenzo Dalla Porta (ITA), KTM, 1
More, from a press release issued by Marc VDS Racing Team:
Márquez misses podium chance in home race
A sudden mid-race crash cost home race hero Álex Márquez the chance of podium finish for Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS in today’s Grand Prix of Catalunya.
It was a disappointing outcome for Márquez who eventually finished 18th in the 23-lap race. Márquez’s teammate Franco Morbidelli finished 11th.
Morbidelli’s bid for a top ten finish was slowed by late race grip issues after the 21 year old Italian made a strong charge in the opening laps from a distant 18th on the grid.
Morbidelli had crashed three times in Saturday practice and was determined to bring his bike home undamaged. He was disappointed not to capitalise on the pace which saw him second fastest in the morning warm-up session.
Morbidelli had moved to tenth on lap six before pacing himself to ensure a points scoring finish.
Meanwhile Márquez was within reach of a career first Moto2 podium when he inexplicably crashed at turn 10 having closed to within 0.8s of third placed Tom Lüthi.
Márquez had started seventh and was racing comfortably in fourth for eight laps before crashing on lap 12 and then remounting to finish a despondent 18th.
The race was run on a revised layout using the Formula One track configuration because of safety concerns following the tragic accident on Friday that claimed the life of Luis Salom.
Álex Márquez: 18th
“I had absolutely no warning of the crash, everything was perfect and then suddenly I was on the ground. I think I made really good race and I felt confident on the bike but in the end it is like this. We have a bike that is really fast and stable but we had this problem of no warning in the race, I had no feeling about the crash.”
Franco Morbidelli: 11th
“I didn’t go crazy in the first part of the race because I wanted to make sure I finished for the team after crashing three times on Saturday. But I made a mistake on lap one and this cost me the chance to go with the group for a top ten finish. With a new tyre I was comfortable and fast but then after some laps I felt big drop in grip and focussed on just getting the best result possible so I’m happy I did that. I am just ten points out of the top five in the championship which is my goal for the season.”
Michael Bartholemy: Team Principal
“In many ways this was disappointing race for us with Álex crashing out of fourth position on a day when it was possible for him to finish on the podium for the first time in Moto2. Another crash after a difficult start to the season was not an ideal outcome in his home race. For Franco we thought he could go with guys like Jonas Folger, who finished seventh, but we did not find a set-up that allowed Franco to manage the grip over the race distance. We need to find a solution for this.”
More, from a press release issued by Gresini Racing:
LOWES WRAPS UP TOUGH WEEKEND AT BARCELONA WITH A SIXTH PLACE
Team Federal Oil Gresini Moto2 racer Sam Lowes closed today’s Catalan Grand Prix at Montmelò in sixth place. Started from the second row with the fifth fastest time, the 25-year-old English rider slipped back to tenth place in the fight of the first lap, then he struggled to recover due to lack of grip, which has not allowed him to keep a good pace. Sam is now second in the World Championship standings with 108 points, eight less than Spaniard Alex Rins.
SAM LOWES (6th)
“It was a difficult race: I lost some positions on the first lap due to a few contacts, and then I struggled to recover because I couldn’t keep a good pace. It’s not the result we expected, but we still picked up some important points for the championship with a sixth place. Today, however, Zarco and Rins were more competitive than us, so now we’re going to analyze the data to understand what happened, in order to improve for the next races. It was a tough weekend for everybody, for obvious reasons; now we focus on Assen where we will arrive with a gap of only 8 points from the top of the standings”.
FAUSTO GRESINI
“It was not a good race for us, no doubt. Lowes was struggling with a lack of grip, so he tried to bring home as many points as possible without taking risks and I think that this was the right thing to do today, given the situation. Of course we will try to figure out what caused this drop in performance, because today Sam had really low grip and thus was limited in his riding. We know that Zarco and Rins are very strong, but we know we can fight with them: the gap from Rins in the standings anyway is only of 8 points, so now we remain focused and we look forward to the next races”.
More, from a press release issued by Tech 3:
Tireless Vinales completes challenging Catalan GP
Tech3 Racing Team rider Isaac Viñales just missed out on a top fifteen finish in the gruelling 23 lap sprint at the Catalunya circuit today. The Spaniard endured a tough qualifying campaign yesterday and kicked off the Grand Prix from 27th position. However, he remained focused and then launched into action when the lights went out and jumped up three places by the close of the first lap before setting into his race pace. He continued to push as he targeted the final point scoring position and fought all the way to the chequered flag before meeting it in 16th having gained eleven positions from his grid placement.
Meanwhile, Xavi Vierge suffered an unfortunate end to his home GP and crossed the line in 20th after producing a determined performance at the physically demanding circuit. The 19-year-old Spaniard began the fight from the head of the eighth row of the grid and lunged forward before crossing the opening lap in 21st. He set into his race rhythm as he posted consistent lap times and after continually progressing, he was running in 15th in the final third of the event. However in the closing moments of the GP, he made contact with another rider which caused him to fall, but he bravely remounted to complete the event in 20th.
Isaac Viñales
Position: 16th – Championship: 23 – Points: 3
“Overall, I am not thrilled about the result but we have to look at the positives as we made progress from yesterday, even though we ended up just outside the top fifteen. I started a long way back so the GP was always going to be a challenge, but I remained focused and I did my best. It’s disappointing to not score any points at my home race but now we will look towards the test and then Assen.”
Xavi Vierge
Position: 20th – Championship: 25 – Points: 3
“It was a difficult race for me today, but i gave it everything that I had. I started the GP well and I was confident about climbing up the field, however, my main objective was to complete the GP. Having said that, I really wanted to end up in the points so I pushed every lap but in the closing stages, Gardner touched me and I fell. It’s a shame because I was fighting inside the top fifteen, however these things happen in racing. Of course, the weekend could have ended better but we will try again next time at Assen and I must say thanks to the team for their hard work.”
Hervé Poncharal – Team Manager:
“I have to admit that I was really excited for the entire race because both Xavi and Isaac were in the group battling for 15th. Until the last stages of the GP, Xavi was holding 15th position and even though it was just one championship point, it still means a lot to us and we wanted it. He was doing well, however unfortunately, he fell which is disappointing to say the least. On the other hand, Isaac ended up in 16th and just missed out on a top 15 finish. They were in a good battle with the group so it’s a shame that there was no reward for our efforts. We need to pick ourselves up and do better because everyone in the team is pushing really hard so to end up with a result like this is a real pity. However, we have a test in Aragon next week before we go to Assen and I hope we will find some useful information there because we have to move forward.”
More, from a press release issued by DRIVE M7 SIC Racing Team:
KORNFEIL TAKES TOP TEN FINISH AT CATALUNYA
Barcelona – Catalunya, Spain – Sunday 5th June
Circuit: Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya
Circuit Length: 4.7 km
The DRIVE M7 SIC Racing Team concluded the Catalan GP with a positive 10th place finish from Czech rider Jakub Kornfeil. Adding six more points to his World Championship tally, the 23-year old leaves Barcelona in 9th place overall.
Despite a strong start from rookie Adam Norrodin, the young Malay experienced a disappointing end to his Grand Prix weekend. As the lights went out the eager 17-year old pushed hard to immediately gain five places into turn one. Determined to battle for the points Norrodin continued to work his way through the field, but a small mistake in turn ten saw him crash out before he could complete the first lap. Hoping to continue Norrodin remounted his #7 machine but having lost the majority of his foot-peg was forced to retire.
Johan Stigefelt – Team Manager
“The target here today for Jakub was top ten, so it’s good to be there but I do think the race itself should have been a little bit better. He missed a couple of opportunities to go with the group in front and he couldn’t follow Antonelli, but we knew this track would be difficult for him, so to go away with six points is not so bad. For sure in Assen though we need to aim higher and I’m confident that we can. The bike seems to work well now for Jakub; he just needs to push a little bit more himself in the qualifying to get a better starting position; this is the key point.
For Adam he only made half a lap. He made a good start, pushed hard and had a strategy but unfortunately he had a crash. These things happen when you are pushing. It would have been good for him to finish the race to continue building up his confidence but let’s see for Assen. It will be another new track for him but I think he can do alright and we will do all we can to prepare him.”
#84 Jakub Kornfeil – P10
“My race start was not good and I passed only one guy in the first lap. I started to find my rhythm and was able to begin passing riders; I made it up to ninth place and caught the leading group. I was fighting with Antonelli a lot, but then I saw the first group start to pull away. I knew that we had to be smart and try to catch them again. Unfortunately Antonelli was so fast in the corners and I couldn’t catch him; I struggled for grip throughout the race. I lost contact with him and the leaders and then the group behind caught me. We had a big battle but I was able to make a pass on one of the riders to finish in tenth. I believe we had the potential to be seventh today but overall after such a difficult weekend from the start, I’m happy to leave here with 10th place and more championship points.”
#7 Adam Norrodin – DNF
“I made a good race start today. I knew it would be hard from 25th place on the grid so I knew I had to push a lot in the beginning. I didn’t want the group ahead to pull away so I really fought hard off the line; I think I gained 5 places straight away. I had a good line going into the first corner and gained a lot of ground but I could see I still needed to get closer to those in the points to make a good race. In turn five I passed two riders and closed the gap behind Martin. I tried to overtake him but when I touched the front brake it was difficult stop the bike. I tried to use the rear brake for more support but it didn’t work. I didn’t want to hit anyone but unfortunately I went in too fast and I clipped Martin’s rear tyre and crashed out. I re-joined the race but I had lost most of my foot peg; I tried to keep going but it was impossible to be competitive without it. We have many things to work out for the next race and I must learn from today so that I can work harder and improve for Assen.”
More, from a press release issued by RBA Racing:
Rodrigo fights for the podium in the GP of Catalunya, comeback for Guevara
Montmeló, Spain
The seventh race of the Moto3 World Championship was held today, at the circuit of Barcelona-Catalunya.
For RBA Racing it was a battled GP on both sides of the pit box, as the riders faced the day with bravery.
Juanfran Guevara, after the last checks in the warm up, started from the seventh row of the grid. Despite not managing to take advantage of the initial phases to climb up a few spots, Juanfran started promptly to set a consistent pace, moving up to the points zone. On the sixth lap, a crash stopped his progression. The Spaniard didn’t give up and eventually he finished the race in 13th position, grabbing three points for the Championship Standings.
The warm up was important for Rodrigo, who confirmed with his technicians some final improvements to the setting of his KTM, as he finished with the sixth best time. In the race the Argentinian started from the 19th position and he took full advantage of the first few laps to come back. Gabriel soon reached the leading group, taking part into an incredible battle for the podium and leading himself the race in different occasions. With two laps to go, Gabriel crashed out and he couldn’t rejoin the race.
#58 Juanfran Guevara: 13th
”It was a tough race. We started from the rear of the grid, despite the good results in the free practices. On the first couple of laps I couldn’t find any space to move up quickly and that wasn’t giving me enough confidence to attack. Afterwards I started my comeback, I was 13th before I crashed out. The two riders that were ahead of me moved to the outside: since they were in my line, I had to brake not to touch them and I lost the front. I got back on the bike immediately and I tried to make it up. I saw I was 26th when I crossed the finishing line, but I knew it was going to be a difficult race for everybody. I decided to keep pushing, because with a bit of luck there was the chance to get to the points. Eventually my pace was good and we got three points for the Championship Classification. It’s not the result we wanted, after how the rest of the GP went, but at least we could finish the race. In the Standings we have a bunch of riders that are quite close and these points help us to stay with them, this is going to be interesting in the next few rounds.”
#19 Gabriel Rodrigo: not classified
“Today in the warm up we did some changes to the bike that gave me extra confidence. We set a great pace on a long run and I was fully motivated for the race. We started from the back, but normally we do have some good starts and for that reason I was quite calm. I managed to begin well, I was aggressive on the first few laps and I got to the leading group. When I saw that I was among the first three riders and that not only I could follow them, but that I could overtake them, I did my best fighting. By the end of the race, I had some contact with Binder and that made me a bit nervous, since I lost touch with the front guys. I was trying to come back once again, but I braked too late, I got into a bump and the front closed. Eventually we can say that we did a superb job: I need to say thanks to the team, the bike was great. Now we have to keep going in this direction. Next week we’re off to Valencia for a test: there we’ll work to make a further step and in Holland we’ll try to make progress.”
More, from a press release issued by Forward Racing:
Baldassarri makes a great Top15 comeback after making contact with Corsi, difficult day for Marini
A difficult Catalunya Grand Prix is over for Forward Racing Team and for the whole paddock which this morning said good-bye to Luis Salom with a minute of silence.
Lorenzo Baldassarri and Luca Marini went on track motivated and concentrated but were very unlucky during the race.
Baldassarri, 8th on the grid, had a good start and was on his way back to the Top5. Unfortunately, the Italian ended up in the gravel after a collision at the chicane, which was added to the track layout on Saturday. “Balda” did not lose his nerve and started chasing down the group in front of him and got back in the point-zone showing a fast pace toward the end of the race.
Bad day for Marini, who struggled to find the right feeling with the rear of his Kalex for the whole weekend. “Maro”, starting 20th, took a lot of risks to get back into the points managing to recover the fifteenth position. While battling the Italian made a mistake ending in the gravel trap. After rejoining the track he was forced to stop as his bike was too damaged to continue.
Lorenzo Baldassarri
“Mixed feelings today. We did a great job on the weekend and I was catching the Top5 when, for a contact at the chicane, I ended up in the gravel and I lost a lot of time. I did not give up, I tried to get my pace back as soon as possible and the last laps we were really competitive. It’s a shame we were not able to fight to stay in the front. The new part of the circuit is complicated, but I felt good although there was an annoying hole in the asphalt change. I wish to thank the team anyway, now we have to think to the next race”.
Luca Marini
“We have been struggling a bit all weekend because I could not find the grip that I expected on the rear. I fought from the beginning to get back in the points, but then I forced too much and I made a mistake when I reached the Top15. It can happen unfortunately, we’ll be there again at Assen in three weeks”.
More, from a press release issued by QMMF Racing Team:
Simon takes three points in homage to Luis Salom
QMMF Racing Team rider Julian Simon finished a tough Catalunyan Grand Prix in 13th position. But more important than the score of three world championship points was the homage to Luis Salom, friend and fellow Moto2 rider who had lost his life on Friday, that started with a minute of silence in the morning and continued with black T-shirts and flags that the riders of all classes displayed in honor of the Spaniard.
Team-mate Xavier Simeon had also aimed at a strong result after further improvements to his bike in the Sunday morning warm-up session, but crashed in only the second lap of the race. Both riders will now focus on the next race that takes places in Assen, Netherlands, in three weeks.
Julian Simon – 13th place
“I want to thank the team, my family and my manager Paco Sanchez who all gave me their support and the strength to race today. It was very difficult. I was a bundle of nerves on the starting grid, and on the first laps of the race, I couldn’t really concentrate. As the race went on, I felt a bit better, but towards the end it was tough again because the tyre grip had dropped so much. There were a lot of crashes, but we managed to stay upright, which allowed us to score some points. Today points me little though, the only thing that counts is to stay with the family of Luis Salom and to show our support. We tried to turn the race into the best possible homage to Luis. We will stay with him forever!”
Xavier Simeon – did not finish
“I am very, very angry with myself. I made a stupid mistake because I braked a little later and went a little too fast into corner four, where I ran wide and ended in the gravel. I am disappointed and I am sorry for the team, because after the warm-up, we were hoping for a good result. I was hoping to make the Top Ten, but I destroyed all my chances because I was too ambitious and too optimistic. Now I have to focus on the next race at Assen, a track that I like a lot and where I think we will be competitive!”
More, from a press release issued by Sky Racing Team VR46:
FENATI AND BULEGA CLOSE TO THE PODIUM AT MONTMELO’
The young Italian talents of the Sky Racing Team VR46 battled with the front guys till the last corner and they crossed the finish line in fourth and fifth place. Migno – who crashed at lap 7 – is 18th
Montmelo (SPA), June 5th, 2016 – It closed with two riders in the Top5 the Catalan GP for the Sky Racing Team VR46 at Barcelona. Romano Fenati and Nicolò Bulega crossed the finish line respectively in fourth and fifth place.
Thanks to a very good start, Romano immediately reached the front group becoming the protagonist of a great race full of overtakings. Second one lap to go, the young Italian lost the podium just at the last chicane. Behind his team-mate is Nicolò fifth after a tough start. For the young rookie is the third time in the Top5 in seven races.
Andrea Migno, who crashed at lap 7 at turn 10 when he was battling for the Top10, re-joined the race and closed the Catalan weekend with the 18th place.
Pablo Nieto:
As usual in Moto3, the races are decided at the last corner. It is a pitty for the podium, but I am happy because we have two riders in the Top5. After the zero at Mugello, for Romano the fourth place is good. Nicolò did a great job even though he had not a 100% good feeling with his KTM. Andrea, fast all the weekend, unfortunately crashed at the beginning. He re-joined the race and he crossed the finishing line.
Romano Fenati:
I battled with the front guys throughout the race, but at the last chicane I did not close the door and Bastianini overtook me on the finishing line. It was a good race, with a lot of overtakings and it’s a pitty for the podium. Overall I am happy with the job done: I struggled to find the right feeling on this track and the fourth place is a good result.
Andrea Migno:
I had a good start, I was in the second group battling for the Top10, but I had not a great feeling with the front tyre. At seventh lap I crashed at turn 10, I re-joined the race and the only thing I could do was cross the finishing line. I am sorry: we did a good job, I was fast all the weekend and I was confident for the race.
Nicolo Bulega:
It was a good race: a real fight from the start to the finishing line. I’m happy: I achieved the Top5 again after a difficult start. I lost something in terms of speed but I recovered some positions and I was with the fastest for the whole race.