Another Double Finish For PBM In Misano
Round 13 of the MotoGP World Championship saw Penrith-based PBM MotoGP team riders Michael Laverty and Broc Parkes in action at Misano for the Gran Premio TIM di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini where once again they scored a double finish.
Despite inclement weather during Friday’s Free Practice, Ulsterman Laverty, on the Rapid Solicitors and Silkolene-backed Aprilia ART-powered PBM was 15th in session one and was also on the pace in the second session before continuing his form into Saturday’s drier conditions where he slotted onto row six of the grid.
Australian team-mate Parkes, on the Silkolene-backed PBM, could not find a good setting but did manage to improve and qualified in 20th place on row seven of the grid.
Former British Supersport Champion Laverty got a great start and held 19th for the opening laps before climbing the leaderboard to run in 17th for most of the race as Parkes, twice runner-up in the World Supersport Championship, chased him hard.
As the race progressed, Laverty suffered rear brake problems and Parkes’ rear tyre started to deteriorate although the pair crossed the line with Laverty gamely battling to 17th and Parkes just one place behind him at the flag.
The results see Parkes maintain his 20th position overall in the 2014 MotoGP World Championship table, seventh in the Open class standings and third in Rookie of the Year. Laverty still occupies 23rd place and 11th in the Open class. Importantly for the PBM team, they hold fifth place in the manufacturer’s table and 11th in the team’s standings.
The PBM MotoGP team is next in action at the Aragon in Spain next weekend for round 14 of the series.
Michael Laverty: “It was a difficult race for me today, I expected to have more pace but I struggled to stop the bike in the early stages. I was working the rear brake really hard and it overheated before mid-distance and I struggled a lot once I lost the rear brake. It didn’t change the end result massively, I may have gained a position but like I’ve always said I can go home happy when I get the maximum out of myself and the bike and today I didn’t achieve that.”
Broc Parkes: “We got a good start and in the first corner we were in the battle, then one guy crashed next to me and the bike went so high in the air, but luckily it didn’t hit me. We were behind the Hondas and Michael and the next lap Petrucci crashed right in front of me and his bike nearly cleaned me up. Luckily I saw it coming and just missed it but I dropped a couple of seconds. My pace in the first half of the race wasn’t too bad; I was running with a couple of the Hondas and Michael up to half race. In the last half I had no grip as I’ve been struggling with for the last couple of races. It’s definitely improved, we’re going forward and its more positive, I had a good battle with Barbera in the later part of the race, it was nice to battle with somebody but we still need to make another step up for Aragon”
Phil Borley, Technical Director: “We were hoping for a better race today after a positive qualifying, but the times were not quite as good as we were expecting, possibly due to the higher temperatures. Michael struggled with corner entry and had a rear brake problem mid race, and Broc also had problems with corner entry. However it was another double finish and we will analyse the data to improve our settings for the next race.”
More, from a press release issued by Bridgestone:
Rossi revels in Italian renaissance after remarkable Misano victory
Round 13: San Marino and Rimini MotoGP™ – Race
Misano, Sunday September 14 2014
Bridgestone slick compounds available: Front: Soft, Medium & Hard; Rear: Soft, Medium & Hard (Asymmetric)
Bridgestone wet tyre compounds available: Hard (Main), Soft (Alternative)
Weather: Dry. Ambient 24-24°C; Track 36-37°C (Bridgestone measurement)
Valentino Rossi had the Italian fans rejoicing at Misano after the Movistar Yamaha MotoGP star won his first race of the season in an intriguing San Marino and Rimini Grand Prix.
Starting from the front row, Rossi was engaged in a thrilling three-way battle for the lead in the early stages of the race with teammate Jorge Lorenzo and Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez, with Rossi taking the race lead on the fourth lap. After fending off an attack from Marquez – who crashed at turn four while challenging for first place before re-joining the race – Rossi was able to build a gap over Lorenzo and ultimately crossed the finish line 1.578 seconds ahead of his teammate, with the pair ensuring a 1-2 finish for Yamaha. In third place at Misano was Repsol Honda’s Dani Pedrosa, the Spaniard crossing the finish line another couple of seconds behind the leading pair.
Today was the warmest day of the race weekend, although the peak track temperature of 37°C recorded during the race was just 3°C higher than yesterday’s peak. As a result, the race tyre choice was similar to what the riders used during race simulations in yesterday’s Free Practice 4 session. Front tyre choice was quite consistent throughout the twenty-three riders on the grid for the race, with all riders except Jorge Lorenzo selecting the medium compound front slick, with the Spaniard instead selecting the hard compound front. Rear tyre choice was split evenly across the grid, with twelve riders selecting the medium compound rear slick, and the other eleven riders selecting the soft compound rear slick.
Although he only claimed a single point at Misano, Marquez still maintains a seventy-four point lead in the championship standings over teammate Pedrosa with five rounds remaining. Courtesy of his first win of the season Rossi closes the gap to Pedrosa to just two points as the battle for second place in the championship intensifies.
Kyota Futami – General Manager, Bridgestone Motorsport Department
“Congratulations to Valentino on an amazing victory in front of his home crowd today and also to Yamaha for such a dominant performance resulting in a well-deserved double podium. It was unfortunate to see Marquez crash out during the race, but credit to him for fighting back to claim a valuable championship point and I am sure he will be challenging back at the front at the next round in Aragon. Today was a real special moment for MotoGP and has added yet another fascinating chapter to what has been a thrilling season. ”
Shinichi Yamashita – General Manager, Bridgestone Motorcycle Tyre Development Department
“As we expected the weather was warmer today, but the track temperatures weren’t high enough to influence a change in tyre strategy for the riders, with almost everyone selecting the same tyre combination that they used during their race simulations yesterday in FP4. I’m very happy with how our tyres performed today, with consistent pace over the twenty-eight laps and seven riders being able to set their quickest lap in the second half of the race.”
Valentino Rossi, Movistar Yamaha MotoGP – Race Winner
“I’m very happy to win today, especially here at Misano in front of my fans, family and friends. During the practice sessions, our Yamaha and my team were working very well and I felt that we had a small advantage at Misano. Yesterday and today I felt very strong and knew I could fight for the victory, but realised it would be a tough fight with the other riders. I gave my maximum at the beginning of the race and knew that if I could resist the other riders I had a chance as my pace was good, and in the end I couldn’t want for anything more from today.”
More, from a press release issued by AirAsia Caterham Team:
Podium for Zarco at Misano
Circuit: Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli
Circuit Length: 2.626 miles
Race Length: 26 laps
Weather
Race: Dry; (air temp) 24°, (track temp) 34°
The AirAsia Caterham Moto Racing Team were rewarded with their second podium of the season with rider Johann Zarco claiming third place at Misano.
Starting from sixth on the grid, the Frenchman showed his strength from the start. Determined not to let the front riders go, Zarco pushed hard to run with the leaders, maintaining a strong pace and holding his third position until the chequered flag.
Newcomer to the team Ratthapark Wilairot struggled off the line, but pushed throughout the twenty six lap race to achieve his fastest time of the weekend and bring the Caterham Suter home in twenty third place.
#5 Johann Zarco: P3
“Today I am very happy. Starting from sixth position on the grid was not easy because I had to fight from the first corner, but I did it very well and I was surprised. Cardus also did a very good start and was in third, but once I passed him I was able to keep this position. I could see Tito was catching Kallio so I tried to follow him, but it was not so easy. My lap times were very constant, not enough to follow Rabat, but enough to keep third place and have a good gap from fourth. I felt I could relax myself, still keep the rhythm and not be tired too much. At the end I was a bit scared that this fourth place would come to me, but finally not.
“It has been a good weekend. Only in qualifying I was a little disappointed but this morning in warm up we found a good solution on the bike which helped me a lot. I want to say thank you to the team for their hard work and I hope that we will now stay on this pace until the end of the year, because it should be good for the Championship and my job with the team.”
#14 Ratthapark Wilairot: P23
“I didn’t do a very good start but in the first corner I gained two or three positions. I tried to pass the next rider in front and find a good group in the race, but still I was struggling with my braking point because I didn’t have the confidence with my corner entry. This is what I need to improve. I was able to maintain a constant pace but not enough for the top fifteen. I think my biggest problem today was the start.
“We made some changes to the bike in the morning and immediately I felt very good and in just one lap I was able to improve my lap time from qualifying.
“I am feeling more comfortable on the bike now and I think we have a good set up for Aragon.”
Johan Stigefelt – Team Manager: “It’s been a great day with Zarco finishing on the podium. We had a really good morning session where we saw that we had the pace and the potential was there for the race, as many times before this year. Zarco made a really good start and was fifth on the first lap. He made some aggressive moves to pass Aegerter and Cardus in front of him and that made it for him in order to keep his third position. His lap times were great all the way through and his pace was fantastic. Unfortunately he lost a bit of time to the VDS riders in the first couple of laps but then he kept a similar pace all the way through, so that was very good and I’m really happy with today’s result.
“Ratthapark unfortunately crashed this morning which I think made him loose his confidence a little bit. For the race it was not very easy for him. He made up places and finished twenty third, so I think we just have to build from this race into the next one and turn up there a little more relaxed. I think he was a bit nervous this weekend and wanting to prove himself and ride strong from the beginning. We believe in him and we know he has the ability to make it into the top fifteen and that is what we will target for the next couple of races.
“I just want to thank everyone in the team for giving it their all once again.”
More, from a press release issued by AGT Rea Racing:
Strong performance by AGT REA Racing at the Misano GP
Gino Rea put in a strong performance at the Misano GP, finishing just outside the top 20 and enjoying race long battles. Rea showed consistency in lap times throughout the race and set his best lap of the weekend. At the beginning of the race Gino was being held up by slower riders and therefore lost contact with the battle for the points. Although Rea was unable to catch this group, the team took positives from Gino often lapping quicker than many of the riders in front of him. Gino Rea comments on a good day at the Misano GP:
Gino Rea:
“I’m happy with my performance today. I fought hard all race but as in Silverstone, qualifying let us down again. I got held up behind some slower riders and by the time I got past them, I was battling with Torres and we couldn’t close in on the group battling for points. My pace was similar to those in that battle so it’s a bit frustrating because I know if I had have got away with them, I could have battled with them. The bike was the best it’s been all weekend but we need to arrive at this point earlier in the weekend so I can qualify higher up. Now we’re going onto Aragon which is a track I like so we will go out to make further progress”.
Team Director, Martin R. de Rooy:
“Gino showed great consistency in the race and did his best lap time of the weekend. After a long hard season, we are now finding the right direction. If we can improve qualifying to start the race higher up, I know Gino will show his true potential.”
AGT REA Racing will be back in action at the Gran Premio Movistar de Aragon in just less than two weeks time. Follow the team on Facebook www.facebook.com/agtrearacing and Twitter @AGT_REA_Racing for updates throughout the interim period.
More, from a press release issued by Marc VDS Racing Team:
Dominant Rabat makes it three in a row at Misano
Misano, Italy: Tito Rabat extended his lead in the Moto2 World Championship standings to 22 points, with his seventh win of the season at Misano this afternoon. Mika Kallio gave the Marc VDS Racing Team their third successive, and fourth of the season, one-two finish by coming home a safe second.
Starting from pole position, Kallio had a lead of over a second at the end of the first lap, with the pursuing pack being hauled along in the slipstream of his Marc VDS teammate, Rabat.
The 25-year-old Spaniard eventually managed to shake off his rivals and then, in a carbon copy of the Silverstone race, started to close the gap to the race leader. With Kallio struggling with a drop off in grip from the rear tyre, Rabat eventually caught and passed the Finn with just nine laps to go. As soon as he was ahead, Rabat got his head down and managed to pull away to take the win, with Kallio trailing him across the line just over two seconds later.
The Misano win means Rabat becomes only the third rider in the history of the Moto2 class to win three races in succession, the other two being former Moto2 World Champion Toni Elias and reigning MotoGP World Champion Marc Marquez.
Jorge Navarro bounced back from two disappointing races in Brno and Silverstone this afternoon, adding to his points tally from Indianapolis with a hard fought 15th place in today’s Moto3 race at Misano.
Tito Rabat // Race Winner
“I’m happy to leave here with a win, because it hasn’t been an easy weekend. The rain on Friday lost us time and it was difficult to find a good dry setting for the bike in only two sessions on Saturday, but the team did a great job. I got a good start in the race, but not as good as Mika. He was away like thunder and his first few laps were unbelievable. But I managed to hold then close the gap, but very slowly. It was hard, not just physically but psychologically too, as it’s difficult to maintain focus when you’re on your own. Once I caught him I had a quick breather, before passing him when he made a mistake into turn four. Then I pushed until the end, as he did too, but I managed to pull away for the win. We did a good job this weekend, but it’s a long way until Valencia, so we need to keep focussed and keep working.”
Mika Kallio // 2nd
“We know we have an advantage for the first five laps, so the plan today was the same as for Silverstone; to get away at the front and then manage the gap. Today after five laps I knew Tito was coming. First he matched my times then he started taking a few tenths each lap, so I knew it was going to be like the last few laps at Silverstone. This time, however, I was sure I could hold him off, but I made a small mistake at turn four and he went through. I could match his lap times, but then I had a big moment at turn six and he pulled a gap. I chased hard for two laps and was closing once again, when the rear grip just suddenly disappeared. It was strange, because it was so sudden. After that there was no way I could catch him and I had to settle for second. Not what I wanted, but now we must find something so that we can reverse the situation in Aragon.”
Jorge Navarro // 15th
“After two races with no points, to be back in the points here at Misano is a positive for us. My feeling with the bike wasn’t good in Silverstone and then here we lost the two sessions on Friday to the rain, but we made a step forward on Saturday, which was good for my confidence. In the race my confidence was improving more with every lap, but then I made a mistake on lap six and lost contact with the second group. I pushed hard, but I couldn’t catch them and I ended up in a big fight with Khairuddin and Antonelli, eventually finishing in the last points scoring position.”
Michael Bartholemy // Team Principal
“The workload here at Misano this weekend has been hectic, but today’s results make it all worthwhile. Mika did what he had to do to try to win, but he just didn’t have the rear grip left to see off another determined effort from Tito today. It was an impressive performance by both riders and, for the fourth time this season, we saw them occupying the top two steps of the podium, alongside the man who makes it all possible, Marc van der Straten. It doesn’t get much better than that! Jorge also had a good race today, recovering some of the confidence lost at Brno and Silverstone with a points scoring finish here in Misano.”
More, from a press release issued by NGM Mobile Forward Racing:
Great recovery for Pasini at Misano, thirteenth
The NGM Forward Racing rider Mattia Pasini made a great recovery in the San Marino and Riviera of Rimini Grand Prix. Started from the 8th row, Pasini finished 13th in front of his home crowd. It was a good start also for Florian Marino who made his debut on board of the Kalex, crossing the finish line in 24th position.
Despite the pain at the right wrist, following yesterday’s crash, Pasini made a great start, recovering important positions. He went close to the top10 and then, in the second part of the race, lost some positions, finishing 13th and earning 3 points for the championship.
At his very first race in the GPs, Florian Marino started well and was able to ride with a constant pace, finishing in 24th position.
Mattia Pasini
“I’m quite satisfied of the race. It was a difficult weekend but it could find a good feeling in the race and made a great start. I gained some positions, getting closer to the top10. In the second part of the race I started to suffer for the pain at the right wrist. Despite this, I tried to push hard to get a good result in front of my fans. I got some points and this is positive”.
Florian Misano
“I’m happy to have finished my first race in Moto2. It was a hard weekend because I had to learn this bike from zero. Today the feeling with the machine was good. I tried to stay in the group and recovered some positions. I worked very well with the team. It was a good start”.
More, from a press release issued by KTM:
MILLER TAKES MOTO3 PODIUM THIRD IN MISANO
Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Jack Miller of managed to hold on to a podium third in Rd. 13 of the Moto3 World Championship, the GP of San Marino on Sunday at the Misano circuit. The Australian followed Alex Rins and Alex Marquez across the line to claim the final podium place and to stay nine points ahead in the title fight.
Miller started from pole, his seventh of the season and got away very well at the start just in front of Husqvarna rider Niklas Ajo. But as early as the second lap he was challenged hard by the Rins, Marquez duo and these three riders dominated the rest of the race. With three laps to go Miller was trailing the two front riders by about three seconds and was experiencing difficulties due to tire wear. With a comfortable gap to the fourth place behind him, he decided to settle for third.
Miller, a Red Bull-sponsored athlete admitted he had had a ‘big moment’ in the early part of the race coming out of the third corner and said on balance he was happy to finish in third and hold onto the lead going into the next round in Aragon Spain, in two weeks time.
Two other KTM riders, Isaac Vinales of Spain and the talented young Italian Enea Bastianini rounded off the top five. Miller’s factory teammate Karel Hanika crashed out in Lap 16 of the 23-lap race after running in a solid mid field position since the start of the race.
Jack Miller: “I’m happy to have been able to get on the podium, especially after the little mistake I made on the fourth lap. I was having a good race, I felt comfortable and luckily I was able to stay on the bike. When Efren [Vazquez] and Isaac [Viñales] passed me, I had to work very hard to reduce the small advantage that they had. I went step-by-step, but it was not enough to get the win. I pushed hard and with five laps to go I tried to keep up the pace, but the tires were shot by then. We have to be satisfied with the final result of this race.”
Miller, who has led the chase for the title since the opening GP must now concentrate on trying to extend his points lead in the remaining rounds as the competition continues to tighten in what is one of the hardest fought class in the world championship. Miller and Hanika both ride the KTM RC250 GP machine.
Round 14 is at Aragon on September 28, the race preceding the three rounds in Japan, Australia and Malaysia before the finale, traditionally held in back in Valencia.
KTM Results Service Sunday, September 14, 2014
Moto GP of San Marino – Misano Circuit – Round 13
Moto3 Results
1, Alex Rins, ESP, Honda, 39:50.694
2, Alex Marquez, ESP, Honda, 39:50.736
3, Jack Miller, AUS, KTM, 39:54.097
4, Isaac Viñales, ESP, KTM, 39:55.153
5, Enea Bastianini, ITA, KTM, 39:55.179
6, Brad Binder, RSA, Mahindra, 39:55.365
7, Alexis Masbou, FRA, Honda, 40:00.100
8, Andrea Migno, ITA, Mahindra, 40:00.237
9, Juanfran Guevara, ESP, Kalex KTM, 40:00.400
10, Efren Vasquez, ESP, Honda, 40:00.737
Other KTM
11, Romano Fenati, ITA, KTM, 40:00.802
16, Niccolo Antonelli, ITA, KTM, 40:11.648
17, Jakub Kornfeil, CZE, KTM, 40:12.823
21, Eric Granado, BRA, KTM, 40:34.017
23, Hafiq Azmi, MAL, KTM, 40:45.906
25, Lorenzo Petrarca, ITA, KTM, 40:46.125
DNF, Gabriel Rodrigo, KTM, 20:00.037
DNF, Karel Hanika, CZE, KTM, 14:02.000
DNF, Francesco Bagnaia, ITA, KTM, 12:20.433
Moto3 Standings after Round 13
1, Miller, 195
2, Marquez, 186
3, Rins, 175
4, Vazquez, 151
5, Fenati, 140
6, Masbou, 134
7, Viñales, 112
8, Bastianini, 98
9, Miguel Oliveira, POR, Mahindra, 84
10, Binder, 77
Other KTM
12, Kornfeil, 67
15, Bagnaia, 42
17, Antonelli, 30
18, Hanika, 24
19, Livio Loi, BEL, 17
28, Granado, 2
Moto3 Manufacturers Standings after Round 13
1, KTM, 278
2, Honda, 278
3, Mahindra, 124