Eyetime Motorrad Grand Prix Von Osterreich
FIM MotoGP World Championship
Spielberg, Austria
August 12, 2018
Race Results (all on Michelin tires):
1. Jorge Lorenzo, Spain (Ducati), 28 laps, Total Race Time 39:40.688
2. Marc Marquez, Spain (Honda), -0.130 second
3. Andrea Dovizioso, Italy (Ducati), -1.656 seconds
4. Cal Crutchlow, UK (Honda), -9.434
5. Danilo Petrucci, Italy (Ducati), -13.169
6. Valentino Rossi, Italy (Yamaha), -14.026
7. Dani Pedrosa, Spain (Honda), -14.156
8. Alex Rins, Spain (Suzuki), -16.644
9. Johann Zarco, France (Yamaha), -20.760
10. Alvaro Bautista, Spain (Ducati), -20.844
11. Tito Rabat, Spain (Ducati), -21.114
12. Maverick Vinales, Spain (Yamaha), -22.939
13. Andrea Iannone, Italy (Suzuki), -26.523
14. Bradley Smith, UK (KTM), -29.168
15. Takaaki Nakagami, Japan (Honda), -30.072
16. Hafizh Syahrin, Malaysia (Yamaha), -30.343
17. Aleix Espargaro, Spain (Aprilia), -31.775
18. Jack Miller, Australia (Ducati), -34.375
19. Franco Morbidelli, Italy (Honda), -40.171
20. Scott Redding, UK (Aprilia), -53.020
21. Karel Abraham, Czech Republic (Ducati), -53.261
22. Thomas Luthi, Switzerland (Honda), -54.355
23. Xavier Simeon, Belgium (Ducati), -18 laps, DNF, crash
World Championship Point Standings (after 11 of 19 races):
1. Marquez, 201 points
2. Rossi, 142
3. Lorenzo, 130
4. Dovizioso, 129
5. Vinales, 113
6. Petrucci, 105
7. Zarco, 104
8. Crutchlow, 103
9. Iannone, 84
10. TIE, Rins/Pedrosa, 66
12. Miller, 61
13. Bautista, 57
14. Rabat, 35
15. Pol Espargaro, 32
16. Syahrin, 24
17. Morbidelli, 22
18. Aleix Espargaro, 17
19. Smith, 15
20. Redding, 12
21. Nakagami, 11
22. Mika Kallio, 6
23. Abraham, 4
More, from a press release issued by Aprilia Gresini Racing:
AFTER AN EXCELLENT START ALEIX SUFFER FROM TYRE DETERIORATION AND FINISHES SEVENTEENTH
SCOTT REDDING TWENTIETH
An excellent start from the fifth row characterised the early stages of the race in Austria for Aleix Espargaró, especially effective in braking with his Aprilia RS-GP, so much that he was stably in the top 10 for the first 16 laps. In the finale, the Spaniard suffered from deterioration of the rear tyre, losing positions until having to settle for a seventeenth place finish.
At the end of a complicated weekend, Scott Redding was unable to emerge in the race, finishing twentieth.
ALEIX ESPARGARO’
“I had a good start and in the early part of the race I was fast. I rode to the limit, maybe a bit too much, to try and stay in the group battling for the top 10. I stressed the rear tyre a lot in order not to lose ground, but after 15 laps, I lost grip and it was impossible to fend off the attacks. We know what our problems are and we need to work to solve them. The early laps with a good level of competitiveness gave me confidence, but we need added effort to bridge the gap. We have testing scheduled in Misano with a lot of upgrades that the Aprilia engineers will be bringing. It will be a fundamental day that we’ll need to fully exploit.”
SCOTT REDDING
“This was an extremely difficult weekend. I was only able to demonstrate my potential in the wet, whereas on the dry track a series of factors kept us from doing any better than a result that is quite frankly disappointing. It’s frustrating because the final position does not reflect my efforts. Now we have a test in Misano ahead of my home race at Silverstone, so I hope it will help us to come out of this negative period.”
More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki ECSTAR:
EIGHTH PLACE FOR RINS IN CHALLENGING AUSTRIAN GP
Alex Rins: 8th (+ 16.644)
Andrea Iannone: 13th (+ 26.523)
• Rins makes rocket start and takes Top 10 finish.
• Iannone struggled with overtakings but kept a good pace.
• Team SUZUKI ECSTAR find clearer path to improvement.
Austria’s Red Bull Ring offered a little bit of everything to the riders for Round 11 of the MotoGP World Championship, and after two days of mixed conditions the sun shone for Warm-Up on Sunday morning, where both Iannone and Rins showed good pace, with the Italian finishing the session in 4th.
From their grid positions of 8th and 10th, Andrea Iannone and Alex Rins were focused on getting strong starts for the 28 lap race. The Spaniard managed a superb start and rocketed his way up the order and into the front group. Iannone was not so lucky as his aggressive start put him in the middle of the tight first turn. The Italian slotted in just outside the Top 10, and stayed there for several laps before he was unfortunately squeezed out and ran off the track, he dropped to 17th place and spent the rest of the race working hard to recoup positions. As the chequered flag came out Andrea was 13th. Meanwhile Alex continued to run in 6th place until just a few laps from the end when he was overtaken by two riders. This 8th place finish resulted in useful points for Rins.
Ken Kawauchi – Technical Manager
“It was a difficult race, we know this track is not the best for us. The first half of the race for Alex was not so bad, but the second half of the race we lost the pace a bit. Unfortunately Andrea had a few small run-offs and lost time. But after these two races, Brno and here, our programme for improvement has become very clear so this good for the rest of the season and also for next year.”
Davide Brivio – Team Manager
“We knew today would not be easy, but in the end Alex made a very good race after a very good start. He kept up strong pace but by the end we suffered a bit and he had to drop the pace which resulted in him losing two positions. But we did the race that we aimed for, which was to try to stay with the second group. He also improved a lot from the first practice onwards in terms of his riding. Andrea had more difficultly and during the battles he made a few small mistakes and had to recover a couple of times, but overall today has not been so bad for a track which we knew wasn’t a favourite for us. I hope Silverstone will suit us better, we’re looking forward to it.”
Alex Rins
“We needed a very, very good start and I was proud of what I did. Also in the first few laps I was able to hold my position, then lap by lap and during the last part of the race when the tyre dropped off it was impossible for me to keep the rhythm and Rossi and Pedrosa passed me. I tried to stay with them but it was not possible. It’s something that usually, with my riding style, I don’t suffer with as much and I can even gain positions late in the race. But in the last two rounds it’s been the opposite. We need to continue to work on the last part of races because the team and bike have a lot of potential. Anyway, I’m excited to ride at Silverstone, I like it a lot, and I hope to do a good job there.”
Andrea Iannone
“It was a difficult one for me, from the beginning I didn’t have very good grip on the rear and I couldn’t accelerate well. On the straight I was losing a lot and riders were overtaking me under acceleration. I recovered a lot on the braking, but it was difficult for me to over-take. When Pedrosa passed me I made a mistake and I lost about 2 seconds, then when I was riding alone I could recover and find a good pace without having to fight against others. Towards the end the tyres dropped a lot but I tried my best, despite my mistakes. I hope Silverstone will be a better race for us. I think with a good setup we can be at the top.”
More, from a press release issued by LCR Honda Castrol:
FANTASTIC FOURTH PLACE FOR CRUTCHLOW IN AUSTRIA
LCR Honda CASTROL’s Cal Crutchlow enjoyed a lonely but brilliant ride into fourth place at the Spielberg circuit in Austria today, as he sealed the top Independent Team trophy for the second race in succession.
It was always going to be a tall order to topple the might of the works teams from Honda and Ducati, but Cal guided his own factory Honda RC213V to four seconds clear of the rest of the field at a track he had suffered at in previous years. This represented a huge step forward from rider and team, and gives them high hopes for the next round of the championship, the British Grand Prix at Silverstone in two weeks’ time, Cal’s home race.
Cal Crutchlow – 4th
“We weren’t able to compete for the podium here today, but before the weekend I said we’d be happy with a top six finish and that’s what we have come away with. I rode well, but I couldn’t go away with the front guys at the start. It was impossible with the hard front tyre as I needed to build heat into it, as I almost found out at turn four on the first lap when I nearly went down”.
“I am obviously happy with the result today. I finished 15th here over the last couple of years, so to finish fourth today is a big step forward. To go away from here with valuable points and a couple of races of strong finishes it means that I can throw the chips all in at Silverstone in two weeks. A top-five finish won’t be out of the question, and I will aim to get onto that podium in front of the home fans.”
More, from a press release issued by Reale Avintia Racing:
Tito Rabat finishes a good weekend in eleventh place
MotoGP GP of Austria – Spielberg
The weekend of the Austrian Grand Prix was very positive for Reale Avintia Racing rider Tito Rabat. After a great start from the seventh place on the grid, he fought with the front group of riders on the opening laps of the race. He maintained his seventh place until mid-race but then paid tribute to early wear of his rear tyre and had to lower his rhythm for the last third of the race. He first fell victim to an attack of Valentino Rossi, then he had to let Dani Pedrosa escape and rode in ninth position, before the performance of his rear tyre dropped again in the last laps and he crossed the line in eleventh place.
Reale Avintia team-mate Xavier Simeon also had a strong weekend in Austria, with his best qualification in this season so far. In the race, be battled with the other rookies of the MotoGP class, but crashed on lap eleven and wasn’t able to finish the race.
Tito Rabat | P11
“We have done everything right this weekend, we did well in the practice sessions and in qualifying, I had a good start and I rode a strong race. Only towards the end, a part of the puzzle was missing. On the last laps, I was left without rear tyre grip and suffered quite a bit. The bike worked fantastically, I was with the front group of riders on the first laps and we were closer to the top once again. Now I have to learn how to manage throttle control in the right way to save the tyres. Thanks to the team that did a great job as always!””.
Xavier Simeon | DNF
“A very positive weekend ended in a bad way. I had a lot of problems with the soft front tyre compound in the race, the front was constantly at the point of folding away until it finally happened and I crashed. I am very disappointed because up until the race, everything had gone so well and it was a shame that it ended like that.”
More, from a press release issued by Red Bull KTM:
POINTS FOR BRADLEY SMITH AT RED BULL RING AS KTM EXCEL IN MOTO2 & MOTO3 AT HOME GRAND PRIX
RACE 11th Rd. MotoGP 2018 – Red Bull Ring, Spielberg (AUT)
Bradley Smith raced to 14th position under warm sunshine at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg to grab more points on the KTM RC16 as Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Miguel Oliveira thrilled viewers in Moto2 and Marco Bezzecchi wins his second Moto3 Grand Prix of the season.
MotoGP
Round eleven of nineteen in 2018 MotoGP saw the series land at one of the most picturesque and fastest circuits on the calendar: the Red Bull Ring, Spielberg. Red Bull KTM’s second home Grand Prix since they joined the MotoGP grid (and just three years since the factory’s objectives for the premier class were announced at the same venue) meant a busy schedule and the luxury of large and vocal home support.
The team were down to one-rider representation after Pol Espargaro’s unfortunate crash and collarbone injury the previous weekend in the Czech Republic. Bradley Smith showed moments of shrewd set-up work and keen competitiveness across the three days. The Brit almost squeezed into Q2 for the first time in 2018 on Saturday and then clocked the sixth fastest lap-time in warm-up this morning.
Smith made his customary bright start at the beginning of the 28-lap dash and then settled into a chase with the likes of Alvaro Bautista, 2017 victor Andrea Iannone and Aleix Espargaro. At the finish line #38 gathered two world championship points for 14th.
Red Bull KTM also confirmed that former Grand Prix winner and experienced test rider Randy De Puniet would step into the breach caused by Mika Kallio’s left knee injury to work on the KTM RC16 for the rest of the 2018 schedule.
Smith: “The nice thing is that we are learning more and more about the bike and made more improvements in the morning. The warm-up was a lot of fun and in cool track conditions the grip level was high and I could get the maximum out of the bike, and in Qualifying we have been able to extract better performance; which is something I have been focussing on. I knew the race would be a bit of a struggle because the bike has its strengths but when the track gets greasy then this is where we see some weaknesses. I qualified 13th and finished 14th and this is where we expected to be. We finished ahead of some good riders on good bikes and I don’t think we can ask for much more. We pretty much defeated nearly all the satellite riders. I felt I made a perfect race and there was not much else I could have done. The team did a great job setting up the bike and 14th was our position today.”
Mike Leitner (Team Manager): “We knew it would be difficult here after Brno. With just one rider you cannot do things like split strategies and look at tyres. We were limited but Bradley did a very solid job. Last year’s winner was just in front of him today. He felt strong after warm-up but missed a bit of rear grip in corner entry during the race and this stopped him setting the same rhythm as he did in the morning but, overall, it was a good weekend. We hope we can continue our journey in Silverstone with two riders again. I think it was a great Grand Prix for KTM with the Moto3 result and the fantastic race in Moto2. I think the team could see the big level of support in Austria and how many people are interested in our project. This gives us extra confidence and power to deliver more results in the future.”
Moto2
Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Miguel Oliveira set off from his best qualification spot (2nd) of the season and immediately strived to set the pace on the KTM Moto2. He faced opposition from principal title rival Pecco Bagnaia as the Portuguese and Italian duelled for victory in the final ten laps. The dispute went down to the last two turns where the lead was swapped twice in a matter of metres and Oliveira just missed out on a third triumph of 2018 by two tenths of a second. Oliveira holds second in the championship table but trails Bagnaia by only 3 points. Brad Binder scored 6th place after briefly taking part in an entertaining four-way fight for the last rostrum plinth.
Oliveira: “I am satisfied with this second place at the Red Bull Ring, although its slightly bittersweet because I didn’t win the race. Overall, it was a great race for me; I didn’t make mistakes and led every lap, but just lost one place on the last lap. I had to try to guess where Bagnaia would try his move and close the door. The last lap was almost a carbon copy of what happened last year in MotoGP. The World Championship standings are very tight and the races are very exciting. We are on the limit. This year there have been no mistakes from the top riders either, and both Bagnaia and I have always kept adding points to our tally. I’m very happy because things are going well and I’m sure we’ll get the win at another race.”
Aki Ajo (Team Manager Moto2): “We have to be very happy with the second position for Miguel (Oliveira). In the last few races we have taken a step forward thanks to the great developmental work from KTM, WP and the entire team; We improved a lot in Free Practice and our pace was very good throughout the race. In the end, especially at this circuit, anything can happen in the last sector, so I don’t think today goes down as a loss. We have taken many points here and we continue with our plan to go race-by-race. For Brad (Binder) it was also a tough race, but sixth position is good after a tough fight. There were some incidents during the race and that made him drop a little further back. But considering that this morning Brad didn’t feel at his best during the warmup, it was a good race for him. We are increasingly improving our race pace and also our practice pace. We have to be happy.”
Moto3
Starting from Pole Position with the KTM RC250 GP Marco Bezzecchi followed up his positive speed and form through the weekend at the Red Bull Ring to take his Redox PruestelGP KTM to victory; the second of 2018 (and seventh podium) for the young Italian who consolidated his advantage at the top of the world championship standings.
Bezzecchi: “A very good race today for my second win of the season. The whole team did a great job this weekend; I’m glad to have such a great crew behind me. It was a long and exhausting race. We have worked a lot since Brno to improve my mental approach. Thanks to my team, to KTM and to the VR46 Academy. See you in Silverstone in two weeks, I’m looking forward to it.”
After back-to-back races in Czech Republic and Austria, MotoGP will break for a week before heading over the English Channel for the British Grand Prix at Silverstone on August 26th.
Next Race: August 26, 2018 – Silverstone (GBR)
Results MotoGP Red Bull Ring, Spielberg 2018
1. Jorge Lorenzo (ITA), Ducati, 39:40.688 min
2. Marc Marquez (ESP), Honda, +0.130 sec
3. Andrea Dovizioso (ITA), Ducati, +1.656
4. Cal Crutchlow (GBR), Honda, +9.434
5. Danilo Petrucci (ITA), Ducati, +13.169
KTM
14. Bradley Smith (GBR), KTM, +29.168
DNS Pol Espargaro (ESP), KTM
DNS Mika Kallio (FIN), KTM
Standings MotoGP 2018 after 11 of 19 rounds
1. Marquez, 201 points
2. Valentino Rossi (ITA), Yamaha, 142
3. Lorenzo, 130
4. Dovizioso, 129
5. Maverick Vinales (ESP), Yamaha, 113
KTM
15. Espargaro, 32
19. Smith, 15
22. Kallio, 6
Results Moto2 Red Bull Ring, Spielberg 2018
1. Francesco Bagnaia (ITA), Kalex, 37:45.914 min
2. Miguel Oliveira (POR), KTM, +0.264 sec
3. Luca Marini (ITA), Kalex, +5.953
4. Mattia Pasini (ITA), Kalex, +6.114
5. Jorge Navarro (ESP), Kalex, +8.554
KTM
6. Brad Binder (RSA), KTM, +8.944
10. Icer Lecuona (ESP), KTM, +16.718
Standings Moto2 2018 after 11 of 19 rounds
1. Bagnaia (ITA), Kalex, 189 points
2. Oliveira, 186
3. Alex Marquez (ESP), Kalex, 113
4. Binder, 111
5. Lorenzo Baldassarri (ITA), Kalex, 106
Results Moto3 Red Bull Ring, Spielberg 2018
1. Marco Bezzecchi (ITA), KTM, 37:13.198 min
2. Enea Bastianini (ITA), Honda, +0.473 sec
3. Jorge Martin (ESP), Honda, +0.544
4. Albert Arenas (ESP), KTM, +1.373
5. Lorenzo Dalla Porta (ITA), Honda, +1.421
KTM
6. Jaume Masia (ESP), KTM, +1.529
8. Gabriel Rodrigo (ESP), KTM, +8.658
19. Darryn Binder (RSA), KTM, +19.550
Standings Moto3 2018 after 11 of 19 rounds
1. Bezzecchi (ITA), KTM, 158 points
2. Martin, 146
3. Fabio Di Giannantonio (ITA), Honda, 121
4. Aron Canet (ESP), Honda, 118
5. Enea Bastianini (ITA), Honda, 117
KTM
6. Rodrigo, 84
7. Jakub Kornfeil (CZE), KTM, 80
8. Marcos Ramirez (ESP), KTM, 67
10. Andrea Migno (ITA), KTM, 60
22. Darryn Binder (RSA), KTM, 20
More, from a press release issued by LCR Honda Idemitsu:
NAKAGAMI PICKS UP A POINT AS TOP ROOKIE IN AUSTRIA
LCR Honda IDEMITSU’s Takaaki Nakagami took his first point-scoring finish since Le Mans in May as he sealed 15th place at the Grand Prix of Austria on Sunday. The Japanese rider was delivered a difficult hand on his first visit to the Spielberg circuit as a MotoGP rider, with two practices ruined by rain.
Nonetheless, as has become a feature of Nakagami’s season, the rookie battled hard to overcome his disadvantages, and fought his way through from 21st position on the grid, after an excellent start to the race. He had a fairly lonely ride until overtaking the factory Aprilia of Aleix Espargaro on the final lap to end the race as best rookie.
Takaaki Nakagami – 15th
“The conditions today were quite warm and so I tried a new set-up during the morning warm-up, which was a positive step forward from qualifying. After a good start and a good turn one I was in a better position. It was a bit of a traffic jam, and turn four was tricky, but I found a gap and made up more spots. After that I tried to make no mistakes in the 28 laps. I tried to follow Viñales, but after ten laps I couldn’t manage it anymore, but it helped me keep a consistent lap time as it became a lonely race for me”.
“I tried my best as always, and even tried to pass Espargaro on the final lap. I made it stick which brought home a point. It’s just one, but it’s better than nothing. I want to say a big thanks to the LCR Honda IDEMITSU Team because the last few races have been tough for me. Finally, we have come back and we will try to continue that form. We have a test in Misano this week, so hopefully that will help us some more if we keep pushing hard.”
More, from a press release issued by Alma Pramac Racing:
Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich – RACE
Stunning Petrux finishes 5th and takes 6th place in the MotoGP standings. Jack goes fast until mid-race
Danilo Petrucci completed his mission by finishing fifth in the Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich and becoming the first Independent rider in the MotoGP World Championship. Jack Miller made a great comeback but from the middle of the race he started having problems with the front end and finished 18th.
Petrux’s start wasn’t perfect but the rider from Terni was good at staying with the front group. On lap 3 he attacked Rins to take 5th place. Danilo tried to chase Crutchlow for fourth place but by 10 laps from the end, the pace of the English rider was better. The satisfaction for fifth place is great and team #9 celebrates Danilo’s return to the garage.
Jack starts is great as he recovers 4 positions at the first corner. The Australian engaged in a duel with Pedrosa and then hunted Iannone, overtaking him on lap 7 to take 12th. However, since the middle of the race, Jack wasn’t able to push as hard as he could and on lap 15 he made a mistake that didn’t allow him to take points.
Alma Pramac Racing confirmed its position as the best Independent team and consolidated its fourth position in the team standings behind Honda, Ducati and Yamaha.
P5 – Danilo Petrucci
“It was a good weekend. I come back home very happy because we did a great job. I knew that it would be difficult to fight for the podium. I tried to attack Crutchlow for fourth but that’s okay. We have taken important points”.
P18 – Jack Miller
“It’s a shame because the first part of the race was very good. I was pushing hard then the front wheel temperature rose too high and I was unable to keep the pace. It was a very difficult weekend. I can’t wait to be in Silverstone”.
More, from a press release issued by Repsol Honda:
Marquez increases his points lead, taking hard-fought 2nd in Austria; Pedrosa in 7th place
Today Marc Marquez scored a hard-fought second place at a sunny Red Bull Ring, sharing the podium with race-winner Jorge Lorenzo and third-place rider Andrea Dovizioso.
Marc ultimately missed the win by only 0.130”, and definitely not for lack of trying. After taking the lead on the second lap, he tried to pull a gap at the front, but Lorenzo and Dovizioso closely chased him for most of the race. An inevitable battle was looming.
It began on lap 19 and had all of the 92,955 spectators on the edges of their seats until the last lap. At that point, it was duel between the two fellow countrymen, as Dovizioso had fallen slightly behind.
Although he still has yet to tame the Red Bull Ring, Marc leaves the track with an increased advantage in the points standings (+59 over Valentino Rossi) and the enjoyment he always feels after having given it his all in a race battle.
Dani Pedrosa also made some good overtakes today that allowed him to cross the finish line in seventh place, despite a mishap soon after the start having dropped him from a ninth-place grid spot to 14th at the end of the first lap.
The Repsol Honda Team is now leading the Team standings, Honda the Constructor and Marc Marquez the Rider Standings.
Marc Marquez 93
2ND
“Today I enjoyed the race a lot because I finished second but really gave it everything. In Brno I didn’t have enough confidence, while here, I tried. I started to push hard from the beginning as I had chosen the hard rear tyre with the target of trying to open a gap early on, because I knew that Dovi and Lorenzo would be very fast at the end of the race, when the tyres dropped. That was our strategy today and for a short while I believed I would be able to carry it out, but soon they caught me again. It was a great battle. I tried to defend, to change my lines, but it was impossible. This is a track where they’re very strong, especially on the straights. In these situations we try to manage at our best, and we also have our very competitive points; we were very strong on braking and entering the corners. For sure we will use those strengths and have our say at other tracks. So far we’ve always been right there, always on the podium, and that’s the most important thing. We lost only five points on Lorenzo and gained more on Valentino, who’s second in the standings. We’re happy with this result; we’ve done a great job here.”
Dani Pedrosa 26
7TH
“After the start, turn one was a bit messy but okay, but after a couple of corners, something happened with Smith, Rossi, Zarco, and I don’t know who else, and I went off the track, losing five or six positions. I found myself very far back in the pack. As usual, in the beginning I also struggled with the feeling and grip, so it took me some time before I was able to get into a good enough rhythm. When I felt more comfortable, I started making some passes, and the situation became better and better. This is something we need to solve because by the time I start to be fast, the race is gone.”
More, from a press release issued by Movistar Yamaha:
ROSSI RIDES STRONG COMEBACK RACE TO SIXTH AT THE RED BULL RING
Movistar Yamaha MotoGP‘s Valentino Rossi saved the best for last during a difficult weekend at the Red Bull Ring – Spielberg track. He picked up the pace on the eyetime Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich race day and rode from 14th on the grid to a solid 6th position at the finish. Maverick Viñales had a difficult start from 11th, but once he got going he set multiple red sectors to climb back up the order and secure 12th place.
Spielberg (Austria), 12th August 2018
Movistar Yamaha MotoGP’s Valentino Rossi turned his fortunes around today at the eyetime Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich, claiming a strong 6th place after a superb comeback race. Maverick Viñales had a more challenging outing at the Red Bull Ring – Spielberg track, but made up ground in the second half of the race to finish in 12th position.
Rossi started from 14th on the grid and was wary of the first lap, when the busy mid-pack of the rider field would be diving into the tight first corner, but he managed the situation well. He finished his first lap in 11th place, trying to be both on the attack and the defensive. At the start of lap 4 the provisional rider order settled, and the Italian was in tenth place chasing fellow Yamaha-rider Johann Zarco. Two laps later he got the job done, taking ninth.
The battle for eighth with Aleix Espargeró took the nine-time World Champion a bit longer, but he prevailed with 19 laps to go. He then had to bridge a gap to Tito Rabat. Ten laps later he could make his move, successfully securing seventh place, but he had to do yet more work to close the over 2.5s gap to Álex Rins. It was a big ask, but the Doctor was up to the task and four laps before the end he got the job done. Rossi had to continue pushing 100% for the remainder of the race to keep Dani Pedrosa at bay. All the while he was closing in on Danilo Petrucci in fifth, but he came just short of being able to confront him, crossing the line in sixth place, 14.026s from first.
Viñales was determined to avoid history repeating itself this afternoon, after Brno‘s first lap crash last weekend. He had a decent start from 11th on the grid but needed a few laps to get up to speed. He fell back to 16th place, yet gradually upped his pace. As Andrea Iannone went wide, the Spaniard gained a position. He followed it up with a red first sector on lap 11, the first of many, signaling the start of his charge.
He soon moved up to 13th place and was on the tail of Álvaro Bautista. He followed his compatriot past Aleix Espargaró but wasn‘t able to keep up. The last quarter of the race was a lonely run for the number 25 rider. As his soft rear tyre began to deteriorate, the Spaniard focused on holding on to his twelfth position to score some important points for the championship. He took the chequered flag with a 22.939s margin to the race leader.
Today‘s results see Rossi remain in second position in the championship standings with 59 points to first and 29 points ahead of teammate Viñales, who is now in fifth position. Yamaha holds third place in the Constructor Championship after the race in Spielberg, with a 53-point margin to first, while the Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team are now in third position in the team standings with a 12-point gap to first.
The Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team will be back in action at the Silverstone Circuit for the GoPro British Grand Prix, held from August 24th – 26th.
MASSIMO MEREGALLI
TEAM DIRECTOR
After yesterday’s qualifying results the team worked really hard to prepare something for the riders to up their chances for the race. Starting from the middle of the grid is always a bit dangerous, it’s busy and unpredictable. Nevertheless, both our riders emerged from the opening lap unscathed. Vale did a great job riding to sixth place, especially considering the start to the weekend we had these past two days. It‘s a shame Maverick‘s rhythm in the middle of the race couldn’t be capitalized on at the end, to have both riders inside the top-10. We will certainly take lessons from this race day. Now we will regroup and then focus our attention on next week’s test in Misano.
VALENTINO ROSSI
I was able to enjoy the race, because I could recover a lot of positions and do some good overtaking, and nobody overtook me. This morning we tried something different that I liked. Unfortunately, I wasn’t faster, but I was able to keep my pace more consistent and use the rear tyre less. I started well, but I was in the rider pack. I had some hard battles at the beginning, but after I could recover. If I could have taken part in Q2 and started a little more towards the front, maybe then I could have fought with Petrucci, but from Crutchlow on there was no way because they were faster than us. We’ll try to improve for the next race.
MAVERICK VIÑALES
For me the race was OK, I didn’t have any new problems, but we do have issues on the bike, especially at the start, when the bike didn’t have any power. It’s something I don’t understand, because we worked quite well the last two weekends to make good starts and here it was impossible. We’ll be focusing on Silverstone and will try to forget this weekend. Now I will go to Misano for our test and try to enjoy the riding and see if we can improve.
More, from a press release issued by Dorna:
Lorenzo vs Marquez: a stunning showdown in Spielberg
A classic rivalry and another classic race, this round goes to the number 99…just
Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team) and Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) put on a show to remember at the Red Bull Ring in the eyetime Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich, with the two dueling down to the wire in an instant classic and Lorenzo coming out on top for his third win of the season. Teammates in 2019, the five years in which Lorenzo and Marquez have shared the track have produced some legendary different battles at different circuits, but the number 93’s search for a win at Spielberg will have to continue. The man who beat him to the honour last season, Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team), completed the podium in third this time around.
It was Marquez who had the initial advantage as he bolted away into the distance over the first laps, putting the hammer down early and leaving the Ducati duo of Lorenzo and Dovizioso trailing him by half a second, a second, then seven tenths as the gap was a constant concertina but a sizeable one nonetheless. In clear air the number 93’s tactics seemed immediately clear, and the bigger focus over the first laps was on the two Ducati men locked together behind him – almost close enough to look like one bike at a passing glance.
Dovizioso looked threatening and feinted a number of times but the Italian didn’t make a move. With the gap at the front staying constant and Marquez no longer gaining ground, the tide then began to turn as Lorenzo slowly reeled him in. By 11 laps to go the Ducatis were right back on the tail of the Honda but Lorenzo just ran it wide at Turn 3. Using the grunt of the Borgo Panigale machine, however, the number 99 recovered quickly to fire himself back into second and the lead trio remained in line, nothing between them… before Lorenzo decided to make his move.
Right on Marquez’ tail over the line and passing the reigning Champion into Turn 1, Lorenzo pulled the pin and took over at the front as teammate Dovizioso ran wide and dropped off the lead duo. But that lead duo didn’t stay the same way around for long as they dueled it out, heading a bit wide at one point before Lorenzo was back ahead and the two regrouped.
With 3 laps to go Lorenzo went wide at Turn 3 and Marquez went through, but of course the Ducati struck back – with a brutal move at Turn 9. On the penultimate lap Marquez again attacked at Turn 3, but Lorenzo led the two over the line to begin the final lap – and the gloves were most definitely off.
Locked together, the big attack came again at Turn 3 as Marquez dived straight for the inside – but Lorenzo held his line and was able to regain the ground immediately on the exit. Pushing hard and the Repsol Honda in second squiggling around in the braking zones, Marquez looked threatening around the remainder of the final lap but the ‘Spartan’ was not for being caught – taking the victory in style and denying Marquez the chance at a final lunge.
Behind ‘DesmoDovi’ in third, Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) put in an impressive performance to take fourth as top Independent Team rider to put his Spielberg demons to bed after two fifteenths over the past two years, with Danilo Petrucci (Alma Pramac Racing) also able to bounce back after a tough race at the venue last season to complete the top five. Petrucci now leads the Independent Team standings by a single point from Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3), with Crutchlow only another point back.
Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) put in a stunning ride through the field, with the rider from Tavullia moving through from fourteenth on the grid to fight off Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team) in a high-calibre battle for sixth. Behind the two, Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) took eighth after mixing it at the front nearer the start, making for a solid result at a more difficult track for the Hamamatsu factory.
Johann Zarco took ninth as he beat with Alvaro Bautista (Angel Nieto Team) to the line – with Tito Rabat (Reale Avintia Racing) for close company. The three took P9, P10 and P11 respectively.
Maverick Viñales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP), meanwhile, took P12 in a more difficult race after a difficult weekend, with Andrea Iannone (Team Suzuki Ecstar) in thirteenth following an early run off for the 2016 winner. Bradley Smith (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) took points for home factory KTM and put in a good race for fourteenth, with Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) completing the points as top rookie – just ahead of Hafizh Syahrin (Monster Yamaha Tech 3).
Next up is Silverstone, the stage of the first serious showdown between Lorenzo and Marquez back in 2013. Will we see another repeat? Find out in two weeks as MotoGP™ heads to UK.
Bagnaia wins clash of the Championship titans
The Italian and Oliveira locked horns at the Red Bull Ring, in a race that went down to the final corner
Francesco Bagnaia (Sky Racing Team VR46) maintained his 100% record of winning when on pole at the eyetime Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich after a brilliant battle with main Championship rival Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo) which went all the way down to the final corner. Luca Marini (Sky Racing Team VR46) secured third place at the Red Bull Ring in another last lap battle, as Alex Marquez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) crashed out on the final corner.
The start nearly ended in disaster for Bagnaia, the Italian initially getting the better launch but then getting bogged down in the second phase, with Fabio Quartararo (+ Ego – Speed Up Racing) making contact on the inside forcing both wide – Bagnaia slotted into fourth, but Quartararo had to rejoin outside the top 20.
That left Oliveira with a 0.8 gap at the front, with Jorge Navarro (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) second and Bagnaia recovering to third. It was only a matter of time before the Italian would make his move past Navarro, and that’s exactly what he did on Lap 6 to set his sights on the Portuguese rider out in front. The gap hovered just below the one second barrier, before Bagnaia gained nearly half a second on the KTM rider at the mid stage of the race, with it soon becoming clear the Kalex machine had the better front grip.
There was nothing to choose between the two Championship protagonists until Bagnaia made his first move at the penultimate corner on lap 21, only for Oliveira to snap straight back at the final corner. It was mirror, signal, manoeuvre with two laps to go, after Bagnaia had tried at Turn 1 – only for Oliveira to use the KTM’s superior rear grip to power past on the exit.
And so, it came down to the last lap. Oliveira led until the penultimate corner when Bagnaia made his move. Again, the Portuguese rider lunged back up the inside at the final corner but couldn’t hold the inside line, with Bagania switching back up the inside to force his way past to take the lead in Championship standings again.
There was also drama just behind, with Marquez crashing at the final corner after battling for the final podium place with Marini and the Italian securing his third consecutive rostrum. Mattia Pasini (Italtrans Racing Team) was right in the hunt for the podium, the Italian eventually coming home fourth, with Jorge Navarro (Federal Oil Gresini Moto3) securing his best result of the season in fifth – his third consecutive top ten.
Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) was sixth after having to drop a position for exceeding track limits, with Marcel Schroetter (Dynavolt Intact GP), Joan Mir (EG 0,0 Marc VDS), Quartararo and Iker Lecuona (Swiss Innovative Investors) rounding out the top ten in Austria.
Romano Fenati (Marinelli Snipers Team) finished just outside the top 10 in 11th, with Danny Kent (+ Ego – Speed Up Racing) equaling his best result of the season in 12th. Andrea Locatelli (Italtrans Racing Team), Stefano Manzi (Forward Racing Team) and Tetsuta Nagashima (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) completed the top 15.
Lorenzo Baldassarri (Pons HP40), teammate Augusto Fernandez and Simone Corsi (Tasca Racing Scuderia Moto2) were involved in a crash at Turn 3 on lap 4 – riders ok. Sam Lowes (Swiss Innovative Investors), Remy Gardner (Tech 3 Racing) and Federico Fuligni (Tasca Racing Scuderia Moto2) all also crashed out – riders ok.
So, the Championship pendulum swings again in the Moto2™ class after a phenomenal battle between Bagnaia and Oliveria. What does the British GP have in store?
Bezzecchi storms Spielberg to beat heroic Martin
The Italian extends his Championship lead, finishing ahead of a late charging Bastianini and the miraculous Martin
Marco Bezzecchi (Redox PruestelGP) sealed his second race win of the season after leading from start to finish at the eyetime Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich, beating a hard charging Enea Bastianini (Leopard Racing) to second, with the truly heroic Jorge Martin (Del Conca Gresini Moto3) completing the podium after a stunning race just over a week after surgery on a broken left wrist.
Bezzecchi was the man to get the holeshot from pole, with Albert Arenas (Angel Nieto Team Moto3), Martin and Gabriel Rodrigo (RBA BOE Skull Rider) tucking in behind the Italian and the four creating an immediate gap to fifth in the opening lap. Jaume Masia (Bester Capital Dubai) and Lorenzo Dalla Porta (Leopard Racing) then joined the fray after bridging the one second gap a few laps later, but a mistake from Dalla Porta dropped him back into the clutches of the second group.
Back at the front and it was Bezzecchi holding station, no one able to get close enough to make a move, with Martin, Arenas and Masia interchanging behind. The Championship leader threatened to make the break in the latter stages, creating a gap of 0.6 on two separate occasions, but the miraculous Martin was able to claw his title rival back in, the final two sectors a particular strong point for the Honda rider, setting us up for a classic final couple of laps.
It was time to cue the jaws music, with Bastianini setting the fastest laps of the race in the latter stages to reel in the leading group. Bezzecchi was half a second clear at the front and with Arenas running wide at Turn 1, Bastianini then had Martin and Masia firmly in his sights. Martin was passed at Turn 6, then Masia ran slightly wide at the penultimate corner to allow Bastianini through, with Martin slicing his way up the inside of his fellow Spaniard to claim the final podium place on the final corner – Bezzecchi in the meantime claiming his second win of the season to extend his lead in the Championship to 12 points.
Arenas came home fourth, just ahead of Dalla Porta and Masia in 5th and 6th – some late heartache for the number 5 rider as he missed out on a maiden podium. Ayumu Sasaki (Petronas Sprinta Racing) crossed the line in a fantastic seventh, with Rodrigo slipping down to eighth by the time the checkered flag was waved. Tony Arbolino (Marinelli Snipers Team) was ninth at the Red Bull Ring, with Aron Canet (Estrella Galicia 0,0) rounding out the top ten.
Fabio Di Giannantonio (Del Conca Gresini Moto3) was just 0.015 behind Canet, with John McPhee (CIP – Green Power) producing a fantastic comeback rider to finish 12th from 30th on the grid. Jakub Kornfeil (Redox PruestelGP), Philipp Oettl (Sudmetal Schedl GP Racing) and Marcos Ramirez (Bester Capital Dubai) completed the top 15.
The day belonged to Bezzecchi in terms of Championship standings, but how important will this third place prove for Martin? Simply stunning from the Spanaird, who now gets two weeks rest before the British GP at Silverstone.
More, from a press release issued by Michelin:
MICHELIN AND LORENZO PRODUCE A RECORD-BREAKING SPIELBERG BLOCKBUSTER
Michelin saw lap and race duration records broken during today’s eyetime Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich from the Red Bull Ring at Spielberg in Austria as Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team) took victory in yet another exciting MotoGP™ race.
Michelin’s range of tyres were put to impressive use today as all six versions of the MICHELIN Power Slicks lined-up in different configurations on the 23 bikes that started the race. Pole-setter Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda) chose a medium front and hard rear compound pairing, but as the lights changed to signal the start of the 28-lap race, Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) got the holeshot on his machine fitted with medium front and rear slicks and led into the first corner. This pair were joined in close contention by Lorenzo, who had chosen to go with the soft front and rear selection and he led the field home at the end of lap-one. Marquez soon took over at the front and set about trying to build a lead, as the Ducati pair battled for positions behind him. The reigning champion was soon drawn into combat with his two closest competitors and as the race wore on it became a two-rider contest between himself and Lorenzo. The pair swapped places as the race drew to a close with some exciting and outrageous overtaking manoeuvres, as they used their respective Michelin tyres to the peak of their performance and the rubber gave them all they needed to produce a spectacular race. The pair were neck-and-neck on the last lap, but Lorenzo found the extra drive and took victory, setting a new race-duration record in the process, taking over two-and-a-half seconds off the previous best. Dovizioso took third and the consolation of setting a new lap-record, as he produced the best time on the eighth circulation.
Today’s race was held in bright sunshine and track temperatures reached the highest point of the event, as the 45°C that was recorded was 10 degrees higher than any other time this weekend., Michelin and the whole field also had to cope with torrential downpours on Friday afternoon, meaning the MICHELIN Power Rain tyres were required and these produced impressive grip in the difficult conditions, giving the riders total confidence which was shown by quick lap-times and no crashes on the very wet track.
A large Austrian crowd of 92,955 also witnessed battles throughout the field, with the exception of Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda) who rode quite a lonely race to take fourth and the honour of First Independent Rider. His paring of a hard front and medium rear meant that all six compounds were fitted in various ways to the first four bikes to cross the line, again endorsing Michelin’s ethos to supply tyres for all riders and manufacturers. Behind him was Danilo Petrucci (Alma Pramac Ducati), with a hard-charging – he came from 14th on the grid – Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) in sixth. Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda) took seventh, just ahead of Alex Rins (Team SUZUKI ECSTAR) in eighth. Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) was ninth, narrowly edging out Alvaro Bautista (Angel Nieto Team) by less than one-tenth-of-a-second as the Spaniard closed out the top-ten. Today’s result sees Marquez strengthen his championship lead, with Rossi in second and Lorenzo now moving up to third.
Michelin will now move on to Silverstone in England for the British Grand Prix which is scheduled for Sunday 26th August, where the newly surfaced track will present another challenge that Michelin is more than prepared to face.
Jorge Lorenzo – Ducati Team:
“It was a risky decision to use the soft rear tyre as the track was much warmer, but I had a great feeling with it and I could stop the bike in a straight line under braking, so I decided to choose this tyre and to manage it in the first 10-laps. I could not manage it that much though as Marc was pushing with the hard rear tyre, but it was enough to stay one-second behind him and save energy and my Michelin tyres until the end. I was catching him lap-by-lap, but the problem was that when I overtook him he stayed there, so I knew I had to fight and I did. The front and the rear stayed good until the end and I am happy with the performance and the win.”
Piero Taramasso – Michelin Motorsport Two-Wheel Manager:
“This has been an interesting weekend and a very positive one. We had a mix of weather and track temperatures and all of our tyres worked well in every condition. In the torrential rain the full wets gave the riders confidence to push and then in the drying conditions, after the rain, the medium compound wets showed the potential of how they can perform and their durability on what finally became a dry track. All of the slicks were used in the race and as temperatures were much higher today than we had experienced all weekend, the performance from every compound was another vindication that we can supply tyres for all to use. The race produced a lap record for Andrea and a race duration record from Jorge, with Marc just missing the pole record yesterday, despite the conditions being far from perfect on Saturday. We are very pleased with what we accomplished this weekend and now we look forward to the next challenge at the resurfaced Silverstone.”
More, from a press release issued by Ducati:
Jorge Lorenzo powers to a spectacular victory at the Red Bull Ring. Andrea Dovizioso finishes third in the Austrian GP
Jorge Lorenzo scored a splendid victory in the Austrian Grand Prix, round 11 of the MotoGP World Championship, which was held today at the Red Bull Ring circuit near Zeltweg in Styria. The rider from Mallorca, who started from the front row of the grid following yesterday’s third place in qualifying, opted to begin the race with ‘soft’ tyres both front and rear, and after leading over the line at the end of the opening lap, he was then passed by Marquez, whom he followed until lap 18 together with Dovizioso. After taking back the lead of the race on the next lap, Jorge battled it out with the Honda rider until the end, crossing the line with an advantage of just 130 thousandths of a second. Thanks to today’s win, Jorge Lorenzo moves into third place in the Riders’ standings with 130 points, followed by his team-mate Dovizioso (129 points). Ducati also took its third successive win at the Red Bull Ring since MotoGP returned to the Austrian circuit (2016 Iannone, 2017 Dovizioso and 2018 Lorenzo).
It was a good race for Andrea Dovizioso, who took the chequered flag in third place. The Ducati Team’s rider from Romagna, who yesterday qualified second on the front row of the grid, chose both ‘medium’ front and rear tyres for the race. Dovi remained in the leading group for 18 laps but, after making a small mistake at Turn 1, he had to slow his pace slightly to finish the Austrian GP in third place, 1.656s away from his team-mate. Thanks to this third place today, Dovizioso is the second rider in Ducati’s MotoGP history with the most podiums (24), behind Casey Stoner.
The next round of the championship will be the British Grand Prix, scheduled for the Silverstone circuit from 24th to 26th August.
Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team #99) – 1st
“It was an incredible race, maybe one of the best of my career, quite simply spectacular! Winning with Ducati on this circuit, where I had never won before, after a close quarters battle with Marquez, has a really special taste. Before the race I had thought about which strategy to use, and I decided to do like Brno, administering the tyre wear well and then attacking in the final part of the race, especially because I was one of the few riders who had chosen ‘soft’ tyres and my riding style allowed me to conserve them until the end. When I found myself fighting against Marquez I knew that it was going to be difficult to pass him, so I decided to improvise by making the best use of the Desmosedici GP’s acceleration and it worked perfectly. Now we’re third in the championship standings, but above all I’m proud and very pleased with the way we’re working because the feeling with the bike is better and better all the time and I believe we can fight for the win in many other races. Now let’s just enjoy this moment with all the team and I’m also very happy for them.”
Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team #04) – 3rd
“At the start of the race unfortunately I was never able to get in amongst the battle for first place, because I couldn’t pass Jorge even though at that moment I was quicker than him, but to do that I used up the rear tyre too much, it dropped off a lot ten laps from the end, and this affected my race a bit. From that point onwards, I wasn’t able to do much because I couldn’t link up the corners very well. Pity, because we were pretty good under braking, but every race has its own story and we must always try and interpret the tyres in the best possible way.”
Luigi Dall’Igna (Ducati Corse General Manager)
“I’m pleased, because both of our riders were always competitive throughout the entire weekend here at the Red Bull Ring, both in practice and in the race and in all weather conditions. Today, Jorge was truly awesome and he impressed me in many aspects. All year he’s been braking really hard and you can see that he’s improved a lot from this point of view. Pity about Andrea, who for sure could have aimed a lot higher, but a podium is in any case always an excellent result. I also want to congratulate Marquez, because he really gave us a hard time on this track, which on paper was more favourable for us. Well done to him.”
More, from a press release issued by Monster Yamaha Tech 3:
Hard fought Austrian GP delivers top 9 for Zarco and huge experience for Syahrin
The Monster Yamaha Tech3 duo performed bravely today in Spielberg for the eleventh round of the 2018 MotoGP World Championship to conquer a ninth and a 16th position. Knowing that the Austrian circuit would be a tough challenge for him and his Yamaha YZR-M1, Johann Zarco did his best to convert his second row start into a decent race result, giving his all to eventually reaching ninth in a hot and intense 28 laps clash.
Following the first lap, Hafizh Syahrin was battling hard to come back from 21st. The Malaysian rookie made up one position after another and was able to keep his strong pace from the first to the last lap, where he had a tough run to the finish line, eventually ending up in 16th place, where he missed out on the points scoring positions by just 0.271 seconds. Before the entire championship settles over to Silverstone for the British Grand Prix in 12 days’ time, Syahrin defends his lead in the incredibly close Rookie of the Year classification.
Johann Zarco
Position: 9th – Championship: 7th – Points: 104
“It has been a difficult race today. I expected to have a better pace, to be honest. I chose the soft tyre because it was the one I had the best feeling with, but it wasn’t easy. In the first corner I lost too many positions and then I was not able to catch back up, so I was struggling. I tried to do the best, but I was too slow. Even when Valentino overtook me, I thought I could find a better pace, but it was not possible. So I had to finish the race and in the end it was kind of funny. It was maybe my best moment in the race when Bautista passed me and we were catching up on Tito. On the last lap we had a great fight, overtook each other a few times. In the last corner I took advantage and finally was able to finish ninth. It’s not a great result, but not the end of the world, even on a track I like.”
Hafizh Syahrin
Position: 16th – Championship: 16th – Points: 24
“The race was really good regarding my rhythm, but I was a bit disappointed about myself because I didn’t do a good Qualifying. This track is not easy for the Yamaha machine and we missed some sessions because of the weather, so we didn’t do many kilometers on this track. As I’m here for the first time with the GP bike, I realized that the circuit looks easy on the paper, but in some corners we need some traction to have a good drive. In the race the bike was really good for me, I could do the pace like the top 10 in every lap, it’s just a shame that I was so far back. On the first lap I needed to start to pass many riders that were slower than me. The last lap was truly good, I thought I could pass Nakagami, but in the end it didn’t work out. Next race, I try to improve my Qualifying, which is very important now as we know that we can be really strong in the race. I need to work very hard and I’m looking forward to the next GP.”
Hervé PONCHARAL
Team Manager
“We knew this weekend wouldn’t be easy and in the end, it wasn’t. Johann did the best he can and I would like to thank him one more time for his never-give-up-attitude. The Qualifying was the highlight of the weekend for sixth position, first Yamaha, second row and it was quite a long time we weren’t on the second row. So, we were quite positive and hopeful of an ok result. He started average and was in a group where there were a lot of touches and they were messing with each other, so they lost contact with the leading group. Once he got his head down and found his rhythm he has been fighting all race long. In the end I think, he is not where he wants to be and not where we want him to be. We do the best we can with our package and we know it will not change and be the same until Valencia. We just try to continue the way we are doing, trying to keep positive and not have a negative attitude. I think in this tough moment is where you learn a lot. It’s not easy and it’s always so much easier to fight for top positions, but I think this will help him for his future career and clearly next year. That’s the main lesson – continue to get the best out of our package, keeping a positive attitude, believing in each other; him in the team and the team in him and maybe some circuits will be easier for us. We knew that Honda and Ducati were almost impossible to beat here, so we just need to carry on pushing. Hafizh did a really good race, not like in Czech Republic and not on the media and TV radar one more time. He had a slow start, but recovered really well, got some guys like Miller behind him, finished ahead of Franco Morbidelli and right behind Takaaki Nakagami. I think with one more lap he would have maybe been able to get one more position because he was a lot quicker than the two of them. 16th is not the best result, but he learned a lot today and I think this is what we are expecting from him. I’m proud of Hafizh and on what he did today because the whole race was truly competitive, fast from the start to the end and he did a good job. These two races back to back were a bit tough, now we have a few days off and then it’s time to go to Silverstone.”