FIM MotoGP World Championship
Termas de Rio Hondo, Argentina
April 8, 2018
Race Results (wet/dry conditions, all on Michelin tires):
1. Cal Crutchlow, UK (Honda), 24 laps, Total Race Time 40:36.342
2. Johann Zarco, France (Yamaha), -0.251 second
3. Alex Rins, Spain (Suzuki), -2.501 Seconds
4. Jack Miller, Australia, (Ducati), -4.390 seconds
5. Maverick Vinales, Spain (Yamaha), -14.941 seconds
6. Andrea Dovizioso, Italy (Ducati), -22.533 seconds
7. Tito Rabat, Spain (Ducati), -23.026 seconds
8. Andrea Iannone, Italy (Suzuki), -23.921 seconds
9. Hafizh Syahrin, Malaysia (Yamaha), -24.311 seconds
10. Danilo Petrucci, Italy (Ducati), -26.003 seconds
11. Pol Espargaro, Spain (KTM), -31.022 seconds
12. Scott Redding, UK (Aprilia), -31.891 seconds
13. Takaaki Nakagami, Japan (Honda), -32.452 seconds
14. Franco Morbidelli, Italy (Honda), -42.061 seconds
15. Jorge Loreanzo, Spain (Ducati), -42.274 seconds
16. Alvaro Bautista, Spain, Ducati, -42.625 seconds
17. Tom Luthi, Switzerland (Honda), -43.350 seconds
18. Marc Marquez, Spain (Honda), -43.860 seconds; ride through penalty; drop 1 position penalty; 30-second penalty
19. Valentino Rossi, Italy (Yamaha), -52.082 seconds, crash
20. Karel Abraham, Czech Republic (Ducati), -63.944 seconds
21. Xavier Simeon, Belgium (Ducati), -70.144 seconds
22. Bradley Smith, UK (KTM), -7 laps, DNF, crash
23. Aleix Espargaro, Spain (Aprilia), -11 laps, DNF, retired
24. Dani Pedrosa, Spain (Honda), -24 laps, DNF, crash
World Championship Point Standings (after 2 of 19 races):
1. Crutchlow, 38 points
2. Dovizioso, 35
3. Zarco, 28
4. Vinales, 21
5. Marquez, 20
6. Miller, 19
7. Petrucci, 17
8. TIE, Rossi/Rins, 16
10. Iannone, 15
11. Rabat, 14
12. TIE, Pedrosa/Syahrin, 9
14. Morbidelli, 6
15. Pol Espargaro, 5
16. Redding, 4
17. TIE, Bautista/Nakagami, 3
19. TIE, Abramah/Lorenzo, 1
21. TIE, Luthi/Smith/Aleix Espargaro/Simeon, 0
More, from a press release issued by Monster Yamaha Tech 3:
Supreme Zarco snatches first podium in 2018 – Syahrin powers to remarkable ninth in Argentina
Both Monster Yamaha Tech3 riders delivered an incredible performance on race day at the Termas de Río Hondo Circuit, taking home phenomenal results.
Johann Zarco came off the line well to fight inside the leading group from the beginning in one of the most exciting races ever. The French star got the very best out of himself to storm to second position, earning the honors of a first podium in 2018 as the top Yamaha rider.
On the other side of the Monster Yamaha Tech3 garage Hafizh Syahrin performed in an outstanding way. The MotoGP rookie made up eight places in just his first lap and was threaded his way through the field of the much more experienced competitors to eventually see the chequered flag as the best rookie in ninth.
Johann Zarco
Position: 2nd – Championship: 3rd – Points: 28
“It was a pretty difficult race, overall when we had to choose and then the delayed start was quite good for all the riders. Just Jack (Miller) chose the slick from the beginning. From the start there were not so many options for the best line, but behind Dani (Pedrosa) I felt I was stuck, so finally I did the maneuver, tried to overtake him. Because of the conditions I went a little bit wide, but that was the way to pass him. I’m sorry that he crashed there. Overall it was a very difficult race today, I was almost crashing. I did my maximum from the start to the end. In fighting with Cal (Crutchlow), I didn’t want to do a mistake, so in the end, he deserved this win today. I’m really happy, that I was able to catch this second place!”
Hafizh Syahrin
Position: 9th – Championship: 13th – Points: 9
“I’m so happy about the result today! I pushed really hard all the weekend, the team did a very good job. I felt truly strong this weekend, we only struggled in qualifying, because I didn’t find good grip to stop the bike in a decent way. For the race I was fully motivated, I pushed and when I saw that I was in P15 after the first lap, I was surprised. My pace was really strong and I was able to follow the Factory Yamaha quite easily, but it was difficult to pass the Ducati, because it’s very fast on the straight. I tried it many times, but it was not possible. In the end P9 is a really amazing result for me, I have a fantastic feeling with the team and want to pass my congratulations to Johann for his podium. We are very happy and leave Argentina with a great result. I hope I can do also a good race in Austin and will continue to work hard on myself.”
Hervé PONCHARAL
Team Manager
“This was an incredible weekend! It was very tense tough and very difficult to cope with the crazy weather we had here. I think everybody was worried, start delayed, will it rain or not, it was difficult, but to finish a weekend like this in that way, is just unbelievable. The tension was so high. Johann did again an astonishing race, full of speed, but also full of wisdom. He is showing race by race, that he is mastering his emotions, that he is studying his rivals and he did the perfect race, almost perfect, because completely perfect it’s just, when you are winning. I’m very proud of Johann and of the whole crew. Thanks to Yamaha for that great bike they are giving us. Today we almost got that elusive win, we are chasing, but fair play; I think Cal was a little bit stronger. Congrats to him. I can’t stop here without saying huge congratulations to Hafizh Syahrin, who did an exceptional weekend without any mistake. He was just a bit too nervous for the qualifying, so he could not show what he was expecting. But starting from almost last to finish the race in ninth position, fighting with all the factory guys, I think this is something that is going to boost his confidence. I’m very proud of him and I’m very proud to have selected him for the season, because he is showing, that when you have the right attitude coming from this fantastic Moto2 class, you can have a lot of dreams.”
More, from a press release issued by Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS:
Morbidelli in the points in Argentina
A second consecutive points scoring finish came the way of Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS rider Franco Morbidelli in today’s Grand Prix of Argentina.
MotoGP rookie Morbidelli finished 14th at the Termas de Rio Hondo Circuit to back up his 12th place in the opening race in Qatar.
It was a sterling performance after a poor qualifying which saw Morbidelli starting from 22nd position.
There was a confusing delay to the race due to safety concerns as many teams left the grid to switch from wet weather tyres to slicks to account for the quickly drying track conditions.
While the narrow racing line made overtaking difficult Morbidelli rode a controlled and calm race to finish just 0.2s ahead of Ducati rival Jorge Lorenzo.
Lüthi’s bid for a points scoring finish came up just short with the Swiss rider finishing 17th, but just four tenths of second behind Lorenzo.
Franco Morbidelli: 14th
“We gambled a little with the tyre choice but our team made the right decision and did the correct thing but we were not rewarded because they delayed the start. I was careful in the opening laps but gradually recovered some positions and I’m happy for these two points considering the problems that we’ve had here.”
Tom Lüthi: 17th
“I learnt a lot this weekend with the crazy weather and track conditions. I am hoping for bigger steps to improve but at the end of the race I was too much on the limit and fighting with the bike, I had some slides on the wet part of the track. I had a nice fight with Franco to try and get in the points but, unfortunately, I just missed out.”
Michael Bartholemy: Team Principal
“It was very strange and stressful race given the situation on the grid with a penalty for those teams who changed tyres. We did the correct thing to come to pit lane and change tyres before the start but then got the same grid penalty as the others. The race was very difficult but again it was impressive for Franco to score points and Tom learnt a lot in his battle with Franco at the end. We need to carry this momentum to the next race in Texas.”
More, from a press release issued by Aprilia Gresini Racing:
SCOTT REDDING EARNS HIS FIRST CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS WITH APRILIA
ALEIX ESPARGARÓ FORCED TO RETIRE DUE TO A PROBLEM WITH AN ELECTRICAL COMPONENT
The expectations that Aleix Espargaró had built with a great Saturday qualifying were not met due to a problem with a simple electrical component that began right from the start and which, after compromising his performance, forced Aleix to throw in the towel. The disappointment remains for a race in which Aleix entered as a protagonist after his great qualifiers yesterday, but also with the awareness that the potential demonstrated throughout the weekend, he is ready to bring home results on Sunday as well.
Scott Redding finished twelfth, thereby bringing home his first championship points with Aprilia. But his race – in any case positive – was conditioned by a backache that tormented him the whole weekend. For him as well, the Argentinian round represents a good base from which to pick up for the upcoming races, given the clear progress compared to his début race.
ALEIX ESPARGARO’
“To be honest, I felt very good today. But from the start, the bike responded strangely to the throttle when I accelerated from low speed. For everything else, the feeling was excellent, so much that for the first time in my career, I was able to handle the wet patches without any problems. Then things got worse with the collisions with Marquez and Petrucci who, quite frankly, took some avoidable risks. I cannot be happy with two consecutive zero finishes on two occasions when I felt like I could have battled for important positions. Now I want to recharge my batteries with my family before going to Austin, where we will pick back up from the good that we saw in these last two weekends.”
SCOTT REDDING
“It was a very long race. After lining up on the grid, there were some rather confusing moments. Fortunately, the delayed start gave everyone a chance to gain a better understanding of the situation. Today it was basically about interpreting the track conditions straight away and I must say that things worked quite well. I lost ground on the longest straight, whereas on the rest of the track I managed to stay close to my rivals. I am happy with the final result, both because I rediscovered the feeling after Qatar and for the guys on the team who really had to work under pressure today. Riding along with the other riders for the entire race distance also gave me a chance to better understand where the RS-GP and I need to improve and that will help us in the upcoming races.”
ROMANO ALBESIANO – APRILIA RACING MANAGER
“A difficult weekend but one in which we demonstrated our speed with both riders, referring to the good qualifiers on Saturday where we brought home some good results that could have been even better. In the race, we had an electrical problem with Aleix’s bike and Scott did his job, considering the physical conditions in which he raced due to a devastating backache. A bit of luck will come.”
FAUSTO GRESINI – TEAM MANAGER
“If I look at the entire weekend, I see a Saturday where we did very well. We won Q1 and we were also protagonists in the final qualifying session. Scott’s race is certainly positive. He earned points racing with a bad backache. Aleix did very well in practice and in the race he was also in a position to bring home a good result. Unfortunately, it went the way it did and we just need to focus immediately on the next race.”
More, from a press release issued by Angel Nieto Team:
BAUTISTA MISSES THE POINTS AFTER CHAOS IN ARGENTINA
Ángel Nieto Team leave round two with Bautista 16th and Abraham 20th in the championship
Argentina was the stage for another unforgettable MotoGP race, full of incident and virtually impossible to sum up: from the start, when the majority of riders headed back from the grid to pit lane to switch from wet to dry tyres, to the end when Marc Márquez collided with Valentino Rossi in a moment of drama that saw the Italian crash out and the Spaniard sanctioned with a penalty that left him out of the points. Jack Miller was the only rider to stay on the grid on slick tyres and he made his early advantage count with a strong race at the front, only missing out on the podium after a mistake in the latter stages. Victory for Cal Crutchlow, ahead of Johann Zarco and Álex Rins, means he heads to the next round in Texas as the championship leader.
The Ángel Nieto Team were unable to salvage points from the chaos in Argentina, with Álvaro Bautista coming back from some early grip problems to come through in the second half of the race with lap times similar to the front group, although by then he was too far back. Karel Abraham started well from thirteenth on the grid but lost time in the first corner after making contact with other riders and then dropped further back after suffering a brake problem.
16th Álvaro Bautista: “It was a race of two halves. In the first part the track still had some damp sections and I was struggling to get the tyres up to temperature so I lost some time. Halfway through the race I was passed by Jorge Lorenzo and decided to push to follow him, taking some risks even though I couldn’t feel the tyres. This suddenly gave them a bit more heat and I felt better. Three or four degrees make a big difference to the grip and from that point I was able to set a good pace.”
20th Karel Abraham: “It was a very bad race for me today. The start was not bad but I had some contact with some riders, and then I settled down. After I was coming into the last corner and I hit the brake and there was no brake at all. So it was a tricky situation because I was going quite fast of course and I didn’t know what to do. Luckily by using the rear brake and pumping the front brake I managed to slow down the bike enough so that when I went into the gravel I could stop. But I lost a lot there and then I had a couple of red messages from the bike, which made me concerned, so we need to have a look at the bike and see what the problem was. Anyway, it’s not a good result and we have to work really hard to make things a lot better than today.”
More, from a press release issued by LCR Honda Idemitsu:
NAKAGAMI IN THE POINTS IN ARGENTINA
LCR Honda IDEMITSU rider Takaaki Nakagami claimed his first points in the MotoGP class as he finished 13th in Sunday’s Argentina Grand Prix. Having started from last place on the grid, it was fine result for the Japanese rookie who has made an encouraging start to life in the premier category having now finished both of the opening two races of the new season.
Nakagami handled the difficult conditions at the Autodromo Termas de Rio Hondo well with rain and a delayed start complicating matters for the riders. He found good rhythm in the second half of the race and eventually claimed three points as he finished two places ahead of former world champion Jorge Lorenzo.
Takaaki Nakagami– 13th
“I’m really happy for the team to see Cal’s victory today. Also for myself, I’m really happy to take my first points in MotoGP and finish in 13th place in a difficult race. There were some delays and rain which made it difficult to concentrate and the race was really long.
“But like in Qatar, our pace from the middle of the race to the end was quite good and I learnt a lot of new things again. Thanks to the team; yesterday was a bit disappointing, but to go from last position to take my first points today I’m really happy. Now I’m looking forward to the next race in Texas and trying to make another step forward.”
More, from a press release issued by Alma Pramac Racing:
#ArgentinaGP. Crazy Sunday: Jack (4th) leads the race for 18 laps. Petrux from P18 to Top 10
The photo of Jack Miller alone on the first slot of the grid with the Ducati Desmosedici GP of Alma Pramac Racing, will remain in the history of MotoGP. After surprising everyone on Saturday, going out in qualifying with the slick tyre and taking a resounding pole position, Jack and his team once again choose the right strategy by taking sides on the grid with slicks tyres despite a few drops of rain that began to fall half an hour before the race. As soon as the grid is complete, the rain stops falling leaving the circuit dry. All the other riders return to their pits to put slick tyres and for safety reasons the Race Direction delays the start moving the grid back according to regulations.
Jack started with three rows of advantage and held the first position for two laps then had to surrender to the attack of Marquez. Race Direction inflicts a ride through to the Spanish rider for “riding opposit direction during race start procedure”. Miller led the race for 14 laps and this effort allowed Crutchlow, Zarco and Rins to catch the leader. Between lap 16 and lap 17, Jack battled with the Spaniard defending the first position. Six laps from the end, however, the Australian rider made a mistake by going wide at turn 1. Jack tries to recover and fight for the podium but there’s no time left. His extraordinary race ended with a superb P4 at the end of a weekend that will be remembered for a long time.
Danilo Petrucci also took part in a good race. Starting from P18 the Italian rider is 14th after the first lap. On lap 10 he attacks Redding for the 10th position. Petrux managed to climb back to P9 (which would have been 8th place for the penalty given to Marquez after the clash with Valentino Rossi) but a clash with Syahrin made him lose 2 positions. For Danilo, however, a great comeback and a precious Top 10 after a difficult weekend.
P10 – Danilo Petrucci
“All in all, this Top 10 is a good result at the end of a weekend that was very difficult for us. After the difficulties of practices and quali we managed to have a competitive bike. In the end I could also take Rabat and Dovi but on the last lap Sharin touched me and I lost time. It was a pity because I could have done a better result. I return home however with a positive mood. I can’t wait to be in the US”.
P4 – Jack Miller
“I have to admit that I am a bit disappointed because I wasn’t able to fight for the podium after leading the race for a long time. I made a mistake that cost me a lot. But to be honest I’m very happy for this weekend and we’ve done an incredible job with the team. The decision of Race Direction on the grid? I think they had to make a difficult decision in a moment of great stress”.
More, from a press release issued by Reale Avintia Racing:
Seventh place for Tito Rabat in a crazy Grand Prix of Argentina
MotoGP GP of Argentina – Termas de Río Hondo
Reale Avintia Racing rider Tito Rabat celebrated his best ever MotoGP result today in Argentina since his debut in the premier class back in 2015. Rabat finished seventh in the race following a great ride in free and qualifying practice that made him start from the fourth place of the grid. Once again, the weather disrupted the action and the start had to be delayed after a big confusion on the grid. But all this didn’t affect Tito, who always stayed focused. He managed to stay on two wheels in a very difficult race riding on slick tyres on a track with many wet patches.
Xavier Simeon, who was the best rookie in qualifying, was disappointed after the race. The Belgian rider of Reale Avintia Racing had a good start and was fighting in a big group for world championship points. But he made a mistake after some laps and lost all his chances. Nevertheless, the weekend was positive for him. He learned a lot and he wants to continue in the same line at the next race in Texas.
Tito Rabat | P7
“It was a great weekend and I’m extremely happy with the work of my team and the performance of my Ducati. We did a superb job, third on Friday in dry conditions, fourth in qualifying yesterday and today I scored my best result in MotoGP in a very tricky race. Just to finish the race was a success in itself, but being so close to the front was fantastic. It was great to be able to ride in the front group as I saw and learned many things. I’m very happy, but this is only the start. We have to continue to work in the same way and keep improving in the next races.”
Xavier Simeon | P21
“I’m disappointed with the race. I made a mistake after five or six laps on the back straight and I lost contact with the group that was fighting for the points. I felt comfortable even though I was struggling with some grip issues getting the bike into the turns and under acceleration. But I braked very hard and with the carbon brakes I did a stoppie and I had to go long to avoid crashing. From then my race was finished. But overall I’m happy with this weekend. Yesterday I was the best rookie in qualifying, but today I expected more from the race. We learnt a lesson and now we have to analyse what happened and work harder for the next race.”
More, from a press release issued by Red Bull KTM:
ENCOURAGING 11TH PLACE FOR RED BULL KTM’S POL ESPARGARO IN FRENETIC ARGENTINE MOTOGP
RACE 2nd Rd. MotoGP 2018 – Termas de Río Hondo (ARG)
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team emerged from Argentina and the second round of nineteen in 2018 MotoGP with Pol Espargaro grabbing a well-earned 11th place finish in what was another thrilling episode in the young Grand Prix campaign. Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Miguel Oliveira finished 3rd in Moto2 and Marco Bezzecchi won the first race for KTM in Moto3.
MotoGP
Two days of practice and qualification with a variable climate and degrees of grip of the flat and twisty Termas de Rio Hondo racetrack also marked an astounding Gran Premio de la Republica Argentina today. Despite the upheaval of a race that was initially declared ‘Wet’ but then delayed with almost the entire grid opting for a dry tyre set-up as the Argentine tarmac dried, Pol Espargaro kept his nerve and battled from the lower reaches of the top twenty to finally reach a decent 11th position on his KTM RC16 and bag five points for the factory crew.
Through the 25 laps of the second MotoGP dash of the season the Spaniard fought from an initial slot of sixteenth to capture his best classification of 2018 yet. Bradley Smith set off from the seventh row of the grid and was poised in the higher echelon of the leaderboard. The Brit was as high as ninth but then faded back to seventeenth after some contact with other riders (on what was a tricky layout for overtaking) and he crashed at Turn 1 seven circulations from the flag.
Pol Espargaro: “You always want more but overall after the crazy situation with the rain and the delayed start procedure – and to finish eleventh is still not our wish or place – but I think we did OK. At the moment when grip is low we struggle a bit more than the rest so it hasn’t been an easy weekend in the dry. I think 11th is not a bad result but we want more and we need to improve our bike to be where we want to be and we have a long way to go. But we will work hard and now look to Austin.”
Bradley Smih: “It was a shame. It was an exciting start to the race and I think I made up twelve positions in the first laps. I was fully committed in the patchy conditions. Unfortunately I had a few situations where riders hit me and I lost a lot of ground. I tried to get my head down and start to come forwards, and my lap-times were coming down but I got too greedy in the first corner and went off-line. I lost the front. It was a frustrating way to end the race but there are a lot of positives from this weekend. I found a good feeling with the bike from FP1 and the performance was there in the race so I need to keep doing the same things and fingers crossed in Austin things will turn out well.”
Mike Leitner (Team Manager MotoGP): “We see how difficult it was for us to miss Pol in pre-season testing. We had to come out of the ‘hole’ we found ourselves in, especially after Losail, and we did it. A big thanks to every single person who never gave up around us, and this result shows that the race is on Sunday and it is the last laps that really count. You can have some dark moments and ups-and-downs in the sessions through a weekend but you have to keep the belief because the points can come.”
More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki ECSTAR:
ALEX RINS TAKES HIS FIRST MotoGP PODIUM
Alex Rins: 3rd (+ 2.501)
Andrea Iannone: 8th (+ 23.921)
The GP of Argentina had plenty to offer, even before the lights went out; a delayed start due safety concerns as weather conditions changed and many riders wished to switch tyres, meant tensions were running high. However, this did not impact on the focus of Alex Rins and Andrea Iannone and the pair made good starts from their newly formed grid positions.
Alex Rins was able to slot into 5th place in the opening moments of the Grand Prix, and as he was settling into his race rhythm he gained and lost some positions as the battle was getting fierce. Alex stayed with the small lead group and attempted to take to the front several times before briefly making it stick with 9 laps to go, spectacularly smoking his rear tyre as he did so. With mixed track conditions and drama happening all around him, the 22 year old kept his concentration and rhythm and entered the last lap in 3rd place, a position which he brilliantly held until the chequered flag. This marks his best ever result in MotoGP.
Andrea Iannone was able to make good progress on the opening few laps, passing Smith and Rossi to take 8th place. As the race wore on the Italian lost some ground, but was able to regain positions as others faltered around him. At the end of the race he was able to finish within the Top 10 – a valuable 8th place, and gaining decent points. This was especially important after Andrea struggled with settings during the wet weekend and could not qualify as high as he’d hoped.
Ken Kawauchi – Technical Manager
“It was a good race and a good fight. We could see how Alex has grown and improved, and I’m very happy. Unfortunately Andrea, due to the bad qualifying position, couldn’t show his best performance, but he still finished in the Top 10. This race has been very good for the team, and we will continue to grow with Alex and Andrea and keep pushing for even higher positions.”
Davide Brivio – Team Manager
“Of course this was a very nice race, the first podium for Alex – we have been expecting that. I’m very happy, not only for the podium, but also because Alex was very competitive and fighting at the front for the whole race and trying to win. Despite difficult conditions; the track had damp patches and it was hard to keep the right line, he managed very well today and during the whole weekend. So we took a difficult weekend and managed to make a brilliant podium from it. I think, and I hope, that we can have more days like today. We were competitive in Qatar and also here, so let’s try to keep this trend. I’m sorry for Andrea as he couldn’t push very hard during the race, and now we have to understand how we can improve his feeling and how we can work to bring him closer to the top.”
Alex Rins
“I’m very satisfied with this race, because it wasn’t easy and before the start I was nervous due to the delay and everything. But finally, when we started, I was feeling really good from the beginning. When I was behind Miller I was thinking ‘OK, maybe I need to overtake him and go’, because my feeling was perfect. But when I was leading I made a small mistake – the track was very difficult with the damp patches, especially off the racing line. Myself, my team, and everyone in Japan has worked really hard to have a competitive bike, and we’ve done it! Texas is one of my favourite tracks, despite the fact that last year I had a fast crash and broke my arm. This year we arrive with strong mentality, more experience, and a great bike.”
Andrea Iannone
“I was one of the first riders to decide to switch bikes after the first warm-up lap, but unfortunately everybody copied me! I’m joking, but the truth is that in just a few minutes the asphalt and conditions changed a lot. In any case, I didn’t have a good grid position and that disappointed me because I had really good pace during the race when I was closing the gaps to the other riders. But in the end, often when I tried to overtake I made a few mistakes and I think that has been the most difficult thing for me. But I’m really happy for Suzuki and Alex for this podium. And my own result has also been quite good. Me and my team are working well and it’s possible to get to the top. We’ll try our best in Austin!”
More, from a press release issued by Dorna:
Crutchlow on top as the title fight explodes in Argentina
Independent Team rider back on the top step after a stunner, with huge drama for Marquez and Rossi
Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) has taken an impressive third Grand Prix victory in the Gran Premio Motul de la Republica Argentina, besting Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) and Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) on the final lap to earn the honour of winning the 750th GP race for Honda. But the headlines must be shared, with drama for Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) as the reigning Champion accrued a number of penalties and clashed with Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP), with the fuse on the title fight now lit up and on full power.
There was drama even before lights out at Termas de Rio Hondo, with the conditions hard to judge and the race delayed as the majority of the grid went back into pitlane to switch tyres. That left Alma Pramac Racing’s Jack Miller alone on pole after the Australian didn’t need to switch, and the grid lining up a few rows back in order to not all start from pitlane.
As the field came back round to line up for attempt number two at lights out, however, that wasn’t even the bigger headline – with reigning Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) stalling on the grid and not in his position. The number 93 was then able to get the bike going and took his position, but had been told to instead start from pitlane…
With that unanswered question hanging in the air, the lights went out and Miller took off from his lonely pole position to get the lead. Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team) took second, with Zarco initially in third before Marquez struck as the Frenchman had a moment. From there, the rider from Cervera picked his way forward to behind Miller – as Zarco clipped Pedrosa and the number 26 found himself on a wet part of the track, race ending early as he crashed out.
Sure enough, however, Marquez’ pitboard showed the words ‘Ride Through Penalty’ and the next bolt of drama hit the race.
With the remaining Repsol Honda bike heading in, Miller was in the lead and being hunted down by a group of three: Zarco, Rins and Crutchlow, and they were soon on the scene.
But Marquez, when back out on track, was lighting up the timesheets immediately – before an incident saw him get too close to Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) and the reigning Champion was told to lose one position. That done and the bit then back between his teeth, it was game on for the number 93 to salvage as much as he could – which, by laptimes, seemed it may be an awesome recovery.
Back at the front, Rins led briefly before an error, and Miller then suffered his own – with Crutchlow able to move through to lead from Zarco and the three able to pull away from Miller.
The drama was far from done, however. On the fight back, Marquez had picked off Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) and honed in on the Movistar Yamaha MotoGP duo of first Valentino Rossi and next up Maverick Viñales, until the number 93 made a lunge up the inside of the ‘Doctor’ – and misjudged it.
Both running wide and forced to sit up, Marquez was able to stay ahead – but the number 46 went down as he clipped the grass. Able to get back in the race and restarted, Rossi was left far down the order as the incident lit the fuse on the race and the rivalry once again.
The fight at the front, meanwhile, became three by the last lap, with Crutchlow and Zarco able to just pull away from Rins to duel it out over the final sector – and the Brit keeping ahead to take a stunning third Grand Prix victory. Zarco took second for another impressive visit to the rostrum, with Alex Rins visiting that podium for the first time in the premier class in third, pulling a big wheelie over the line.
Miller took fourth after not quite being able to make up the ground to the front, ahead of Marquez on track – but not in the results. As the flag fell, another penalty for the number 93 came up – a ride through, or 30 seconds added to his race time.
That means Marquez finishes 18th, and takes no points home from Argentina.
Viñales therefore takes fifth, ahead of Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) and an impressive ride for Tito Rabat (Reale Avintia Racing). Andrea Iannone (Team Suzuki Ecstar) came home eighth, with Hafizh Syahrin pulling a stunning to take ninth and top rookie for Monster Yamaha Tech 3. Danilo Petrucci (Alma Pramac Racing) completed the top ten, just ahead of KTM’s best result yet in 2018 in P11 as Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory) took solid points.
The Championship fuse is lit, rivalries are heating up and Crutchlow heads to Texas as the points leader for the first time ever – the first British leader since the 1970s and an Independent Team rider to boot.
Marquez, meanwhile, faces a mountain to fight back – with his first zero of the year marked in the dramatic and extraordinary Argentina GP. Texan turf awaits the king of COTA on Sunday 22nd April.
Like a fine wine: Pasini takes epic Moto2™ win
Veteran holds off Vierge and Oliveira in a brilliant battle
Mattia Pasini (Italtrans Racing Team) marked his 100th intermediate class start with a fantastic victory at the Gran Premio Motul de la Republica Argentina, with the Italian picking up his second Moto2™ win and taking the lead in the World Championship.
Xavi Vierge (Dynavolt Intact GP) converted pole position into his first dry race podium, bridging the gap to the front group in the middle part of the race to battle his way to second. After starting sixth, Red Bull KTM Ajo rider Miguel Oliveira fought his way through to the leading group on the opening lap and he came home third, with both pushing to the limit in the final corner.
Just behind, Pons HP 40 rider Lorenzo Baldassarri couldn’t quite repeat his Qatar podium or stay with the leaders by the line, eventually finishing 3.764 seconds back off the rostrum in fourth. EG 0,0 Marc VDS rider Alex Marquez’s chances of a podium were diminished as he ran wide at turn five on lap 20 while battling with Baldassarri – the Spaniard settling for fifth on his 100th GP start .
Remy Gardner (Tech 3 Racing) superbly picked up his best ever Moto2™ finish, crossing the line in a jubilant sixth to round off a very good weekend for the Australian. Reigning Moto3™ World Champion Joan Mir (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) impressed again in seventh, keeping Kiefer Racing’s Dominique Aegerter behind him by 0.081 seconds – but it was nevertheless a solid ride from the Swiss rider on his second ride with the KTM.
Qatar race winner Francesco Bagnaia (SKY Racing Team VR46) recovered from 15th on the grid, however he could only manage ninth to leave him six points adrift in the Championship. Dynavolt Intact GP’s Marcel Schrö tter claimed tenth, which means the team now sit top of the Teams Championship after two rounds.
It wasn’t the day Brits Danny Kent (MB Conveyors – Speed Up Racing) and Sam Lowes (Swiss Innovative Investors) would have hoped for. Kent – after starting third – didn’t get off the line well and ended P12. Lowes – who was in touch with the leading group in the opening laps – had a tougher latter half of the race and came home 13th .
Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) wasn’t able to finish after he suffered a scary looking crash, hitting the back of Jorge Navarro’s (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) bike on the run down to Turn 13 on lap two. Both riders ok, with Navarro retiring on lap six with a bent exhaust.
The Moto2™ riders now head to the Circuit of The Americas, with the Championship looking like it will be a titanic battle this season.
Bezzecchi hedges his bets for flawless maiden Moto3™ win
Italian storms to victory ahead of Canet and Di Giannantonio as Martin gambles on slicks
Marco Bezzecchi (Redox PruestelGP) took his maiden Moto3™ victory with a magnificent ride on a drying track at the Gran Premio Motul de la Republica Argentina, pushing from the start and able to pull away for a 6.8 second lead after ten laps. Pole position man Tony Arbolino (Marinelli Snipers Team) opted to start the race on the slick tyres, while Championship leader Jorge Martin (Del Conca Gresini Moto3) pulled in at the end of the warm up lap to make the same gamble.
Aron Canet (Estrella Galicia 0,0) battled hard to take a valuable 20 points and the lead in the Championship as he took second , with Del Conca Gresini Moto3™ rider Fabio Di Giannantonio finishing 0.274 back in third. Enea Bastianini (Leopard Racing) threatened late in the race to take his first podium of the season, but a mistake on the last lap ended his chances and he finished a solid fourth.
A gap of 3.294 then separated the Italian to Adam Norrodin (Petronal Sprinta Racing) who claimed his career best finish in fifth, with sixth-placed Estrella Galicia 0,0 man Alonso Lopez also grabbing his career best result. Lopez led Lorenzo Dalla Porta (Leopard Racing) in seventh and Nic colo Antonelli (SIC58 Squadra Corse) in eighth.
Home hero Gabriel Rodrigo (RBA BOE Skull Rider) managed to get a top ten finish at his home Grand Prix, dropping back from the leading group late in the race but taking ninth.
Then came the pole man Arbolino, who carved his way through to tenth after opting for slicks at the start of the race. He led fellow slick gambler Martin over the line by 1.074 seconds, with the race winner in Qatar taking P11. The risk didn’t quite pay off with a reward, but the two men took solid points.
There were a number of crashers, including Darryn Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) as he got clipped by another rider, and Jaume Masia (Bester Capital Dubai), who tagged the back of Di Giannantonio at Turn 5, crashing out of fourth on the penultimate lap in some late heartbreak for the rookie.
The lightweight class will next be back on track in the Lone Star State as engines fire up again in Austin from Friday 20th April.
More, from a press release issued by Movistar Yamaha:
FIFTH PLACE FOR VIÑALES AFTER DRAMA-FILLED ARGENTINA GRAND PRIX
Emotions ran high at today’s Gran Premio de la República Argentina. Movistar Yamaha MotoGP’s Maverick Viñales rode a strong race, from further down the rider field than originally planned, due to the re-arranged grid after a delayed race start. He went on to finish in fifth place. Valentino Rossi was in close pursuit of his teammate for most of the race, but ultimately crossed the line in 19th place, after a crash provoked by Marc Marquez.
Termas de Rio Hondo (Argentina), 8th April 2018
Movistar Yamaha MotoGP’s Maverick Viñales showed a strong race pace today at the Gran Premio de la República Argentina and took fifth place in the final results. Valentino Rossi was shadowing his teammate for most of the race but saw his crucial championship points go up in smoke when he crashed, due to an incident involving Marc Marquez. The Italian was able to re-join the action and finished in 19th place.
The tension was palpable during the starting procedure. Spots of rain fell on the Termas de Río Hondo Circuit just 15 minutes before the start of the race, causing chaos on the grid. Though the race was declared wet, a dry line formed rapidly, which resulted in all riders but pole man Jack Miller heading back to pit lane to switch to slicks, leading to a delayed start due to safety conditions.
At 15:15 local track time (GMT-3), the Movistar Yamaha MotoGP riders headed back out for a quick re-start procedure. Apart from pole-sitter Miller, who was already on slicks during the first starting procedure, the entire rider field was moved to the back of the grid by Race Direction (maintaining the qualifying order), leaving a four-row gap. Despite new spots of rain the teammates opted to begin the race, which was shortened from 25 to 24 laps, on slick tyres.
Once the field got underway, Viñales slotted into 12th place in the first corner. He needed some time to get a feel for the conditions and he dropped back a place, but soon muscled his way through the pack, taking teammate Rossi with him. With 10 laps to go, he overtook Andrea Dovizioso for fifth place and then focused on decreasing an over 13s-gap to the front group.
With a clear track in front of him, the Spaniard put his head down. He was mainly riding in the high 1’40s, but was unable to get closer. The 23-year-old had to let Marc Marquez pass in the last sector of the final lap and crossed the line in sixth place, 14.941s from first. However, due to Race Direction giving Marquez a 30s-penalty after the chequered flag for his race incident with Rossi, Viñales regained fifth position.
Rossi was quick to work his way up to eighth in the rankings. He aimed to close a 2s-gap to the group of riders in front of him, but got into a scrap with Andrea Iannone and had to delay his charge.
The Doctor was soon joined by Viñales, who he followed past Iannone and Hafizh Syahrin to eighth place. Together the teammates rode their bikes to the front of the second group and attempted to reel in the leading pack of four. Rossi was in sixth place, trying to stick to the rear of the number-25 YZR-M1, but the nine-time World Champion‘s efforts were disrupted when Marquez collided with him in turn 13 on lap 20, causing the Italian to go wide and crash on the slippery wet grass. Rossi was able to re-join the race, but came no further than a 19th place finish, 52.082s from the front.
Today’s race results see Viñales climb up to fourth place in the championship standings, with 21 points. Rossi dropped back to eighth place, holding a 16-point total. Yamaha remains in third place in the Constructor Championship with 36 points, while Movistar Yamaha MotoGP is now in joint second position in the Team Championship, together with the Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team, having scored 37 points each.
The Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team will be back in action in two weeks’ time at the Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas, in the United States.
MASSIMO MEREGALLI
TEAM DIRECTOR
It was a dramatic day, in the sense that a lot of things happened that were beyond the team’s and our riders’ control, but they played a crucial role in the outcome of today’s race. The re-organised starting grid was something never seen in Grand Prix racing before. Despite the confusion and the chaos of the re-start, Maverick and Valentino both kept their focus. Valentino was riding in sixth place, behind Maverick when his race was compromised by Marquez. Whilst we respect Race Direction’s decision to impose a 30s-penalty on Marquez, we feel his dangerous riding style should be further discouraged for safety reasons and for the sake of the sport. Maverick moved back up to fifth place in the race results, but a lot of damage has been done, considering that Valentino misses out on quite a chunk of championship points. It’s a disappointing end to the race weekend for him, but the entire team will pull together to make up for today’s loss at the next GP in Austin, where we hope to see fair racing only.
MAVERICK VIÑALES
I think today’s race was very important to understand many things. I think that for sure now we can only further improve. I saw many things we can improve in the rain and also in the dry, so I’m feeling quite happy and positive about that. I’m not happy about the result, I wanted to try to win. At the end of the race I had the pace to be at the front, but anyway, I saw many things that will be useful and for sure we are going to improve a lot. Especially in the rain we have to focus in another direction. Now we’re on the safe side with the tyres, we have to try and be more aggressive.
VALENTINO ROSSI
I’m OK, but this is a very bad situation. If you take what happened this weekend as an example, one incident can happen to anybody, you can make a mistake in braking, you can touch the other guy. It can happen, it’s racing. But from Friday morning on, Marquez did this to Viñales, to Dovizioso, to me, and on Saturday morning, and today he went straight through four riders. If you start to race like this, you raise the level to a very dangerous point. If all the riders race like this, this will become a very dangerous sport and it will finish in a bad way. It’s a very dangerous situation and I hope that what I said to Race Director Mike Webb makes them take more responsibility, they have to do something. I’m scared on the track when I’m with Marquez. I was scared today when I saw his name on the board. I’m not Race Direction – they will decide – but like this he is destroying our sport, because when you do 300 km an hour on the track, you have to have respect for your rivals.
More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:
Andrea Dovizioso finishes sixth in the Argentina GP at the Termas de Rio Hondo circuit, with Jorge Lorenzo fifteenth
The Argentina GP got off to a difficult start today as changeable weather conditions at the Termas de Rio Hondo circuit forced the Race Direction to delay the start after all the riders had lined up on the grid, and the distance to cover was reduced to 24 laps as a result.
Andrea Dovizioso, who was starting from row 3, crossed the line at the end of the opening lap in seventh place, and then moved up to fifth by the mid-point. The Ducati Team’s Italian rider was then passed by the two Yamaha men and by Marquez but, thanks also to a crash involving Rossi and the Honda rider and the subsequent penalty handed out to the Spaniard, he finished his race in sixth place.
In the overall standings Dovizioso is now lying in second place on 35 points, three behind today’s race winner and provisional points leader Crutchlow.
It was a difficult race for Jorge Lorenzo, who started from row 5. The rider from Mallorca was never able to get a good feeling with these track conditions and he finished the Argentina GP down in fifteenth place.
MotoGP will next be back on track in a fortnight’s time in the United States, at the modern Circuit of the Americas facility near Austin, Texas.
Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team #04) – 6th
“It was a really difficult weekend for us, but in the end we managed to take home some good points on a day in which we weren’t quick enough to fight for the podium. I’m happy with the way I managed my race, but in certain conditions and on certain tracks we must still improve because clearly we’re not quick enough. The fact that we didn’t get many laps in the dry over the weekend didn’t help us with setting the bike up but if we look at things from another point of view, I was lucky because three riders fighting for the championship scored three zeroes for different reasons. We go back home quite calm about things, but this weekend showed us that we still have to continue to work on different aspects of our bike.”
Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team #99) – 15th
“Today’s conditions were the worst possible for me, the ones where I feel most ill-at-ease: having to ride with slicks when the track still has wet patches. In addition, starting from row 5 certainly didn’t help me much and, as I was in the middle of the group at the first curve, I had to try and avoid crashing out like last year. Afterwards I tried to make up some positions and when the track finally dried out, I began to lap with good times, something that I hadn’t done at all throughout the weekend and my feeling improved. I go away from Argentina with this little positive aspect that gives me the motivation to arrive at Austin and find the way to finally be quick.”
More, from a press release issued by Michelin:
MICHELIN SEES CRUTCHLOW TRIUMPH IN THE TERMAS THRILLER
Michelin tyres performed well today during one of the most incident-packed races in MotoGP™ history as Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda CASTROL) took victory at Termas do Rio Hondo in the Gran Premio de la República Argentina.
Crutchlow kept his nerve and used his MICHELIN Power Slicks superbly on the difficult track today and produced a stunning victory which saw him take first place in the race, the first Independent Team Rider and lift himself to the top of the riders’ championship and his LCR Honda team to the head of the Team Championship. He produced a well-timed assault at the front of the leading pack to push his Michelin tyres on to success and score his third MotoGP victory, a result which also meant he became the first British rider to head the World Championship since another Michelin great, Barry Sheene led the standing in 1979. The result also saw Honda take its 750th Grand Prix victory, with many of those achieved on Michelin tyres.
Today’s winner started from 10th on the grid, as Jack Miller (Alma Pramac Racing) was the man on pole after a brave gamble in yesterday’s qualifying saw the Australian switch to slick tyres on a wet, but drying track. Despite a few moments that saw him slip and slide through the puddles, his courageous move produced an impressive lap on the MICHELIN Power Slick tyres in the damp conditions. His valiant effort yesterday nearly doubled-up today, as rain started to fall just before the scheduled start. Miller was one of only a few riders that lined up on slick tyres in the changeable conditions, with the others on wets. As the start grew closer, it was deemed dangerous to start as many riders reported they would go to pit-lane after the warm-up lap and change to their bike equipped with MICHELIN Power Slicks. This forced Race Direction to delay the off and reward Miller with a start on the front row alone, whilst the rest of the grid lined up from the fifth row.
Controversy soon followed as reigning World Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) stalled his bike on the grid, he managed to re-start it, begin the race and storm to the front in the early stages, this was quickly halted as again Race Direction intervened and gave him a ride-through penalty, which saw him demoted to 19th, but the excitement with the Spaniard didn’t end there. He made many passes, including one that saw him receive a penalty to drop one place, after it was deemed dangerous and another in the closing stages on Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP), which saw the Italian fall and Race Direction again take the decision to award another ride-through penalty to Marquez, which was too late in the race to enforce so it was commuted to a 30-second penalty, meaning Marquez was relegated from fifth to eighteenth. He did have one consolation, in that he used his Michelin tyres to set the fastest lap of the race and become the only rider to complete a 1’39 circulation of the 4,806m Argentinian track.
The recently resurfaced Termas circuit held many challenges for all concerned this weekend and Michelin’s decision to bring four variations of front and rear slick tyres was justified, as it gave all riders the opportunity to select a tyre that suited their needs, despite the lack of dry track time. With very changeable conditions on race day – following heavy overnight rain and short shower before the start – the race finally began on a damp, but almost dry track, with a definite dry line. This time though – unlike yesterday’s qualifying – the whole field decided to use MICHELIN Power Slick tyres, which turned out to be the correct decision, although the lack of dry track time, allied to the new surface of the track – for which the teams had very little data – the choice of all concerned was not as comprehensive as if all the riders had had more time for set-up. This led to every rider starting the 24-lap race on a medium compound rear slick and all but four – who chose the soft option – on the medium front.
The tyres performed superbly and the four-rider break at the front gave a thrilling race for the fans. Crutchlow, Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3), Alex Rins (Team SUZUKI ECSTAR) and Miller, led the way and changed places throughout the race. Crutchlow timed his run to the front to perfection and took victory from Zarco and Rins, the Suzuki man taking his first MotoGP podium. Miller was fourth, with Maverick Viñales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) in fifth. Sixth went to Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team), followed by Tito Rabat (Real Avintia Racing) in seventh. Andrea Iannone (Team SUZUKI ECSTAR) took eighth, with Hafiizh Syahrin (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) scoring his best result so far in his rookie season with ninth, with Danilo Petrucci (Alma Pramac Ducati) rounded out the top-ten.
Michelin’s next action will be when the MotoGP Championship moves from south to north America as the paddock heads to the Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas for the third round of the season on Sunday 22nd April and a date with a track that has very recently undergone some intensive work to smooth out its infamous bumps, which will provide a step into the unknown for riders, teams and Michelin.
Cal Crutchlow – LCR Honda CASTROL:
“I think we managed the situation well, although it was very difficult for all the riders and Michelin as well. We asked for Michelin’s advice and they gave us the correct one about the tyre choice. I am not sure if the front was the right one for me, I think I should have chosen the harder one, but at the start of the race I didn’t want to take too much of a risk, so went with the medium. Overall we are happy, the rear tyre worked well and performed very well, especially considering the track conditions The track was very dirty and we were constantly going on and off the wet parts, which is not very good for the tyre, but we were still able to be fast and competitive at the end of the race with the lap-times, so overall we are very pleased.”
Piero Taramasso – Michelin Motorsport Two-Wheel Manager:
“What an amazing event, but the most pleasing thing for us was the way the tyres performed today. We had very little data from the new surface after little dry time, but from the expertise of our technicians we were able to advise the riders on what would be the best choices for them. This produced some great racing and to see three satellite bikes in the top-four and four different manufacturers filling the top-four positions, again just re-iterates our intention to make tyres that all bikes and riders can use. The whole weekend has been tough with the conditions, it started well will Marc producing the fastest lap in FP1 ever recorded here, but then the weather intervened. That said though it also gave us the best wet lap-time here, as Jack produced an incredible and brave lap in the damp conditions using a slick tyre. This was again a demonstration of the grip our tyres provide in all conditions. Overall, we are very pleased, as this is a track we don’t really perform well at and we came here to improve the performance of the tyres and we feel we have done that. It is now off to Austin where we face another tough test, as we wait to see how the circuit behaves after some recent work that has been carried out there.”
More, from a press release issued by Repsol Honda:
Havoc from tricky conditions in Argentina jeopardizes the race for the Repsol Honda Team
Rain that fell just before the MotoGP race deeply affected the Grand Prix of Argentina, as well as Marc Marquez’s and Dani Pedrosa’s races.
Dani crashed out of the postponed race before the end of the first lap when he went off the dry line following a move by Johann Zarco. Dani suffered a hard blow to his right wrist and will undergo further medical examinations next week in Barcelona.
Marc was first given a ride-through penalty for returning to his grid position aboard his bike after restarting a stalled engine. He complied with the penalty at the end of lap six when he had been leading the way, 1.5 seconds clear of Jack Miller, and re-joined in 20th. Marc was quickly charging through the field to recover, but unfortunately he touched a wet patch and unintentionally clashed with Valentino Rossi on lap 20. An additional penalty of 30 seconds dropped Marc from fifth to 18th after the end of the race.
The race was won by Cal Crutchlow, who earned Honda its 750th Grand Prix win. This is the first time a manufacturer has reached this landmark in the 70-year history of Grand Prix motorcycle racing.
Marc Marquez 93
18TH
“It was a tricky race, in very tough conditions, with several drawbacks. Just before the start I had an issue with the engine, which stopped. We’ll look into it later. Anyway, I put my hands up but nobody was there. I was able to restart the bike and then I looked for some input from the marshals, as I wasn’t sure if, with the bike running again, I should go to my place on the grid or back to the pits. One marshal raised his hands, and a second one gave the thumbs up, which I interpreted to mean I could stay. When I saw the penalty message on the dashboard, I didn’t understand why, but I of course complied. Then I obviously tried push to recover and unfortunately I made some mistakes, the biggest one I believe being with Aleix. I approached faster than him and I didn’t realize it. I tried my best to avoid contact but unfortunately I wasn’t able. I saw the penalty and, to be safe, gave up two positions, not just one, before starting to push again. With Valentino it was different, as it was a consequence of the track conditions. I touched a wet patch, locked the front, and released the brakes. I tried to turn, again making my best effort to avoid contact. When he crashed I immediately apologised. It was a racing incident as happened earlier with Zarco and Dani, and then with Petrucci and Aleix. It was a tricky Sunday. Of course today I made some mistakes, which I recognize. Other mistakes were made by Race Direction on the grid, and others were due to the difficult conditions, but one thing I know for sure: never in my career have I intentionally hit another rider.”
Dani Pedrosa 26
DNF
“There’s not much to say about the race. I think we did a great job during the weekend, and I was also riding very well. My race ended before I finished the first lap. Race Direction needs to look after every rider’s safety. Right now I have a lot of pain in my right wrist. I’ll have it checked again in Barcelona on Tuesday.”