Ortolá is the Acosta beater in Rookies Cup Race 1 of Aragón 2
Iván Ortolá charged from the 4th row to take Race 1 victory in the second weekend at Motorland Aragón. Points leader Pedro Acosta saw his run of Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup victories stopped at 6 as the two 16-year-old Spaniards sorted it out at the final corner.
David Alonso, the 14-year-old Colombian, was in that final turn sort out as well and flashed across the line 3rd to maintain 2nd in the championship chase at the Grand Prix of Teruel.
It was another incredible 15 lap encounter and Acosta couldn’t pull off his intended repeat of last Sunday’s lights-to-flag domination. Ortolá had caught him by the end of lap 2 and the rest followed.
For the first 10 laps 7 riders battled at the front, swapping places fiercely. They were then joined by another pack that included Alonso and from there it was talented madness all the way to the finish.
Ortolá jumped from P10
“It was my best start ever and in 2 laps I caught Pedro. We were pushing very hard and I thought that we would break away in front and together open a gap to the group. It didn’t happen and it was a very big group.”
“I had to work so hard at the beginning because yesterday, Qualifying was a disaster, I was in a long group and I didn’t know how to manage the situation. It always happens in Qualifying and I have to learn how to do it better.”
“I am very happy with the bike, we didn’t touch anything after last weekend. The problem is not the bike, I need to qualify better and start from the front 2 rows,” concluded Ortolá who finished 3rd in both races at Aragón 1.
Acosta not phased
“That’s OK, I am happy enough. Every race I do here at Aragón where I am in a group I lose on the back straight on the last lap. So 2nd is not bad. The other riders were very aggressive today and these points are very important for the championship.”
“I’m happy with the bike, the setting is good so we will change nothing and see what happens tomorrow. Iván was so fast today and I couldn’t break the group.”
Alonso with a great ride from P9
“I am very happy because we got on the podium but the race was so hard for us and in the last laps we were tired, the bike was sliding and we need to make a step forward tomorrow both in the setting of the bike and my riding.”
“I need to be more relaxed in the group, the start was not so good so I need to improve that also and how to overtake the other riders. There is a lot we can improve but the last 2 laps I did very well and that is a positive thing.”
David Muñoz 4th from Pole
“I’m very happy for the race,” stated the 14-year-old Spaniard. “But by the end of the race the bike was sliding and chattering and I could not do more on the last lap. Tomorrow I want to do better so we will look at improving the settings and see what we can do.”
Salvador felt good
“This weekend I am very happy because yesterday we really made a step forward with the bike,” enthused the 16-year-old Spaniard. “For the first time this year I finally have a good feeling with the bike like I had last year.”
“The race is very difficult because the group is crazy,” he laughed. “Finally 5th position, that is not the place I wanted but today I am happy mainly because of the feeling I found on the bike. I didn’t have that last week.”
Broadcast
This weekend’s Rookies Cup races can be seen live on www.redbull.tv and on TV stations around the world.
Race 2 is on Sunday at 16:00 CET, the show starts 10 minutes before the race.
