FIM MotoGP World Championship
Circuit de Barcelona – Catalunya
Barcelona, Spain
June 14, 2015
Race Results (all on Bridgestone tires):
1. Jorge LORENZO, Spain (YAMAHA), 25 laps, 42:53.208
2. Valentino ROSSI, Italy (YAMAHA), -0.885 second
3. Dani PEDROSA, Spain (HONDA), -19.455 seconds
4. Andrea IANNONE, Italy (DUCATI), -24.925
5. Bradley SMITH, UK (YAMAHA), -27.782
6. Maverick VIÑALES, Spain (SUZUKI), -29.559
7. Scott REDDING, UK (HONDA), -36.424
8. Stefan BRADL, Germany (FORWARD YAMAHA), -42.103
9. Danilo PETRUCCI, Italy (DUCATI), -49.350
10. Alvaro BAUTISTA, Spain (APRILIA), -52.569
11. Jack MILLER, Australia (HONDA), -53.666
12. Eugene LAVERTY, Ireland (HONDA), -55.765
13. Loris BAZ, France (FORWARD YAMAHA), -55.832
14. Mike DI MEGLIO, France (DUCATI), -69.037
15. Alex DE ANGELIS, San Marino (ART-APRILIA), -85.263
16. Hector BARBERA, Spain (DUCATI), -1 lap, pitted
17. Aleix ESPARGARO, Spain (SUZUKI), -5 laps, DNF, crash
18. Nicky HAYDEN, USA (HONDA), -12 laps, DNF, crash
19. Marco MELANDRI, Italy (APRILIA), -19 laps, DNF, retired
20. Andrea DOVIZIOSO, Italy (DUCATI), -19 laps, DNF, crash
21. Pol ESPARGARO, Spain (YAMAHA), -21 laps, DNF, crash
22. Marc MARQUEZ, Spain (HONDA), -22 laps, DNF, crash
23. Cal CRUTCHLOW, UK (HONDA), -22 laps, DNF, crash
24. Yonny HERNANDEZ, Colombia (DUCATI), -23 laps, DNF, crash
25. Karel ABRAHAM, Czech Republic (HONDA), DNS
World Championship Point Standings (after 7 of 18 races):
1. Rossi, 138 points
2. Lorenzo, 137
3. Iannone, 94
4. Dovizioso, 83
5. Marquez, 69
6. Smith, 68
7. Crutchlow, 47
8. Vinales, 46
9. Pol Espargaro, 45
10. TIE, Pedrosa/Petrucci, 39
12. Aleix Espargaro, 31
13. Redding, 27
14. Hernandez, 26
15. Barbera, 16
16. Baz, 13
17. TIE, Bautista/Miller, 11
19. Bradl, 9
20. TIE, Michele Pirro/Hayden, 8
22. Laverty, 7
23. Hiroshi Aoyama, 5
24. Di Meglio, 2
25. De Angelis, 1
More, from a press release issued by Team Estrella Galicia:
Redding races to season best in baking hot Barcelona
Montmeló, Spain – 14 June 2015: Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS rider Scott Redding overcame searing hot temperatures, to claim a richly deserved season best seventh place in a physically demanding MotoGP encounter in Barcelona this afternoon.
Track temperatures were the hottest of the weekend when the 25-lap race got underway, with the track surface boiling at close to 50 degrees.
The hot conditions made the 4.727km track incredibly slippery, but the 22-year-old brilliantly kept his composure while several other riders fell victim to the greasy surface.
Redding kept himself in the battle for fifth place as he hunted down Andrea Iannone and Bradley Smith. But as the grip inevitably dropped off in the second half of the race, the 22-year-old Briton was content to settle into a consistent pace on worn tyres to equal his best ever MotoGP finish.
Scott Redding: 7th
“That was definitely one of my best races of the year and I managed to hold onto the second group for a while and that is really positive for me. My hand started to go a little bit numb after 15-laps and I was struggling to release the brake gently but I am happy to finish the race in a positive mood. The track was obviously very tricky in the heat with so many riders crashing, but my feeling in the first laps was not so bad and I’m happy to equal my best result in MotoGP. We have to build on this now and make sure we can finish regularly inside the top 10.”
Michael Bartholemy: Team Principal
“After qualifying and the warm-up I honestly didn’t expect Scott to demonstrate the pace he did. He was battling with riders and pushing towards fifth place and he only finished 16 seconds off the podium, so there are signs of positive progress in what was a tough race in the heat, where it was easy to make mistakes. The initial goal for this season was to establish Scott inside the top 10 and he has achieved this today; now we have to continue with these results.”
More, from a press release issued by Bridgestone:
Lorenzo leads from start to finish in commanding Catalan Grand Prix victory
Round 7: Catalan MotoGP™ – Race
Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Sunday June 14 2015
Bridgestone slick compounds available: Front: Soft, Medium & Hard; Rear: Soft, Medium & Hard (Asymmetric)
Bridgestone wet tyre compounds available: Hard (Main), Soft (Alternative)
Weather: Dry. Ambient 28-29°C; Track 54-55°C (Bridgestone measurement)
There is no stopping Movistar Yamaha MotoGP’s Jorge Lorenzo at the moment as the Spanish rider led every lap of the Catalan Grand Prix to score his fourth consecutive victory and close within one point of teammate Valentino Rossi in the championship standings.
Starting on the front row of the grid in third position, Lorenzo got a brilliant start to lead the field into the first corner and he retained the lead until the chequered flag. The only rider to put pressure on Lorenzo was Rossi, who managed to match the pace of his teammate in the final stages of the race and claimed second place just 0.885 seconds behind Lorenzo. Finishing in third place at Montmeló was Repsol Honda Team’s Dani Pedrosa for his first podium this season. All three riders on the podium used the combination of medium compound front and rear slick tyres for the race.
Clear sunny skies throughout the day resulted in the warmest conditions yet experienced this weekend, with track temperatures during the race peaking at 55°C; 6°C higher than in qualifying yesterday. As was the case yesterday the medium compound front and rear slicks were the most popular choice during the race. Twenty-one riders selected the medium compound front slick for the race, with the only exception being the four factory Ducati riders who chose the hard compound front slick instead. For the rear tyre, fifteen riders selected the medium compound rear, with the remaining ten riders opting for the soft compound rear slick. Today’s hot conditions made for challenging conditions during the race with a greasy track surface, yet Lorenzo was still able to set the quickest ever overall race time for the Catalan Grand Prix, beating the old mark by three seconds.
Lorenzo’s quartet of consecutive victories sees him reach 137 championship points, just behind Rossi who retains the championship lead on 138 points. Ducati Team’s Andrea Iannone finished in fourth place today, which moves him into third place on the championship table on 94 points.
Shinji Aoki – Manager, Bridgestone Motorcycle Tyre Development Department
“Congratulations to Jorge for his victory today and Yamaha for a 1-2 in what were quite challenging conditions. It was a bit hotter today which made the track surface greasy and hard to manage for the riders, particularly early in the race when they had to push hard with a full tank of fuel. Race tyre choice reflected what the riders used in FP4 yesterday with the medium compound front and rear slicks the most popular option due to their good balance of braking and cornering performance. Our engineers worked closely with the riders and teams all weekend to try and find a good setting at this low grip and bumpy circuit and looking at the quick pace this weekend, I am happy that our revised tyre allocation for this year performed so well.”
Jorge Lorenzo, Movistar Yamaha MotoGP – Race Winner
“Today it was very hot, the warmest conditions of the whole weekend so it was hard to repeat the pace I had yesterday. Today Valentino improved a bit in the hot conditions, while I was a bit worse compared to yesterday, but I kept my focus and made no mistakes even though Valentino pushed me so hard. In the end I could win so the effort I made was worth it.”
More, from a press release issued by Aprilia:
ALVARO BAUTISTA IS TENTH AT THE BARCELONA GP
This is the best finish thus far for the Aprilia RS-GP which continues to improve race performance
Barcelona (Spain), 14 June 2015 – It was a weekend of hard work for Aprilia Racing Team Gresini with the changes tested during the week at Misano brought straight away to Barcelona setting a furious work pace for the entire team. It was an effort rewarded by Alvaro Bautista’s great race, riding his Aprilia RS-GP to a tenth place finish and the best result thus far in this first part of the season.
Alvaro, who started from the seventh row, got off to an excellent start which allowed him to overtake several riders and immediately lock onto the central group which is the current race goal. He held the pace of the central group well and in the final laps he engaged in an exciting duel with Miller which, thanks in part to a few DNFs, resulted in the first top ten finish and 6 championship points. Marco Melandri had an unlucky race, delayed at the start and then forced to withdraw by problems with the gearbox in the seventh lap.
ROMANO ALBESIANO (Aprilia Racing Manager)
“Alvaro’s great race is a good result that lifts our morale. There is a lot of work left to do to close the gap behind the leaders but if you think about the fact that we are racing with a bike which is a laboratory we are rather pleased with today. We see that we are improving race performance and we are often with the centre of the group. Races like this one make it clear which points we need to work on to close the gap behind the leaders. I feel bad for Marco who had a mechanical problem, but that’s part of the experience we are building, given the amount of new things we are testing each time.”
FAUSTO GRESINI (Team Manager)
“In a race that promised to be very difficult Bautista battled with great determination, managing to win various battles with other riders. There were some DNFs but Alvaro managed to keep a good pace despite difficult conditions. I’m very pleased with the efforts being made in this project so my compliments go to him and the entire team. It’s a nice result, important for morale and to keep progressing.”
ALVARO BAUTISTA
“After a good start which helped me make up a few positions I rode the first laps of the race trying not to be too aggressive in order to conserve the tyres. In fact, we knew that their performance would drop a lot. The track conditions were very difficult with not much grip so I couldn’t push like I did in practice. In any case, today we saw a lot of crashes so making it to the finish was important. We made it and we are pleased because we were able to gain more experience with the bike and other valuable data to improve in the coming rounds. In the finale I had fun battling it out with Miller. I felt like I was faster than him and in the end, after overtaking one another several times, two laps from the end I managed to pull ahead a bit to finish in the top ten.”
MARCO MELANDRI
“I had a setup that was different than usual and I was hoping to take a step forward, but unfortunately hard luck reared its ugly head with a problem in the gearbox between third and fourth from the first lap. Anyway, that’s normal considering the fact that this is only the second GP for the seamless gearbox. We’ll see about continuing the work we weren’t able to complete today in the tests tomorrow. Congratulations to Bautista for finishing in the top ten. That’s a good sign for everyone.”
More, from a press release issued by Movistar Yamaha:
Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Dominates Catalunya
Movistar Yamaha MotoGP‘s Jorge Lorenzo gave a sensational performance this afternoon, claiming his fourth GP victory in a row at the seventh round at GP Monster Energy de Catalunya. Teammate Valentino Rossi was equally stunning, starting from seventh on the grid to take second position, giving the team its fourth consecutive double podium of the season.
Montmeló (Spain), 14th June 2015
Jorge Lorenzo took a sensational fourth consecutive win for the first time in his career in front of a massive home crowd at Montmeló this afternoon. Similar to the previous round, he led the race from start to finish, which means he set a new record for consecutive laps led in the MotoGP class with an incredible total of 103 laps.
Teammate Valentino Rossi also put in a brave performance at the slippery and greasy Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya to finish second, making it a perfect weekend for the Movistar Yamaha MotoGP team.
Lorenzo had a strong launch from third on the grid to take the holeshot. Leading the race from Marquez he put the hammer down in an effort to break away from the field, but was unable to shake off his compatriot. Unfazed by the pressure from his rival, Lorenzo kept his riding smooth and consistent, which proved to be the key to success. With 23 laps to go, Marquez made a mistake in turn ten, nearly clipping Lorenzo‘s YZR-M1 in the process, and crashed out of the race.
The dramatic crash put Lorenzo in his favorite racing position; completely in control at the front, with a clear track as far as the eye could see, and a growing gap to the rider in second, which was none other than his teammate. Rossi wasn‘t able to threaten until the last six laps, but Lorenzo managed the gap perfectly and held on to claim the victory in front of his home fans, with a 0,855s margin over the line. Accompanied on the podium by Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd’s President, Hiroyuki Yanagi, Lorenzo got to step onto the top step for the fourth time in a row for the first time in his career.
The Doctor started his Catalunya attack well, but found himself in seventh place going into turn one. Determined to score a top result he overtook Aleix Espargarò and Bradley Smith before the end of the first lap. Pol Espargarò in fourth was soon to follow, as Rossi continued to hunt down Andrea Dovizioso, passing him on lap four.
As Marquez crashed out a lap earlier, The Doctor was riding in second place and gave all he had to reel in Lorenzo, who was 1,5s ahead, but the Spaniard was quick to respond. Rossi kept his head down and was able to reduce the gap to nearly a second in the final stages of the race, but came just short. He went on to claim second on the podium, with a 18.570 second gap to Dani Pedrosa in third.
Lorenzo‘s win delivers 25 points, keeping him in second position in the championship standings with a 137 points total, just one point behind Rossi. The Doctor’s podium scored him 20 points and keeps him in the lead in the overall standings, now on 138 points.
The MotoGP riders will be back on the Catalunya track tomorrow for an official test before visiting Aragon for a private test. They will then head to the Netherlands for the next GP held at the iconic Assen TT circuit on Saturday the 27th of June.
JORGE LORENZO
This was my hardest win of the season, but Qatar, Austin and Argentina were tougher when it comes to racing. To be honest, the last ten laps of today‘s race were probably one of the most hard and intense laps of my career. Valentino was very fast and knowing that the track was really hot and there was less grip than yesterday, I‘m happy with the results. My bike was working a bit worse than yesterday when I was able to ride 1‘41s, but that wasn‘t possible today. For Valentino it was the opposite, he almost always reaches this incredible level of performance on Sunday. When he reduced the gap from 2.0s to 1.4s I was really worried that I would lose this race. I needed to push and risk more while the bike was already moving a lot, which is what I did on the last ten laps. After yesterday‘s practice I expected, maybe not an easy victory, but more distance between me and the rider in second from the middle of the race onwards. I was able to keep my rhythm and stay focused and I really want to thank the team for their efforts and congratulate them with the fourth consecutive victory.
VALENTINO ROSSI
Throughout my career I always thought that when you take 20 points, it has been a good race. I enjoyed this weekend, which was an important one, because I came from three races where I struggled a lot and I don‘t like to arrive in third when Jorge wins. This time we found a good setting and balance on Friday so we worked for the race, which I know I‘m stronger in. I was good in the beginning when I was overtaking and I was fast, but it was not enough, because when I arrived to the second position Jorge already had a 1.5s gap. It‘s a great shame because I had the pace to fight with him and I could have been very strong in a battle, because I was very strong in braking. I‘m still in front in the championship, but this race was important because we made a step forward and now we have to keep working like this and improve our qualifying. The key is the tyre rule, because Jorge is better than me in qualifying and he can position all the bikes with the extra soft tyres between me and him on the grid. It‘s a shame because yesterday I had the potential to be in the top five but it gives me great motivation to try again in two weeks in Assen.
MASSIMO MEREGALLI
TEAM DIRECTOR
Today has been a fantastic result, and one we have worked towards since the beginning of the weekend. The race went as we expected and hoped, because we worked hard to prepare, determined to achieve the maximum possibility. This is our fourth double podium of the year and Jorge‘s fourth consecutive race victory. The race was very tough, with a lot of crashes so a tense time until the final lap. We knew that both our riders wanted to win and their performance shows this. Jorge‘s ride was flawless from the opening lap, he is really at the top of his game right now. Vale also really showed his skill and ability to come from down on the grid to just under a second at the line. I have to thank both the riders for their performance and also the team for their hard work throughout the weekend to make the double podium possible. Tomorrow we test and try to improve more and then we go to Netherlands in the best way possible in full fighting spirit.
More, from a press release issued by Repsol Honda:
Joy for Pedrosa with home race podium, but frustration for Marquez after crashing out on third lap
It was a day of mixed fortunes for the Repsol Honda Team, with Dani Pedrosa claiming his first podium of the season and reigning World Champion Marc Marquez crashing out of the Catalunya GP, from second place.
Marc had a great start from 4th and found himself in 2nd by the end of the first lap, with Dani losing out from 6th on the grid and dropping down to 10th. Marc was desperate not to let pole-man Jorge Lorenzo breakaway and set the fastest race lap on lap two whilst chasing him as Dani began to find his rhythm. However, on lap three Marc made an error in turn ten, running wide and found himself in the gravel trap unable to stop. He was brought down into the stones and the gear shifter was damaged, as a result ending his race.
Meanwhile Dani continued to progress through the pack and by lap five he was in 5th place. The following lap Dovizioso crashed out and promoted Dani to 4th and then on lap seven, Dani passed Aleix Espargargo into 3rd place, which is where he remained for the rest of the race. Dani has now finished on the podium in Catalunya seven times in the last eight years.
After seven rounds of the 2015 season, Marc remains 5th in the Championship on 69 points (69 points behind leader Rossi), with Dani in 10th on 39 points.
The team will be back on track tomorrow for a post-race test, before heading to Assen in two weeks time.
Dani Pedrosa
3RD CHAMPIONSHIP STANDING: 10TH – 39 POINTS
“I’m happy and overwhelmed with emotion! It’s been a tough time and I’ve been fighting so hard, but finally I feel fit again and stronger with every race. Today I had a bad start and I tried not to be nervous, because I knew that the race was very long. There were many crashes at the start and I saw that the track was in a delicate condition, so I took it easy for the first three laps to find a reference for each corner. Then I started to progress quite quickly, I overtook several riders, and I finished third. It was impossible to follow Jorge and Valentino, because they were far ahead in terms of performance. We will try to pull back the gap a little for the coming races and see if in testing tomorrow we can find something positive – and understand the situation better. I want to thank all the people who have stood by me: my physiotherapist, my family and friends, Dr. Villamor, Jordi Salo and everyone else who has been supporting me. I also want to thank the fans who have sent me messages of encouragement. It has been a long time, but fortunately today at home I was able to recapture the excitement with this podium. I am very grateful to everyone, especially my team, after backing me during this difficult time, they deserve a little happiness!”
Marc Marquez
DNF CHAMPIONSHIP STANDING: 5TH – 69 POINTS
“I tried to give 100% at my home race but I made a mistake trying to push too much, as I wanted to do well – at all costs – and these things can happen. I was going well, trying to conserve my tyres behind Jorge, but I made a mistake and as a result I ran wide. When I was in the gravel I saw the wall was very close, so I leaned over a little but I couldn’t stop the bike. I was able to ride back to the garage, but I soon realised the gear lever was damaged and I was unable to shift gears. I want to thank the fans who came out today; the best thing about the day was hearing the cheers from them during the three laps I rode.”
More, from a press release issued by Forward Racing:
Bradl first Open at Montmeló
The Grand Prix of Catalunya weekend closes with a victory in the Open category for the Athinà Forward Racing team. Stefan Bradl, in fact, crossed the line in eighth place, first of the Open bikes, picking up eight important championship points.
The German, who started from the fifth row, was finally able to reach the Top10 being the protagonist of a good fight with Petrucci. After overtaking the Italian he continued to push until the end of the race and passed under the checkered flag in eighth place.
Good race also for his teammate Loris Baz. The Frenchman, after an all-in race, finished in thirteenth position once again hitting the Top15. With the points collected today Baz shortens the distance from Barbera who retaining only a three-point margin as the head of the Open class.
The work of the Athinà Forward Racing team will continue tomorrow at the Catalunya circuit where a one-day test is foreseen.
Stephan Bradl
“It was a great race and I’m happy with this win. For me it is the first victory in the Open class and I’m really glad about it. It was not an easy situation for me and the team but we worked hard and we managed to be consistent this weekend. Our package is definitely good and so it’s our potential, we must continue in this direction at Assen. Thanks to all the guys of the team for their work”.
Loris Baz
“I’m happy with the 13th place and the points, but I cannot say I am completely satisfied with this race. I suffered a lot for chattering and my gap from the head of the Open class has increased in comparison with the last few races. I went on track with a new setting, I struggled in the first laps to find my pace but lap after lap I was able to approach Di Meglio and Laverty. I finished close to the Top10 gaining important points for the standings. Barbera is now just three points away form me”.
More, from a press release issued by Pramac Racing:
Super Petrux fights and finishes 9th. Following a stunning start, Yonny crashes on lap 3
A great Danilo Petrucci wins the second consecutive Top 10 finishing the Grand Prix de Catalunya in ninth place. After a huge start, Yonny Hernandez has instead had to retire due to a crash on the third lap when he was in seventh place.
Petrux’s start was fantastic. In a few corners the rider from Terni managed to recover six positions and move to 10th place before being passed by Pedrosa and Redding. In a race marked by many crashes, Danilo did well to stay focused and to better manage his Ducati Desmosedici GP14 with the aim to finish the race and take home valuable points. Following a nice fight with Bradl that Petrux managed to hold back until the 12th lap, Danilo decided not to take excessive risks and defend his Top 10 which has become an excellent ninth place on the checkered flag.
Yonny Hernandez was protagonist of an awesome first lap. Despite a not particularly brilliant start which saw him turn in 12th position at the first corner, the rider from Medellin was immediately able to recover to 7th place running with an exciting race pace as lapping under the 1′.43. Unfortunately, on the third lap at turn 10, Yonny has suddenly lost the front and went into a highside.
Thanks to the 7 points won on the circuit of Montmelò, Danilo Petrucci keeps the tenth position (with Dani Pedrosa) in the World Championship classification (39 points). Yonny Hernandez stops at 26 in 14th place.
Danilo Petrucci – OCTO Pramac Racing Team #9 – 9th place
My main goal was to get to the end of a tough race which has been very difficoult due to the heat and the bad condition of the track. I am very satisfied: it is another 9th place after the one at Mugello. I would have had to risk a lot to do something more. And following a very difficult weekend it would have been too hasty. The problems I had on Friday and Saturday’s practices were even worse in the morning’s warm up. The team did their best trying to make me confortable. That’s why I want to thank Daniele Romagnoli and all the guys. Tomorrow we will do some tests to start preparing the race in Assen, a circuit I like.
Yonny Hernandez – OCTO Pramac Racing #68 – Crashed on lap 3
It’s a shame because I was running very strong. I lost my front wheel and I went to a highside in the same corner where Marc Marquez crashed. It all happened in a split second and I can not understand why. Perhaps the bad circuit conditions have affected. Anyway I go back home with good feelings. Throughout the weekend I was running very strong, but obviously the important day was today. I was in seventh place following a very positive start. Then I crashed: this is something that can happen also seeing how things went during the race. The championship is still very long and I hope to do better at Assen keeping this great feeling with the bike.
More, from a press release issued by Aspar Team:
Eugene Laverty in the points for third straight race
POWER ELECTRONICS Aspar rider picks up four championship points with best MotoGP result to date in twelfth
Different circuit, same result. After taking his third straight win last time out at Mugello, Jorge Lorenzo made it four from four in the GP of Catalunya today with another supersonic charge from the first corner to the chequered flag. The Mallorcan led every one of the 25 laps today and, like in Jerez, France and Italy he opened up a crucial gap at the front that the rest of the field were unable to bridge; despite the valiant attempts of his team-mate Valentino Rossi, who finished second. Marc Márquez did his best to give chase in the early laps but crashed on the third lap, handing an invitation to Lorenzo that he was happy to accept. Dani Pedrosa crossed the line third in a race of attrition that saw just sixteen riders take the chequered flag.
One of those sixteen riders was Eugene Laverty. After a tough weekend that included two crashes yesterday the POWER ELECTRONICS Aspar rider came back strongly today to seal his best result in MotoGP so far, scoring points for the third race in succession. Despite starting from 22nd on the grid, the Irishman took advantage of some crucial front-end set-up improvements found in this morning’s warm-up and rode a determined race to take four championship points in twelfth place. Today proved to be Nicky Hayden’s turn to suffer misfortune, the Kentucky rider forced into the gravel to avoid a collision on the opening lap and then crashing himself on the fourteenth lap in turn five. Thankfully Nicky was not hurt and he will be fit to join Laverty in an important post-race test tomorrow.
12th Eugene Laverty: “We started out well on Friday but yesterday was a tough day with the two crashes. We lost some confidence and time but this morning we reacted well and improved the bike for the race, so I am happy with this result. We found an improvement to the front end in warm-up that gave us some more grip and allowed me to get the bike stopped with a full fuel tank. Our weak point was at the end of the race when the tyres lost grip and I lost a few tenths between turn nine and the final sector. Anyway, the fact we improved today is a positive and it meant I was able to ride with confidence throughout the race. We have an important test tomorrow with some new material to try so hopefully we can build on the progress we made today and find something extra.”
Nicky Hayden (DNF) “It was a difficult race, not helped by a bunch of mistakes. At the start of the warm-up lap the launch control was acting strange, so I was unsure whether to use it or not for the start. In the end I got a decent start but I had a bad first lap and ran into the gravel on turn four trying to avoid two riders. Once I got back on track I could feel the rear tyre sliding around all over the place, then we must have had an electronics problem because the engine stopped. The marshals helped me to rejoin the race but I was a long way behind. I just tried to keep a constant pace to the end but unfortunately at half-distance I crashed in turn five. I want to apologise to the team and the sponsors for making two mistakes in less than fifteen laps. I am annoyed with myself because I feel that we had a good chance this weekend to come away with a good result. When we tested after the race at Jerez it was really positive so hopefully tomorrow’s test can provide us with some good information to keep improving.”
More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:
Andrea Iannone finishes fourth in GP of Catalunya at Montmeló. Dovizioso crashes and has to retire
Andrea Iannone finished the Grand Prix of Catalunya, round 7 of the MotoGP World Championship held at the Montmelò circuit on the outskirts of Barcelona, in fourth place. The rider from Vasto, who started from row 4 in twelfth place, ran a good race and was able to move up the field into fourth, despite difficult track conditions.
From lap 5 onwards, Iannone started to chase down Bradley Smith, whom he passed on lap 21, and he then pulled out almost a three second advantage over the British rider by the end of the race.
Thanks to today’s result, the Ducati Team man has now moved into third overall in the championship standings with 94 points.
Team-mate Andrea Dovizioso’s race on the other hand was not so positive. After starting from row 2 in fifth, the Romagna-born rider got a good start to finish the first two laps of the race in third place, and he then moved up into second after Marquez crashed out. Andrea lost a place to Rossi on lap 3 and then crashed out on lap 6, due to a loss of grip in his rear tyre.
Dovizioso now lies fourth in the overall standings with 83 points, while Ducati and the Ducati Team are currently second in the classifications reserved for Manufacturers and Teams.
Andrea Iannone (Ducati Team #29) – 4th
“It was a very difficult race and in general this weekend has not been an easy one for us. We always tried to make improvements, but we struggled a lot and we were never able to achieve what we had set out to do and what we had been used to doing since the start of the season. I focused on doing a good race in these conditions, trying to obtain the best possible result without making any mistakes, because the track conditions were critical and the bike slid around both at the front and at the rear. I am not pleased with this fourth place, because I believe that we can aim for better results than this, but in any case I took home some more important points, I’m back in third in the championship again and I am satisfied with the way I managed today’s race.”
Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team #04) – DNF
“I’m really disappointed because two DNFs in a row is hard to accept. The track conditions were difficult for everyone, but we were in a position to get on the podium and it was very important for me to finish in the top 3 again. Today the two Yamahas confirmed that it’s not easy to stay with them, but the Hondas were within our reach. I made a small mistake at Turn 4 and the bike went away from me more than usual, but it did it in a way that was so abrupt that I never even did a high-side. This had never happened to us before, and so we have to understand if we can improve the electronics so as to prevent this problem in the future.”
Luigi Dall’Igna (Ducati Corse General Manager)
“It has not been an easy weekend for us. Dovizioso crashed while trying to stay with the leaders: this sort of thing can happen, but in any case it demonstrates that Andrea is determined to do well and that he always wants to try his hardest. Iannone ran a very intelligent race, especially if we consider that he started from twelfth place on the grid, and he succeeded in bringing home an excellent result, because the track conditions today were really difficult. In any case, our riders are third and fourth in the championship and Ducati is second in the Manufacturers’ standings, so this is really positive.”
More, from a press release issued by CWM LCR Honda:
DISASTER STRIKES AS CRUTCHLOW TAKEN OUT IN BARCELONA
It was a disappointing end to the Grand Prix of Catalunya for Cal Crutchlow, as the British rider was clipped by a fellow MotoGP rider on the first lap of the race, which sent him skittling into the gravel. The CWM LCR Honda rider bravely remounted, only to find that his rear brake line had been severed, and he was forced to retire to the pits.
Hopes had been high that Crutchlow would be able to make up positions during the race, and a possible podium was on the cards with several other retirees, but the Briton will now have to do it all over again at the Dutch TT in Assen in just over a week’s time.
Cal Crutchlow #35 – DNF
“I got hit by Aleix (Espargaro), and when he hit me I had already fallen off the side of the bike because he touched me when we were going into the corner. It was definitely a racing incident, I don’t think he meant to do it, he just gave me a bump and I ended up crashing. He pushed me wide onto the dirty part of the track and it was impossible to save.”
“When I got back on board I didn’t have any rear brake, the bump had split the line and that’s why I was forced to retire. With the Honda it’s impossible to carry on without the rear brake.”
“I’m angry, because it was the first lap of the race and disappointed about the result because I am sure that we had a chance of the podium.”
More, from another press release issued by CWM LCR Honda:
MILLER TAKES SEASON’S BEST OF 11TH
Jack Miller secured the best result of his MotoGP career so far, as he took 11th place in the Grand Prix of Catalunya to bring home five points for his CWM LCR Honda Team.
The Australian rookie had got a decent start from 21st position on the grid, riding with some experienced runners. At one point he made it as high as tenth place, but as former world champion Bautista sneaked through just a couple of laps from the end, he was forced to settle for one place behind.
With testing to come tomorrow, Miller can use this positive result to full effect before heading to the Dutch TT in Assen, in just over a week’s time.
Jack Miller #43 – 11th
“We struggled over the weekend and really had to work hard during today’s race. We got a good start, and we were in amongst a good group. I really got stuck in and settled into a rhythm, although I did have a few moments because it was slippery out there. “
“I am really happy to bring the bike home after two races of not finishing. It’s good to put some more points on the board, but we are still learning all the time on the bike. I still need more laps on it and crashing out of the race is not the way forward.”
“More than anything now I’m looking forward to our test tomorrow and putting some time in on the bike and working on our base set-up so we can be better prepared for the races coming up.”
More, from a press release issued by Avintia Racing:
Sweet and sour home race for Avintia Racing team
14/06/15 Avintia Racing MotoGP Grand Prix of Catalunya RACE
After a great qualifying, Hector Barbera had big expectations for today’s race at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. The set up of the bike was perfect and with his arm pump issues solved, the Avintia Racing team rider was hoping to do a good race in front of his home crowd. But from the first turn, he had a technical problem that did not allow him to brake properly. After running off the track several times, the leader of the Open Class pulled into the pits to solve the problem, but any chance of scoring a good result was gone by that time. The team is now analyzing the data to ensure this problem won’t happen again.
Barbera´s teammate Mike Di Meglio had something to cheer about today as the French rider of Avintia Racing scored his first points of the season with finishing 14th. But although he made a step forward with the set up of the bike, he was not comfortable in the second half of the race. Mike is now looking forward to test in Barcelona tomorrow with the goal of getting the maximum out of his bike at the next round in Assen.
HECTOR BARBERA #8 / 16th (7th Open) @HectorBarbera
I had a really good start, I managed to overtake some riders and I was in front of Iannone going into the first turn. But when I hit the brakes, the bike didn’t stop and I had to go straight. The same thing happened again in the next turn… I tried to adjust the pressure of the brake lever, but finally I decided to pull in the pits. We were able to solve the problem and I got back on the track. But I’m disappointed and frustrated, because when Redding lapped me, I could follow him quite easily. I cut the gas and let Bradl pass, and again I saw that my pace was good enough to be the first Open bike and to score a lot of points, since so many other riders crashed. But this is racing and we’ll try to not fail in the next one.
MIKE DI MEGLIO #63 / 14th (5th Open) @Mikejpp63
It´s good to score points, because we started the year quite strong but we had no luck, we choose the wrong tyres on some occasions and we also had some crashes. But my mechanics never gave up; they have been working really hard, and we got back on track. It was a hard race, but I got two points in the home race of my team and this is the main thing today. It was important to finish the race, because we got a lot of crucial data to keep improving. We could clearly see an improvement in the first half of the race, and thankfully we have a day of testing tomorrow, because I was loosing to much in comparison to the other riders in the second part of the circuit and we need to find the reason. The bike´s potential is higher and we need to understand what we have to do to go faster.
More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki Press Office:
POSITIVE CATALUNYA GP FOR TEAM SUZUKI ECSTAR
Another positive weekend marks yet more steps forward in Team SUZUKI ECSTAR’s journey in MotoGP™.
Today’s race at Montmelò for the GP of Catalunya saw Aleix Espargarò very competitive among the top riders, riding for most of the race in the top-five, but unfortunately he crashed towards the end while in fourth place. His team-mate Maverick Viñales enjoyed a very positive race as well, fighting for the whole 25-laps with the same pace of the top riders and finally finishing in sixth place, improving again his position from the last race in Mugello.
Both Team SUZUKI ECSTAR riders made good initial starts aboard their new GSX-RRs, but were overtaken by a pack of faster riders, which resulted in both of them being in the middle of the pack. This led to both of them losing a lot of time in having to make overtakes during the next few laps, but they both constantly improved their positions and finally were able to settle down into a pace similar to that of their higher-placed rivals.
The weekend proved to be very positive overall, not only for the historic 1-2 scored in qualifying, but because both riders made steps forward to close the gap with the top factory riders.
Satoru Terada – Project Leader:
“This weekend was positive for us. Of course I’m sorry for Aleix’s retirement, but we must consider that when he crashed he was in fourth place and fighting on the same pace of the other factory riders. This means that we have made some big steps forward and the excellent result in qualifying confirms this. Maverick, as well, had a very positive race, ending in sixth, improving his best result so far, and he proved to be very fast on the single lap but also consistent in race times. Even though we made this step forward we must continue working. The positive thing of the new engine-specs is that we haven’t only improved the top power but that we have a smooth and nice power delivery, which is very important. Saturday’s result was a success for us but also a reminder that we have in our hands a good base and we must continue improving. For the next test we will try some improvements in aerodynamics and also in electronics and we hope they will be profitable.”
Maverick Viñales:
“I’m happy about this result but at the end I’m also a little bit disappointed: being in sixth is an extraordinary result; it’s my best result so far and it is an improvement compared to Mugello, which means we are working positively. At the same time I’m disappointed because looking at the time-sheet I notice that I ran the same pace-time that other factory riders did, therefore maybe if I could be more effective in acceleration after the start I could be fighting for the podium. I got passed by so many riders in the first corner and I had to struggle a lot to overtake and recover. I finally ended in sixth place, for sure I’m disappointed and sad for Aleix’s crash, but I must say that at the end of the day the weekend has been very positive because we made some big progress.”
Aleix Espargaro:
“It’s a pity on how the race went. I was so proud of being at the front of the grid but unfortunately what happens at the end of the race is what counts. I had a very good start, but here in Catalunya the first corner is very far from the start-line and we lack in acceleration: as soon as I clicked into second gear I started losing positions because of our normal shift, instead of the seamless shift systems used by our factory rivals. I got out of the first corner having lost a lot of positions but I knew I could count on a very good race-pace; therefore I started to push very hard. I made many overtakes and finally set-foot in the top-five, but unfortunately this effort led to the front tyre getting worn too soon.
“The crash was my mistake, maybe because of the rush of recovering all those positions lost at the start. When I crashed I was riding to the limit and I got slightly off the ideal line, probably by one metre, but unfortunately I got a bump and I lost the front. It’s a real pity and I’m sorry for the team – which is doing a great job – but we still need something more. It’s good to see that now we can fight at the same level with the top riders, except for maybe the factory Yamahas, but not being able to finish the race is something I don’t like.”