FIM MotoGP World Championship
Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit
Phillip Island, Victoria, Australia
October 28, 2018
Race Results (all on Michelin tires):
1. Maverick Vinales, Spain (Yamaha), 27 laps, Total Race Time 40:51.081
2. Andrea Iannone, Italy (Suzuki), -1.543 seconds
3. Andrea Dovizioso, Italy (Ducati), -1.832
4. Alvaro Bautista, Spain (Ducati), -4.072
5. Alex Rins, Spain (Suzuki), -5.017
6. Valentino Rossi, Italy (Yamaha), -5.132
7. Jack Miller, Australia (Ducati), -6.756
8. Franco Morbidelli, Italy (Honda), -21.805
9. Aleix Espargaro, Spain (Aprilia), -22.904
10. Bradley Smith, UK (KTM), -22.940
11. Karel Abraham, Czech Republic (Ducati), -34.386
12. Danilo Petrucci, Italy (Ducati), -35.025
13. Scott Redding, UK (Aprilia), -36.348
14. Takaaki Nakagami, Japan (Honda), -36.389
15. Xavier Simeon, Belgium (Ducati), -44.214
16. Thomas Luthi, Switzerland (Honda), -48.226
17. Jordi Torres, Spain (Ducati), -64.965
18. Mike Jones, Australia (Ducati), -79.817
19. Pol Espargaro, Spain (KTM), -5 laps, DNF, retired
20. Hafizh Syahrin, Malaysia (Yamaha), -9 laps, DNF, crash
21. Dani Pedrosa, Spain (Honda), -16 laps, DNF, crash
22. Marc Marquez, Spain (Honda), -22 laps, DNF, retired
23. Johann Zarco, France (Yamaha), -22 laps, DNF, crash
World Championship Point Sandings (after 17 of 19 races):
1. Marquez, 296 points, clinched 2018 World Championship
2. Dovizioso, 210
3. Rossi, 195
4. Vinales, 180
5. Cal Crutchlow, 148
6. Petrucci, 137
7. TIE, Zarco/Iannone, 133
9. Jorge Lorenzo, 130
10. Rins, 129
11. Bautista, 96
12. Pedrosa, 95
13. Miller, 83
14. Morbidelli, 46
15. Aleix Espargaro, 39
16. TIE, Tito Rabat/Pol Espargaro, 35
18. Syahrin, 34
19. Smith, 29
20. Nakagami, 21
21. Redding, 15
22. Abraham, 10
23. Mika Kallio, 6
24. Katsuyuki Nakasuga, 2
25. TIE, Simeon/Michele Pirro, 1
More, from a press release issued by Monster Yamaha Tech 3:
Monster Yamaha Tech3 duo shows great potential but stays without rewards in Australia
After Hafizh Syahrin was able to secure his best ever starting spot on the MotoGP grid, the Malaysian rookie started the Michelin Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix in a decent way, but concluded the first lap just in 13th. On the second lap of the race, he was even faster than the front and thereby, made up one position after another. In the sixth lap he reached 8th and was set to bring home what could have been his best premier class result yet, but unfortunately crashed out after 19 of 27 laps of the race.
On the other side of the Monster Yamaha Tech3 garage, Johann Zarco came off the line well, following his second consecutive front row start, but got stuck in traffic during the first lap, which saw him returning in ninth position. The fast Frenchman fought hard within the leading group and made up ground step by step. While trying to pass Marc Marquez, he went too hot into the first corner, which unluckily brought his race to an early conclusion.
Hafizh Syahrin
Position: DNF – Championship: 18th– Points: 34
“Until lap 19 I had a good race. I just lost the front because I tried to close again on Miller. In the straight it is just impossible, as the Ducati just passes very easily. The guys and myself, we are already working very hard with our package, which is a bit different to the rest of the Yamahas. I was fighting with the faster group in the front, but it was just technically impossible to keep up with them, although I was pushing very hard. It’s a great pity to crash on the 19th lap. Anyway, we keep pushing, working hard and believing in ourselves because my team and me work very hard to be strong in the race. We tried to use our speed for a good result, but in the end we didn’t have a chance to fight with the rest of the riders in front.”
Johann Zarco
Position: DNF – Championship: 7th – Points: 133
“It was a bit cold today, but the sunshine made it a nice day. Starting from third position was a good advantage. I got a good start, but in the second corner I slide with the rear and a few guys had the same, I lost a few positions, but then I was really feeling quite ok to attack and try to overtake. I’m happy about the feeling that I was strong and did some good passes. After a few laps, I was still feeling pretty good, I got the slipstream of Jack Miller and Marc Marquez was also there. We were going so fast and when we were braking for corner one, I touched the rear wheel of Marc and totally flew away. I had a big crash, but I’m okay, which is the most important thing, as that crash was really fast It’s a shame about the race, because finish the race would have been important for the independent riders’ championship, but I didn’t. The crash was big and I am sorry that Marc could not finish the race. Thank you to my team, because the bike was competitive today! I did a mistake and I need to make up for it on the next two rounds.”
Hervé PONCHARAL
Team Manager
“There are some days you wish what you see is a dream – or rather a nightmare. But unfortunately, what we saw today was reality. We had high hopes with a great Qualifying from both of our riders, Johann on the front row and Hafizh with his best ever Qualifying in 10th. The start was difficult as usual, it was a big pack as we saw in the other two classes and clearly, Johann was trying to find his way through the field after a bit hectic lap one. We could see that he was really fast and I think he wanted to use the advantage of the soft-soft choice he had made for front and rear and that was quite intense until that incident, which was unbelievable. When you see a rider going down at such a high speed – I think he touched the ground at 280 km/h – for the few seconds following the incident, you just hope nothing bad will happen. Johann had a really good reflex and although his bottom is quite sore, he was strong to walk back to the garage and be still fully fit and ready to race the next round. That was a big thing. Unfortunate for the fans and the racing overall, Marc and Johann were out of the race, which made it less exciting. So, our focus went on Hafizh, who was behind the leading group until he slowly los the contact. But he was still holding on a good eighth position and we were quite happy because although he was loosing ground he was still keeping a good pace and he crashed without any warning, without really understanding why. That was the end of our weekend. Both of our riders could have been really strong and both of them get no points, which is a big disappointment. I know you always have to keep up the ‘never-give-up-attitude’, but today it is hard, also with Remy in the Moto2 class. The only good thing is, our riders are fit, ok and we have a race next week.”
More, from a press release issued by Repsol Honda:
Marquez forced to retire from the Australian Grand Prix, Pedrosa crashes out of the race
The Australian Grand Prix ended on lap 6 for Marc Marquez and on lap 14 for Dani Pedrosa. It was a DNF for the Repsol Honda Team, for the first time since the 2017 Argentine Grand Prix.
The 2018 World Champion was forced to retire after his bike was damaged during contact with Johan Zarco: the Frenchman unexpectedly struck the tail of Marquez’s bike while braking into the fast turn one at the end of the main straight and crashed out, luckily without consequences. Marc was able to keep control of his shaking machine and avoided a crash himself, but he couldn’t continue his podium quest and entered the pit.
Dani, who had never been at ease at the Australian track over the weekend, was in 14th place when a crash at turn 4 put an early end to his race.
The Repsol Honda Team will now move on to Malaysia for the third and final consecutive flyaway race before returning to Europe for the season finale in Valencia.
Marc Marquez 93
DNF
“At first I didn’t understand exactly what had happened, but I was angry because I felt the contact from the rear. I couldn’t continue the race because my seat was broken and moving around. It was impossible to ride. When I arrived in the garage and saw the video, I understood. It was just a race incident because at that point of the track, we arrive really fast, over 300 km/h. I was behind Jack Miller when I braked even a bit later than usual, and then I felt the impact. Zarco had taken the slipstreams from the two of us. You may think he could have considered that, but for me it’s just a race incident and I already spoke with him. What I can say is that today I feel really lucky, and the most important thing for me is that both me and Johann are okay. Today I was really focused, and the race was going as expected. I led for a couple of laps, and then I decided to stay in the group and wait a bit. I had the pace and I felt I was able to fight for the win. It’s unlucky that we got a zero here at Phillip Island, but if next year I can win the title in Japan again and have another DNF here, I’ll sign up for that! Now let’s focus on the next race.”
Dani Pedrosa 26
DNF
“It has been a difficult weekend. We never had a good feeling over the three days, and unfortunately I crashed out of the race. I wasn’t in a good position, and then I lost the front in the braking point after the straight—quite a big crash, as it’s a fast point. Anyway, we just have to move forward, hoping to have a better race next Sunday.”
More, from a press release issued by Red Bull KTM:
10TH PLACE FOR SMITH AT AUSTRALIAGP AS BINDER AND ARENAS WIN IN MOTO2 & MOTO3
RACE 17th Rd. MotoGP 2018 – Phillip Island (AUS)
The Grand Prix of Australia delivered a positive weekend of results and performance with Red Bull KTM’s Bradley Smith taking 10th position and KTM machinery celebrating victory in Moto2 and Moto3 classes thanks to Brad Binder and Albert Arenas respectively.
MotoGP
The fast and scenic circuit of Phillip Island was again a fantastic stage for the Grand Prix of Australia as MotoGP ploughed into the seventeenth round of nineteen. Changeable conditions across the weekend finally gave way to sunshine and light winds on race day for the 24th FIM World Championship meeting at the coastal venue.
Pol Espargaro set off from a season-best qualifying position of 11th and with hopes of matching his 2017 performance in Australia where the team achieved one of the highest classifications of their debut year. Bradley Smith was 16th and two rows further back.
Early in the 27 lap distance both riders jostled for space inside the top ten on their KTM RC16 – Smith making his customary brilliant start – as the pack circulated in close proximity. By mid-race distance Espargaro slipped back three positions and was eventually forced into the pitlane with a tyre problem. Smith reached as high as 8th spot but could not resist Aleix Espargaro and Franco Morbidelli in the last three laps and crossed the line 10th: his second-best classification of 2018.
Smith: “We did a good job. We saw Phillip Island as an important weekend for KTM because we knew the bike would work quite well here. The team did a fantastically because the main aim of the weekend was to try and set up the bike as best as we could to look after the rear tyre. It meant we had to sacrifice qualification a little bit yesterday but it paid off today. I had a great first lap to come from sixteenth to eighth and then tried to hold the position for as long as possible. Unfortunately towards the end I just didn’t have anything left for Morbidelli or Aleix. Sepang now and it is a difficult track but I think we have some good confidence and the bike has a good setting and it working well for me. I’m optimistic we can keep the same level and take some good points.”
Espargaro: “I was super-angry because I think we worked well this weekend and did a lot of laps with the tyres front and rear and we put the Soft options for the race thinking it would be OK. For some reason after six-seven laps it started to drop and I couldn’t open the throttle. After a few more laps it was dangerous to ride the bike so I had to stop. I don’t know what else to say. We made all the processes and procedures to know the tyre 100% but it looks like it can be a lottery. We’ll talk to Michelin and try to learn from this.”
Mike Leitner (Team Manager MotoGP): “Race conditions can be difficult here and so can tyre choice. It went quite well for Bradley and he ran where he we think we can be – between 8-10. We lost ninth position by four hundredths of a second: it was very close. A shame for Pol. He had a different tyre choice but then other riders also had that selection. In the middle of the race he had a very big drop which is not usual and he had to stop. So we need to analyse what happened. He should have also been able to fight for the top ten. We’ll go to Malaysia now and try to make it happen.”
Moto2
For the fifth time this year Red Bull KTM Ajo had cause to celebrate a Moto2 race victory. Brad Binder built on his excellent speed on the KTM Moto2 bike through the weekend to be a major protagonist in the hectic six-rider fight at the front. The South African prevailed by just three hundredths of a second from Joan Mir for his third success of the season. Teammate Miguel Oliveira remains in the 2018 title fight after finishing 11th and in front of Francesco Bagnaia but trails the Italian by 36 points with just 50 left to win.
Binder: “It was a crazy race; I thought I was in Moto3! I made a good start, got to the front and tried to break the group, but with 13 laps to go I saw that there was no way to do that. I tried to stay in the group and save something for the end. There were a few scares involving other riders; it was a little crazy, as there were people everywhere. I had planned to take the lead when there were two laps left and I pushed with everything I had. I was able to have a good race and take another victory, so I’m very happy. I thank the team a lot, as after the crash in FP3 I had to ride a completely new bike and it worked wonderfully. I hope that things remain the same in Malaysia.”
Moto3
Angel Nieto Team’s Albert Arenas emerged triumphant from a staggering Moto3 affair where the top fourteen riders were separated by less than one second at the chequered flag. The Spaniard survived the bumping and crashes of the group to win for the second time this year with his KTM RC250 GP. Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Darryn Binder led the race at various stages but could not push through the pack on the last lap to be higher than 12th.
Arenas: “How did I do it? Pushing so much, so hard, it was crazy! I expected a race like this but…not that much. I started the last lap first and I knew the slipstream was important. I was leading and pushed as hard as I could. I tucked in with all my strength on the last corner and it was awesome to win the race.”
The heat and humidity of Sepang and the Grand Prix of Malaysia will entertain MotoGP next weekend for the third meeting in a row.
Next Race: November 4, 2018 – Sepang International Circuit (MAL)
More, from a press release issued by Aprilia Gresini Racing:
TWO APRILIAS IN THE POINTS AT PHILLIP ISLAND
GOOD TOP TEN BY ESPARGARÓ WHO FINISHES NINTH
After finding the right race setup, Aleix Espargaró took a nice ninth place in the GP of Australia. The new materials brought to Phillip Island, also in view of the evolution for 2019, required extensive testing in order to find the right settings, but the warm up session, where Aleix was one of the fastest on used tyres, already provided promising signs for the race.
The starting position penalised Espargaró greatly, forcing him to ride the race coming back from behind with very interesting times, managing to claw his way up to eighth place, a position he lost on the final lap. The Spanish rider also had to deal with pain in his left hand, struck during the sixth lap by debris from the accident between Márquez and Zarco.
Scott Redding did well, also aided by a few crashes, skilfully coming back from the 22nd spot on the starting grid to a thirteenth place finish to earn 3 championship points.
ALEIX ESPARGARO’
“On the straight, I was in the slipstream of a lot of riders and at a certain point, a piece of Marc’s bike struck my left hand. I began to feel pain, but fortunately in MotoGP we only use the clutch for the start, so I was able to finish the race. We’ll assess the situation in view of Malaysia. After a less-than-easy weekend, in warm up we made a big step forward and in the race I was able to ride very incisively. This is demonstrated by the fact that we lapped faster than in qualifying, but unfortunately on the final laps, the soft rear tyre began to suffer and I was unable to hold onto eighth place. In any case, the result is good, considering the hard work done this weekend with two different bikes.”
SCOTT REDDING
“I am happy with the way the race went. To be honest, I didn’t expect it. Even in warm up, I didn’t have any particularly good feeling. Apparently, staying in the slipstream of the other riders helped me warm up the front tyre better. Maybe in terms of pace I could have done a bit better too, but when I found myself leading the group, I began to have some difficulties. In any case, I battled, overtaking Nakagami on the final lap and bringing home important points. A few crashes helped, but we did a good job anyway turning a complicated situation around.”
More, from a press release issued by Angel Nieto Team:
ABRAHAM SCORES BEST RESULT OF 2018 IN AUSTRALIA
Ángel Nieto Team rider finishes eleventh and picks up five points on the Ducati GP17
Maverick Viñales ended a run of over twenty races without a win for his factory at the Australian Grand Prix, dominating from the second third of the race. The Spaniard broke clear and didn’t look back to take his first win since the Grand Prix de France in 2017. Italian pair Andrea Dovizioso and Andrea Iannone completed a podium that featured three different manufacturers after a race that saw the top seven riders cross the line within seven seconds of the winner. One of those riders was Ángel Nieto Team man Álvaro Bautista, who was representing the factory Ducati team and produced his best result of the season in fourth place, just two seconds off the podium. Marc Márquez, who already sealed the title last time out in Japan, was unable to finish the race at Phillip Island after his bike was damaged in a collision from behind by Johann Zarco. The penultimate round of the MotoGP World Championship takes place next weekend in Malaysia.
Ángel Nieto Team rider Karel Abraham scored his best result of 2018 with eleventh place, having started from thirteenth after narrowly missing out on Q2 yesterday. Abraham made the most of the Ducati GP17 normally ridden by his teammate Álvaro Bautista to hang on to the lead group for the first ten laps, before some sliding and bumping from his rear tyre made it a job for him to come home in eleventh, doubling his points tally for 2018. His teammate for this round Mike Jones finished his home Grand Prix in a creditable eighteenth place after making progress all weekend.
11th Karel Abraham: “We have to be happy with this race, we have doubled our points score for the season in just round. I am happy to have had the chance to ride the Ducati GP17, I could see how much potential the bike has but you also have to consider that it is difficult for any rider or chief mechanic to find the perfect set-up for a new bike in just one weekend. In any case we have done a good job and you could see that at the start of the race, when I felt really good. After that the bike started to slide and pump, I changed the mapping and it helped for a couple of laps but then it started again. I didn’t want to use the last two maps because they are for emergency use and we still had a lot of laps to go. The riders behind me were closing in and I wanted to push harder but I couldn’t get any more out of the bike. In the end, luckily, I managed to stay ahead of them.”
18th Mike Jones: “Today I just wanted to give my best and finish the race, and we achieved our objective. I am very happy and grateful to the Ángel Nieto Team for the opportunity to race in MotoGP in front of the Australian fans. It has been an incredible experience, the power of the bike is crazy and the braking force is unreal. It has been a physically demanding weekend because this is such a different bike to anything I have ridden before.”
More, from a press release issued by Alma Pramac Racing:
Michelin® Australian Motorcycle GP – The Race
#AustralianGP Race. P7 and 1st Independent for Jack. Monster start for Petrux, then slowed by a technical issue.
The Michelin® Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix ends with the P7 for Jack Miller – who greets his fans at the Parc Ferme as first Independent rider – and with the great comeback of Danilo Petrucci who finishes 12th after a sensational start ruined by a technical issue.
Jack and Petrux are respectively 6th and 8th on the grid and their start is fantastic. At the first corner, Petrux is first and Jack third but Danilo is immediately forced to go off the track due to a clutch problem. Jack fights for the podium until halfway through the race then he loses some contact. The Australian rider tries to push to recover the leading group but he is not able to close the gap.
Petrux is forced to try an impossible comeback after getting back on track with almost 20 seconds from the head. Lap after lap he managed to recover positions and six laps from the end he entered the points zone. Petrux ends up in P12 taking 4 precious points that allow him to conquer the sixth position in the World Championship standings and remains firmly in the race for the First Independent Trophy, 11 points behind Cal Crutchlow. Important points also for Alma Pramac Racing who increases his advantage over LCR Honda (51 points with two rounds left) in the ranking reserved for Independent Teams.
P12 – Danilo Petrucci
“It’s really a shame. I felt like I had a great feeling right from the warm-up. I went on track very focused and made my best start in my career. Unfortunately at turn two I had a problem with the clutch. I am really sorry but these are the races: once it is the rider who makes a mistake, another time it is the bike that betrays you. We’ll try again in Sepang”.
P7 – Jack Miller
“If I have to be honest I was expecting a little more but I am still happy with this result and being the first Independent rider. I got off to a good start even though I honestly didn’t think I would be in the lead so early. In the middle of the race I tried to save my tyres but in the end I didn’t have any room to attack the podium group”.
More, from a press release issued by Reale Avintia Racing:
Mission accomplished for Simeon as he scores his first MotoGP point on Phillip Island
MotoGP GP of Australia – Phillip Island
Reale Avintia Racing rider Xavier Simeon scored his first world championship point in the MotoGP class at the Australian Grand Prix today. Throughout the weekend, he showed how competitive he is on Phillip Island, Even though he didn’t have the best possible start, he was able to recover several positions and fought until the end to make sure of his first point in the premier class.
His teammate Jordi Torres was not happy after the race, since he had a promising race pace in the warm-up practice this morning. But conditions changed again at Phillip Island. The warmer, sunny conditions and higher track temperatures for the race were no problem, but it was windy and this affected Torres more than expected.
The Reale Avintia Racing riders will now head to Sepang for the Malaysian Grand Prix, the 18th round of the MotoGP World Championship scheduled for November 2nd to 4th.
Xavier Simeon | P15
“I have a lot of problems with the clutch and once again, my start was horrible. I was last again, but this time at least I was able to recover some positions on the first lap. The bike was very good and I had the pace to fight between eleventh and fifteenth position. Ten laps from the end though, the left flank of the rear tyre was destroyed and I had to slow down. Therefore I’m a little bit disappointed. The weekend has been very good and I always felt strong, but we depend too much on tyre wear. Apart from this, I’m super happy about achieving my first MotoGP point and I want to thank my team because they helped me a lot since I got on this bike. In Malaysia we have to improve the start and work more with the tyres for the race. I hope to have fun again like here and score more points.”
Jordi Torres | P17
“Today’s race has left me with a bad taste in my mouth. This morning in the warm-up I felt pretty strong and we had a very promising pace. But it was more windy in the race and tyres maybe did not reach the right working temperature on the first laps because twice I was close to a crash when I tried to push. This affected my confidence and I wasn’t riding comfortably throughout the race. I know what I have to do to go fast, but I lacked the confidence to do it. At least I’m gaining experience in every race and I hope things will go better in Malaysia. Sepang is a very long circuit and I’ll have to learn many things in a short time, because the other riders have done lot of kilometres over there. The heat will also be a new challenge for me. I hope to my level of fitness is high enough.”
More, from a press release issued by Dorna:
V for Victory: Viñales pulls the pin at Phillip Island to end Yamaha’s win drought
The drought is over. 25 races since their last win – taken by Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) at the TT Circuit Assen last season – Yamaha were back on the top step at the Michelin® Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix as Maverick Viñales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) brought an end to their losing streak in imperious style. His first win since Le Mans 2017 saw him take the flag 1.5 seconds clear of second place Andrea Iannone (Team Suzuki Ecstar), with Ducati Team’s Andrea Dovizioso taking his first podium for the Borgo Panigale factory at Phillip Island.
As the lights went out it was Danilo Petrucci (Alma Pramac Racing) who got a lightning launch from P8 to head around the outside and lead into Turn 1, but the Italian then ran off at Turn 2 to end his charge. However, fellow Alma Pramac Racing rider Jack Miller took advantage to take the lead of his home Grand Prix at Turn 4 – a rinse and repeat of 2017 for the Aussie.
Pole man Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) slotted in behind Miller with Iannone third, but heading into Turn 1 on Lap 2 it was all change: Marquez took over the reins of the freight train, with Dovi slotting into second, Iannone third and Miller pushed back to fourth. The swapping and changing at the front begun with the fast and sweeping Phillip Island circuit keeping the riders in close pursuit of each other. The racing was hard but fair under glorious clear skies.
Close then became too close for Marquez and Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3), however, as the duo headed into the braking zone at Turn 1 on Lap 6 and Zarco hit the back of the number 93, causing the Frenchman to lose control and crash at roughly 300kph. Zarco’s bike also severely damaged the back of Marquez’ Honda and subsequently, the 2018 Champion retired from the race. Thankfully, Zarco walked away from the incident uninjured.
This left Dovi leading from Miller and Iannone but then Viñales began to make his move. Starting P2, the Spaniard didn’t get a good getaway and was as low as tenth at one stage, but on Lap 8 he made what would turn out to be his race-winning overtake at Turn 4. Maverick then took off in true Top Gun style and within a lap had created a 0.8 second lead.
The number 25 was in the groove and looked like he was on rails around the Island. Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) was leading the chase before Iannone then took the baton, but the Suzuki man ran wide at Turn 4 and dropped to the back of the quartet. Alvaro Bautista (Ducati Team) was taking no prisoners on his one-off Ducati factory ride, with he and teammate Dovi also taking it in turns to try and reel in Viñales. But no matter who it was out of the four, no one could match the Spaniard’s superior pace – the gap was 1.9 seconds on Lap 13, and grew to four seconds by Lap 21.
Rins got the better of Rossi on the final lap to claim a fourth consecutive top five finish; ‘The Doctor’ forced to settle for P6 after heading wide on the last lap. Miller would bring his Ducati home in a solid P7 and as the leading Independent Team rider – the Australian just 6.7 seconds from the win – with Franco Morbidelli (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) earning his best result in the premier class so far in P8 to take charge in the Rookie of the Year Championship. Hafizh Syahrin (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) crashed out of the top on Lap 19 at Turn 4. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) was able to beat Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Bradley Smith by a whisker in two great results – with 0.036 separating the duo at the line in P9 and P10 respectively – despite the Spaniard getting hit in the hand by some debris following the Zarco-Marquez incident.
11th was Karel Abraham (Angel Nieto Team) in the Czech rider’s best result of the season, with Petrucci recovering to P12 at the flag. Scott Redding (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini), Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) and Xavier Simeon (Reale Avintia Racing) completed to points in P13, P14 and P15 respectively – the latter earning his first point-scoring finish of the season.
A fantastic and faultless ride from Viñales means Yamaha have won their first Grand Prix race in 490 days. Can this launch the Spaniard into an end of season onslaught for second in the Championship? Or will Rossi and Dovizioso hold him off? Next up is Malaysia and the last of the flyaway races to give us the penultimate piece of the 2018 puzzle.
MotoGP™ Race Results
1 – Maverick Viñales (SPA) YAMAHA 40’51.081
2 – Andrea Iannone (ITA) SUZUKI +1.543
3 – Andrea Dovizioso (ITA) DUCATI +1.832
First Independent Team Rider
7 – Jack Miller (AUS) DUCATI +6.756
Binder wins an Island battle against Mir, Bagnaia and Oliveira outside the top ten
The South African vs the Spaniard decided by thousandths – and the title fight heads to Malaysia
Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) claimed his third win of the season as he took the chequered flag by just 0.036 from second place Joan Mir (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) at the Michelin® Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix, with Xavi Vierge (Dynavolt Intact GP) snatching a podium away from Augusto Fernandez (Pons HP 40) at the line by an even smaller 0.008. The brilliant battle on the Island in the intermediate class saw neither Francesco Bagnaia (Sky Racing Team VR46) or Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo) challenge at the front, and the Championship rolls on to Malaysia.
There was drama before the race had even begun as P2 on the grid Marcel Schrötter (Dynavolt Intact GP) encountered a problem with his bike and although he eventually got it going, the German had to line up at the back of the grid. As the lights went out it was pole man Mattia Pasini (Italtrans Racing Team) who launched well to grab the holeshot, but Vierge soon cut his way through to the lead from P3 on the grid, with Binder, Iker Lecuona (Swiss Innovative Investors) and Dominique Aegerter (Kiefer Racing) slotting in behind.
Pasini’s race wouldn’t last long though, a crash at Turn 4 on Lap 2 for the Italian ended his hopes of a second podium of the year. Meanwhile, Bagnaia had initially made significant progress from P16 on the grid to get as high as P6, but the Championship leader soon dropped back to outside the top ten, along with title rival Oliveira.
Back at the front, a lead group of eight had formed. Lecuona was looking strong but the young Spaniard then crashed out at Turn 2 on lap 7 and then, looking good for a home round rostrum challenge, Remy Gardner (Tech 3 Racing) lost the front at Turn 10 lap 13 – heartache for the Australian.
The lead was chopping and changing lap by lap, particularly between Lorenzo Baldassarri (Pons HP 40) and Vierge. With five to go, it was a group of six at the front, all of which looked menacing. However, Baldassarri’s race would end prematurely at Turn 10 after the Italian got his Kalex machine out of shape under braking and went down and out of contention. And so, heading onto the last lap, there were five riders in contention. Luca Marini (Sky Racing Team VR46) made a sweeping move to go from fifth to third at Turn 1 as Binder led the way from Mir, and Turn 4 then saw Marini run wide and out of podium contention, with Fernandez and Vierge also getting out of sorts on the exit to leave the battle for the win between Binder and Mir.
Mir wasn’t close enough at his particular strong point: Turn 10, but on the exit of Turn 11 Binder lit up the rear of his KTM. A run to the line then followed but the South African had just enough edge out the Spaniard – the 2016 and 2017 Moto3™ Champions going head-to-head and Binder coming out on top. Vierge won the race to the line with Fernandez to complete the podium, with Marini taking P5. Aegerter would eventually finish 2.4s from the win in sixth after being in the leading group throughout, with Alex Marquez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) P7 after being unable to cling on to the front runners. 2018 European Moto2™ Champion Jesko Raffin (SAG Team) earned a top P8 at Phillip Island – a very solid ride from the Swiss rider at a track at which he’s got a good record.
Schrötter produced a phenomenal comeback ride to end the Australian GP in ninth, with Fabio Quartararo (MB Conveyors – Speed Up) rounding out the top ten. Then came the two title protagonists: Oliveira P11, Bagnaia in P12. A strange race for both as neither could penetrate the top ten, and the Championship moves onto Malaysia with Bagnaia holding a 36-point advantage.
Tetsuta Nagashima (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia), Sam Lowes (Swiss Innovative Investors) and Edgar Pons (MB Conveyors – Speed Up) complete the points in a top 15 that was separated by 14.076 seconds – the fifth closest top 15 in Moto2™/250 history.
So the Moto2™ riders Championship continues for another race, but Kalex claimed a sixth constructors title. A second match point for Bagnaia now awaits, can he and Oliveira challenge at the front again in at Sepang? Find out next weekend.
Moto2™ Race Results
1 – Brad Binder (RSA) KTM 39’23.427
2 – Joan Mir (SPA) KALEX +0.036
3 – Xavi Vierge (SPA) KALEX +0.949
Arenas reigns amid yet more drama Down Under
A second win, a maiden podium and another twist in the title fight in Australia
Albert Arenas (Angel Nieto Team Moto3) has taken his second Grand Prix win in stunning style in the Michelin® Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix, timing it to perfection to stay ahead over the line in one of the closest top fifteen finishes of all time. Fabio Di Giannantonio (Del Conca Gresini Moto3) took an impressive second after fighting back from outside the top fifteen on the grid and kept his title hopes alive, with Celestino Vietti (Sky Racing Team VR46) completing the podium in only his second ever Grand Prix as he replaces the injured Nicolo Bulega. If you’re looking for the names of key title contenders Jorge Martin (Del Conca Gresini Moto3) and Marco Bezzecchi (Redox PruestelGP), they were off the podium – Martin in fifth and Bezzecchi not finishing after another dose of huge bad luck for the Italian as he got collected in a crash.
As the lights went out under the Phillip Island sun, it was Gabriel Rodrigo (RBA BOE Skull Rider) who got the perfect launch from the second row to take the holeshot, but he didn’t hold the lead long as Philipp Oettl (Südmetall Schedl GP Racing) pounced at Stoner Corner and Martin then repaid the favour not long after. First time down the Gardner Straight, however, the power of the KTM fought back and Rodrigo was back in the lead.
Meanwhile Marco Bezzecchi had made up a few places from his more difficult P15 starting position, and the front group remained a long freight train so the Italian was still in the fight. But it was Martin in the lead, the main he trailed by a single point coming into the race, and there was work left to do for the Italian. Slowly making his way forward, he was soon within striking distance of Martin and with 16 to go Bezzecchi went from seventh over the line to the lead within a handful of corners.
Five or six wide through Stoner Corner – somehow – it was a true classic in the lightweight class with the top 17 covered by just over a second and a half. That always brings some drama and, in yet another twist, that drama then hit one of the Championship protagonsts: Bezzecchi.
As Gabriel Rodrigo ran out of space between the Italian and Aron Canet (Estrella Galicia 0,0), he lost the front. The Italian rider was on the outside and was a pure passenger in the Argentinean’s crash, sending another shockwave through the title fight as he slid out onto the grass and was unable to get back in the race.
That left Martin with a big opportunity to try and extend the gap, but the battle still raged. The freight train remained despite a very brief breakaway for Martin, and there was nothing between those fighting for points and those fighting for the win. Canet had emerged into the lead after some more drama – a huge highside for Marcos Ramirez (Bester Capital Dubai) that then collected his teammate Jaume Masia, and then a crash between Dennis Foggia (Sky Racing Team VR46) and Tony Arbolino (Marinelli Snipers team) – and the final laps were dawning.
Martin seemed to roll out of it on the final time down the Gardner Straight and a gaggle of riders headed abreast into Turn 1 to start the last lap in style, but it was Albert Arenas who took over on the final lap. That was as Vietti held onto P2 and got attacked by Martin, but the Spaniard couldn’t get through and he headed wide as Fabio Di Giannantonio then capitalised – setting up a drag to the line. As they tucked in and bombed out of the final corner for the last time, Arenas was able to just stay clear as the field snapped at his heels, taking his second Grand Prix win of the season.
Vietti just lost out on second as ‘Diggia’ was able to get past him at the line, and for the Del Conca Gresini rider it’s a big result as he puts himself squarely back into the title fight with those 20 points. Vietti held on to third to take his first podium on only his second ever start, with Martin losing out another place over the line as Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Squadra Corse) struck to take fourth. That, at least, was some consolation for Marco Bezzecchi as the gap didn’t grow by a full 25 points.
Canet took P6 ahead of Enea Bastianini (Leopard Racing), with Jakub Kornfeil (Redox PruestelGP) and Ayumu Sasaki (Petronas Sprinta Racing) completing the top ten. Alonso Lopez (Estrella Galicia 0,0) was back on song in P11, with Darryn Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) one to lose out in the latter stages and taking twelfth after leading early on. Andrea Migno (Angel Nieto Team), John McPhee (CIP – Green Power) and Philipp Oettl completed the points, the latter after some contact with points leader Martin.
More drama than ever once again ripped through the Moto3™ race in Australia, and it’s left us with another shake up in the points. What will happen in Malaysia? Martin arrives on top by 12 points ahead of Bezzecchi, with Di Giannantonio within 20 of the top. Those are the three men who remain in it, and the conclusion could be decided for one or all of them next time out. Tune in next weekend for another incredible lightweight class showdown, this time at Sepang.
Moto3™ Race Results
1 – Albert Arenas (SPA) KTM 37’48.073
2 – Fabio Di Giannantonio (ITA) HONDA +0.052
3 – Celestino Vietti (ITA) KTM +0.059
More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki ECSTAR:
IANNONE SNATCHES SECOND IN AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX
Andrea Iannone: 2nd (+ 1.543)
Alex Rins: 5th (+ 5.017)
• Iannone fights at front for excellent second place.
• Rins remains in lead group, takes 5th at the flag.
• Team SUZUKI ECSTAR pleased with progress.
Following a successful Friday and Saturday at Phillip Island in Australia, expectations were high for the 17th round of the championship. In Sunday morning’s Warm-Up session Andrea Iannone stamped his authority once again by setting the fastest time, with Alex Rins close by in 6th.
As the complex 27 lap race got underway in chilly but bright conditions, Iannone and Rins opted for the medium-hard tyre combination. Both riders got great starts and immediately slotted into the lead group, with Iannone setting the fastest lap on only lap 3. Alex Rins lost a few positions after being sat up by Viñales, but he was able to manage his race well and rejoin the lead group, where he persevered until the flag to take a very solid 5th place. Andrea Iannone was in the fight for top spot and was very close to a huge incident between Zarco and Marquez, however, the Italian kept his focus and continued to push until the end, despite a couple of small mistakes. With 5 laps to go he made his move into 2nd place and proceeded to resist all challenges to achieve an excellent 2nd place, his best result with Suzuki. These strong finishes from the team-mates sees them both close up in the championship standings, giving extra motivation for the final two races.
Ken Kawauchi – Technical Manager
“After the podium in Motegi, we were pleased to get another podium here. I’m very happy and want to thank everybody who is involved in this project, and also all the fans who support us. This weekend we’ve been very competitive in all sessions, so I feel somehow sorry we couldn’t get the victory, as we felt it could be achievable. In the race we were able to see our positive points, and also the parts we need to improve more, so we’ll continue to develop and work – as we want to get a win as soon as possible!”
Davide Brivio – Team Manager
“This has been another very good day for our team, we took another podium, the second in a row and the third in 4 races. Andrea had a great battle with many riders and was able to finish 2nd. Because of this big battle it was hard to catch the leader, but anyway, it was a good race and we scored our 7th podium of the season. Alex finishing 5th was also very positive, Top 5 is really important to us. I really hope we can continue like this for the last two rounds of the season and thanks again to everybody involved for always working hard, especially on difficult times.”
Andrea Iannone
“I’m really happy, especially as we were at the top almost all weekend long, and this gives us a lot of positivity. We worked together on improving my feeling with the bike and it meant I was able to finish really close to the top. I felt able to win but it was a hard fight with the others and I was losing ground with them. When I managed to overtake them and keep them behind I realised I couldn’t catch Viñales, so I just tried to defend and manage the tyres. At the end I pushed at 100% to make sure I could get 2nd place.”
Alex Rins
“It was an interesting race and I was able to learn a lot. During the first part, when I was inside the group, I was feeling good but then when I got the contact from Maverick I lost a lot of ground and it cost me a lot because the group got away, but this is racing. I also lost further time trying to overtake Miller. But we want to focus on the positive points, and there were many, for instance the way I was able to battle with Rossi and defend my 5th place. We’re going to Malaysia with good feelings and we are prepared, so we hope for another nice result there.”
More, from a press release issued by LCR Honda Idemitsu:
MORE POINTS FOR NAKAGAMI AT PHILLIP ISLAND
LCR Honda IDEMITSU rider Takaaki Nakagami secured another points finish at the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday. The Japanese rookie battled hard to see the chequered flag after a punishing race at the iconic Phillip Island circuit and eventually claimed two more World Championship points after coming home in 14th position.
Nakagami – who started from the fifth row of the grid – was one of only two Honda riders to complete the race in Australia. Although he was unable to find the pace he wanted throughout, Taka stuck to his task and managed his tyres successfully to ensure he chalked up another finish in his debut season in the premier category.
Takaaki Nakagami – 14th
“It was a difficult weekend. Today the weather conditions were a little bit better than yesterday, they were less windy and the track temperature was getting higher and higher. We decided to go with a soft compound on the rear and I think that was the correct choice, but I really struggled in the last ten laps. The lap times were quite strong and I couldn’t find the race pace I wanted. In the end I got into the points which is very good, but I was expecting a better result here so now we have to think about the next one in Sepang and try to be more consistent over the weekend.”
More, from a press release issued by Movistar Yamaha:
VIÑALES BANKS BRILLIANT VICTORY IN AUSTRALIA
Movistar Yamaha MotoGP’s Maverick Viñales crowned his consistently strong efforts at the Michelin Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix with a superb win. Valentino Rossi was also involved in the battle at the front and finished in sixth position.
Phillip Island (Australia), 28th October 2018
The Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team are celebrating at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit today, as they have returned to the top step of the podium with Maverick Viñales taking a stunning win. Valentino Rossi was also a strong contender in today‘s Michelin Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix. He crossed the line in sixth place.
VIñales didn‘t have the start he had hoped for from second on the front row and slotted into tenth position after the first corners. At the end of the first lap he started to climb his way back up the ranking order, and on lap 3 he moved into eighth position. He remained there for a while, but was looking comfortable.
Drama happened with 21 laps to go, when Johann Zarco and Marc Márquez collided. Unaffected by the incident, the Factory Yamaha rider used the moment to launch his attack. He smoothly fought his way through the rider field to take the lead on lap 8. From that moment on he did exactly as he predicted yesterday: he put his head down, lapping 1‘29s laps, to break away at the front.
Towards the end of the race the Spaniard had a comfortable advantage of over 4s, allowing him to have a bit of a breather over the last five laps. He didn‘t put a foot wrong and secured a fantastic victory, with a 1.543s margin over his closest rival.
Rossi had a good start from seventh on the grid, gaining a spot on the first lap. He continued to fight in the bunched-up leading group and soon found a way past Álex Rins to take fifth. He was looking to hit the front of the pack early but got involved in a scrap with Zarco and Jack Miller, which moved him back to sixth.
As Zarco and Márquez touched going into turn 1 on lap 6, the fight for the lead heated up. Viñales took the number one spot on lap 8 and the Doctor was keen on following him. He wrestled for a bit with Andrea Dovizioso and initially came out victorious, so he could attempt to follow his teammate in first place, but he couldn‘t quite keep up the challenge.
A fight with Andrea Iannone cost him some valuable time, and with 12 laps to go he got swept up again in a battle consisting of five riders fighting for second place. Rossi was pushed back to fifth but wasn‘t about to give up. With 8 laps to go he made another charge, briefly reclaiming second place, only to find himself in sixth again shortly after. The Italian pushed hard and had another try in the final three laps, but still finished the race in sixth place, 5.132s from his teammate.
Today’s results see Rossi hold third position in the championship standings with a 15-point gap to second. Viñales remains in fourth place, and thanks to his splendid win he currently has a 15-point gap to his teammate.
Yamaha holds third place in the Constructor Championship after the race in Australia, with a 44-point margin to second, while the Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team remain in second position in the team standings, with now a 16-point gap to first.
The Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team will be back in action at the Sepang International Circuit next weekend for the Shell Malaysia Motorcycle Grand Prix, held from November 2nd – 4th.
MASSIMO MEREGALLI
TEAM DIRECTOR
What a thrilling and dramatic race! Maverick is always strong at the Phillip Island circuit, and he once again outdid himself in Australia today. He really deserved the victory, because he had been strong the entire weekend. It‘s a great feeling for the team to secure a win again – we have all been working so hard for this. It‘s not just us who have been waiting, but also our fans, so this is as much for them as it is for us. It was a pity that Vale wasn‘t able to join the podium, because he was showing great potential for the majority of the race. It would have been great to have him up there too. He and his crew have also been pushing to the maximum, but sixth place was really the best he could do today due to tyre wear at the end of the race. Overall this weekend has been a great moral boost, because both riders were competitive, so we‘re all looking forward to the next round, the Grand Prix of Malaysia, in just a week‘s time.
MAVERICK VIÑALES
This is the best feeling ever, honestly! We‘ve been in the dark all year, and suddenly we came into the light! I couldn‘t show my potential in the previous races, but today I could. Being first in Australia is always amazing! It‘s the best track ever, and I like to be at the front there. To win here and break this long none winning period of Yamaha is unbelievable! I was riding on the bike like I was in FP4. I got a really good feeling from the bike, so I knew I could maintain 1‘29s. That‘s what I did for most of the middle of the race. I tried to escape as far as I could, because I knew my tyre wasn‘t going to last until the end. I knew opening that gap would be difficult, I had some moments with some riders, and some shaking on the bike – I was struggling, but I still made it through anyway. It was amazing! I have to say ‘thank you’ to the team, because this weekend they worked for the win. We will try to be the best and we‘ll try to work in a good way. We don‘t want to lose the concentration, because we don‘t know what will happen in Malaysia, but for sure the level of motivation will be high after this weekend.
VALENTINO ROSSI
Unfortunately from the first lap I already started to slide a bit too much on acceleration. I lost some grip compared to yesterday and this morning. It’s a shame because for sure we wanted to try to do better. I tried to ride smoothly and manage the tyres, but unfortunately after 15 laps I was in trouble, because when exiting left corners I had too much spin. We need to understand why this happened and then try to improve, but having Maverick win a race is good news for the team and Yamaha, because it gives great motivation.
More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:
Andrea Dovizioso steps onto the Australian GP podium with a third-place finish at Phillip Island. Great race to fourth by Álvaro Bautista
Andrea Dovizioso scored an important podium at the Phillip Island circuit today thanks to a third place finish in the Australian Grand Prix at the end of an exciting and hard-fought race. The Ducati Team’s Italian rider, who got a great start from row 3, led from the fifth to the seventh lap and after being passed by eventual race winner Viñales, was involved in an exciting scrap with Rossi, Iannone and Bautista. In the last few laps Andrea remained glued to the rider from Vasto’s rear wheel but he was unable to pass him and so he finished his race in a well-deserved third place. Thanks to today’s result Dovizioso has increased his lead over Rossi to 15 points in the Riders’ standings.
Team-mate Álvaro Bautista scored a great result today, the Spanish rider finishing fourth at the chequered flag after a rather complicated race. Bautista, starting from row 4, managed to catch up with the leading group and then moved into second on lap 15. Álvaro continued to fight for the podium with Dovizioso, Iannone and Rossi but in the last few laps he lost contact with the two Italian riders and had to settle for a positive fourth place.
Once again the Ducati Team wishes to thank Jorge Martinez “Aspar”, the Angel Nieto Team and Álvaro Bautista for their goodwill.
The next round is the Shell Malaysia Grand Prix, scheduled for the Sepang International Circuit on 2-4 November.
Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team #04) – 3rd
“I’m really satisfied with the way the race went today. Even though we knew we had good speed, managing to get a podium here is another thing. I’m pleased I got myself immediately into an ideal position in the race, because if you start from the third row here at Phillip Island anything can happen, as we saw. Instead with a bit of luck I immediately managed to make up some positions and after a few laps I was first: I never expected that! Then I had a chance to manage the tyres and reach the end of the race in a good state, even though we were all in trouble a bit. I’m very pleased with the work we’ve done here: Phillip Island was a fundamental test to understand our level of competitiveness and now we know we have made a good step forward over last year.”
Álvaro Bautista (Ducati Team #19) – 4th
“At the end of a difficult weekend in which I crashed three times, this fourth place is a great reward for me. To come into a new team and step onto a new bike at a circuit like this was for sure not going to be easy, but I think we’ve worked well together, making steps forward in every session. I started the race really focussed and relaxed because I had no real targets to aim for, except for enjoying riding the Desmosedici GP18. After quite a complicated start, I was able to soon catch up with the leading group and fight for the front positions. In the last few laps I made a few small mistakes and lost contact with Dovizioso and Iannone, but in any case I’m very happy with my overall result, especially for the team and for Ducati, whom I would like to thank once again for the trust they have shown in me.”
More, from a press release issued by Michelin:
Sunday 28 October 2018
MICHELIN AND VIÑALES ARE VICTORIOUS IN VICTORIA
Michelin saw its named MotoGP™ race in the Australian state of Victoria produce an exciting contest today as Maverick Viñales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) took victory in the Michelin® Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix at Phillip Island.
The whole weekend at the 4,448m circuit had been shaped by strong, gusting winds and cold track temperatures, which caused all the riders and manufacturers difficulties in set-up and choosing the best compound of MICHELIN Power Slick tyres for today’s race. As the start drew close, four of the six available compounds were chosen, with just the hard front and medium rear not making the grid. Pole-setter and World Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) went with a medium front and rear hard slick, but it was Danilo Petrucci (Alma Pramac Racing) – soft front and hard rear – that got the holeshot and led into the first corner. After the first lap, local hero Jack Miller (Alma Pramac Racing) led the field over the line, before the race lead then changed hands several times over the ensuing laps. Unfortunately, a collision between Marquez and Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) saw the champion retire and the Frenchman crash out, but that didn’t stop the excitement as the riders pushed their tyres to the limit on the cold surface, with their MICHELIN Power Slicks giving them the confidence to drive their machines through Phillip Island’s fast corners.
Viñales took the lead on lap-eight and he controlled the attack on his Yamaha – shod with a soft front compound tyre and hard rear – to perfection as he never came under threat from the chasing pack. His victory sealed Yamaha’s first win in MotoGP since June last year and saw Movistar Yamaha MotoGP close the gap on the Repsol Honda Team at the top of the Team Championship.
The intense battle for the remaining podium positions saw a five-way conflict, which eventually led to Andrea Iannone (Team SUZUKI ECSTAR) taking second, with Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) in third, both using a medium front and hard rear configuration. Fourth went to Alvaro Bautista (Ducati Team), who was riding for the Factory Ducati team as a substitute for the injured Jorge Lorenzo. Alex Rins (Team SUZUKI ECSTAR) just edged out Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) to take fifth, with Miller securing seventh and the position of First Independent Rider. Franco Morbidelli (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) scored his best result of the season so far to take eighth, with Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) in ninth. Bradley Smith (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), finished tenth, meaning that all six manufacturers finished in the top-ten for the first time this season.
With high winds and cold track temperatures all weekend, along with a wet session on Friday, the Michelin Technicians had to work to the highest degree of their ability to get the optimum performance in the difficult and challenging conditions, Today’s race in-front of 36,600 fans at trackside demonstrated Michelin’s knowledge and understanding of the complexities of the conditions, the challenging Phillip Island circuit and the tyres, all of which enabled them to give the best advice to all riders and teams, which facilitated towards the excitement at the Michelin® Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix.
Michelin and the MotoGP paddock now return to Asia for the final leg of the three-week fly-away tour, as the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia will play host to the penultimate round of the season on Sunday 4th November.
Maverick Viñales – Movistar Yamaha MotoGP:
“This is honestly the best track to be back on top at. I really love all the work we have done this weekend and we have worked really well with Pascal, our Michelin technician. We knew we had the best choice of tyres and they performed really well. The whole team did a great job and it was the time to do it, because we could not finish the year without a victory, so doing it here at Michelin’s race was unbelievable!”
Piero Taramasso – Michelin Motorsport Two-Wheel Manager:
“Phillip Island is always a big challenge and this year was certainly no different. The strong gusting winds and cold temperatures made it difficult for everyone, but the whole Michelin team worked in a very professional and methodical way with the riders to make sure the tyres which were best suited to the conditions and riding styles were used today. Despite the challenges, the race was very exciting and it is good for Michelin to have another winner, both rider and manufacturer, and it is also pleasing to see all six manufacturers in the top-ten and three different ones on the podium. We are constantly striving to give tyres to all that they can use to the best of their abilities, so having results such as this are very rewarding. The Michelin® Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix is a very big occasion on the company’s calendar and this has been another great event. We have again learned a lot about the toughest track of the year and this will enable us to come back even stronger next year.”