MotoGP World Championship: Race Results From Motorland Aragon (Updated)

MotoGP World Championship: Race Results From Motorland Aragon (Updated)

© 2018, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Gran Premio Movistar De Aragon

FIM MotoGP World Championship

Motorland Aragon

Alcaniz, Spain

September 23, 2018

Race Results (all on Michelin tires):

1. Marc Marquez, Spain (Honda), 23 laps, Total Race Time 41:55.949

2. Andrea Dovizioso, Italy (Ducati), -0.648 second

3. Andrea Iannone, Italy (Suzuki), -1.259 seconds

4. Alex Rins, Spain (Suzuki), -2.638

5. Dani Pedrosa, Spain (Honda), -5.274

6. Aleix Espargaro, Spain (Aprilia), -9.396

7. Danilo Petrucci, Italy (Ducati), -14.285

8. Valentino Rossi, Italy (Yamaha), -15.199

9. Jack Miller, Australia (Ducati), -16.375

10. Maverick Vinales, Spain (Yamaha), -22.457

11. Franco Morbidelli, Italy (Honda), -27.025

12. Takaaki Nakagami, Japan (Honda), -27.957

13. Bradley Smith, UK (KTM), -28.821

14. Johann Zarco, France (Yamaha), -32.345

15. Karel Abraham, Czech Republic (Ducati), -37.639

16. Scott Redding, UK (Aprilia), -39.585

17. Thomas Luthi, Switzerland (Honda), -40.763

18. Hafizh Syahrin, Malaysia (Yamaha), -56.296

19. Xavier Simeon, Belgium (Ducati), -58.981

20. Jordi Torres, Spain (Ducati), -59.513

21. Cal Crutchlow, UK (Honda), -19 laps, DNF, crash

22. Alvaro Bautista, Spain (Ducati), -22 laps, DNF, crash

23. Jorge Lorenzo, Spain (Ducati), -23 laps, DNF, crash

24. Pol Espargaro, Spain (KTM), DNS

World Championship Point Standings (after 13 of 18 races):

1. Marquez, 246 points

2. Dovizioso, 174

3. Rossi, 159

4. TIE, Lorenzo/Vinales, 130

6. TIE, Crutchlow/Petrucci, 119

8. Zarco, 112

9. Iannone, 108

10. Rins, 92

11. Pedrosa, 87

12. Miller, 68

13. Bautista, 64

14. Tito Rabat, 35

15. Pol Espargaro, 32

16. Morbidelli, 31

17. Aleix Espargaro, 29

18. Syahrin, 24

19. TIE, Smith/Nakagami, 18

21. Redding, 12

22. Mika Kallio, 6

23. Abraham, 5

24. Michele Pirro, 1

More, from a press release issued by Monster Yamaha Tech 3:

Tough Aragón Grand Prix for determined Zarco and Syahrin

Today’s 14th round of the 2018 MotoGP World Championship season turns out a hard challenge for Monster Yamaha Tech3 ’s Johann Zarco and Hafizh Syahrin, who both grit their teeth during the 23 laps race in order to limit the affects as good as possible.

French star Zarco came off the line very well making up three positions on the first lap but was fighting very hard after the first third of the race to at least bring home two points. With five rounds to go, the Monster Yamaha Tech3 rider lies seven points behind his contenders in the fight for the best independent rider of the Championship. Meanwhile Syahrin showed an equally strong performance in the beginning of the race before struggling to keep his pace and eventually ending up in P18. The MotoGP newcomer aims to make up seven points now in order to equal Franco Morbidelli in the Rookies of the Year competition.

Johann Zarco

Position: 14th – Championship: 8th – Points: 112

“It was a very tough race. I had a good start and I was able to fight a bit with Petrucci at the beginning, but quite soon this first group in front of me went away. It was impossible to follow them and then the more laps I was doing, the worse the feeling got. We were slighting too much, we were fighting too much and we had no solution. I tried many things with my riding, but I didn’t find anything that helped. It’s very hard to finish a race like that because I’m exhausted and I was very slow. So, I hope we will have better weekends on different tracks, also circuits, where the other riders didn’t test. I hope this can be a chance for me to do some good results in order to finish the season well.”

Hafizh Syahrin

Position: 18th – Championship: 18th – Points: 24

“We made a good start, I was P13 in the beginning, just behind Rossi. I was fully motivated to stay with him, Morbidelli, Nakagami and Johann. I don’t know why, but suddenly after eight laps I lost the rear contact on the ground, didn’t have any grip anymore, I couldn’t turn the bike and it was really hard to ride the bike like this. In the beginning of the race it was good, I believed we could score points in front of the other rookies, but in the end, I couldn’t keep the pace. I was struggling a lot to stop the bike and to turn. Now, I try to continue with this motivation like in the beginning of the race. I don’t know what to do, I just try to keep focused and try to take something away to improve myself and work hard with the team. I really hope Yamaha can find something to improve the bike.”

Hervé PONCHARAL

Team Manager

“We arrived in Aragón full of optimism and confidence. We weren’t thinking to be on the podium but we thought we could be fighting for a top 10 result, which right now the level we have. Unfortunately, we leave Aragón with more than a bitter feeling, it’s a big shame. I think it’s the worst result of Johann when he finished a race, except maybe last year’s Misano round when he run out of fuel in the last lap. That shows how far we are. Basically, our two guys had a good start, had a good rhythm for the first few laps and then they dropped, more dramatically for Hafizh then for Johann, but they both went down the order. Honestly, it was hard to follow the race. We are competitors, we are fighters and to see such a race is something that makes you wonder and that makes you feel truly sad. I think right now Johann said he’s exhausted like he has been fighting for the victory and he ended up 14th and I think the whole team is feeling the same. It’s a really tough moment. I can’t remember and I can’t believe if we’ve been that we’ve been fighting from pole position for podiums in the same season and now we’re fighting for points. This is unbelievable. I don’t think the tyre situation had anything to do with it because the race winner was on a soft rear, Iannone was on medium-soft, like we were, so on that department I think we were ok. But there are things to understand. I was also very excited to see Johann passing Petrucci and fighting in a group, where I thought he would stay long. I was excited to see Hafizh having a great start and being together with Valentino and in front of his fellow rookies, but unfortunately that didn’t last long and we just lost ground. It’s more than a pity, something we have to understand, because I don’t think Johann and Hafizh deserve that result. I’m very sorry for our partners and for the people who follow us and are behind us. Clearly, we are in a crisis situation at the moment. I don’t think we have the tools to recover soon. We can just hope that the next circuits will be more favorable. Johann and Hafizh had a great test in Thailand this winter, but this winter is already a long time ago, so I don’t know. We have to regroup, we have to keep pushing, but now we have to pack for the four flyaways and the feeling is everything is going to be very heavy to pack. I’m unhappy, I’m sad, I’m angry, because we are not here to do that and I don’t think the level of the team is what we see. But clearly, race after race it’s almost the same comment, it’s almost the same result. We saw Johann in the past being very aggressive and doing some unbelievable passes in the race, but we’ve just lost that. We haven’t seen that for many, many races. He just seems to suffer, to struggle. We just seem to be outside of where we should be. It’s a big shame.”

More, from a press release issued by Angel Nieto Team:

ABRAHAM BACK AMONGST THE POINTS IN ARAGÓN

Comapa Ángel Nieto Team rider finishes fifteenth, in a race in which Álvaro Bautista was forced to retire after crashing out

Marc Márquez continues to increase his chances of lifting the MotoGP title with races to spare, after the Spaniard took a hard-fought victory at the Aragón Grand Prix ahead of Andrea Dovizioso and Andrea Iannone. After an early crash for Jorge Lorenzo at Turn 1, Marquez and Dovizioso took control of the race. However, after several overtakings moves between them, both Iannone and his teammate Álex Rins hunted the pair down. In the end, Márquez claimed his first win since July’s German GP.

Karel Abraham and the Comapa Ángel Nieto Team were back in the points, although Álvaro Bautista was unable to complete the race. Abraham started from 16th on the grid, but a pass by Valentino Rossi dropped him back several positions and he was required to fight back from 20th. Despite this, the Czech recovered several positions, crossing the line 15th and picking up a point. Bautista’s race finished prematurely on the second lap, after he lost the front end of his bike at Turn 14. The Spanish rider had great expectations for a race that he started from eighth, but which ended with his seven-race Top 10 streak coming to a close.

17th Karel Abraham: “I’m satisfied because we are back in the points. Every point counts and with this fifteenth place we go to Thailand and the flyaways with a boost in morale. It was a difficult race, in which we got a good start but where on the third corner Valentino Rossi passed me a bit forcefully and I lost several positions. It meant that I wasn’t able to fight with the group ahead of me. I maintained a good pace and I was able to overtake Syahrin, Luthi and Redding. Overall, I think it was a good race, and although the lap times were consistent, they were somewhat slower than we expected; we thought we could go down to the 1:49s but it was possibly hotter than yesterday and there was less grip after the Moto2 race.”

Álvaro Bautista (DNF): “It’s a shame that, with the high expectations we had for this race, I lost the front end and crashed on the second lap. These are things that can happen in racing, but I feel sorry for the team because we did not deserve this result. We will continue working as we have always done, and try to improve weekend after weekend.”

More, from a press release issued by Aprilia Gresini Racing:

GREAT RACE FOR ESPARGARÓ, SIXTH IN ARAGÓN

WITH A STELLAR RACE, ALEIX RIDES HIS APRILIA RS-GP TO THE BEST RESULT OF THE SEASON

With an outstanding race and well supported by his Aprilia, Aleix Espargaró took home an excellent sixth place in Aragón and, although managing his position for the final three laps, he finished nine seconds behind winner Márquez.

Starting from the fifth row, Aleix completed a true masterpiece on the first lap where he moved into sixth place, a position on which he even improved, battling with Pedrosa and moving into fifth on the following lap. He stayed with the leading group for half the race and then, settling into sixth, he maintained the position for the remaining laps, lapping fast and extremely consistently, keeping his following rivals at a distance.

This resulted in Aleix earning an outstanding sixth place which is his best performance of the season, equalling the best result of Aprilia’s young history in MotoGP.

Scott Redding finished a bit farther back in sixteenth place. Complaining of problems with grip in braking, he finished just outside the points zone.

ALEIX ESPARGARO’

“The first 5 laps were the key to the race. After an excellent start, I managed to be very fast, staying with Pedrosa and maintaining contact with the lead group. I pushed straight away because I knew that I would have to manage tyre wear in the final stages. This is an important result for everyone. I am working harder than ever, trying to keep motivation high. The team and the guys at Aprilia in Noale are working non-stop, but it is not an easy process. We can’t be under any illusions after a good result, because Aragón is perhaps the track where I have always felt my best, but it is definitely a confidence booster. I changed my working method with Pietro, both in terms of setup and how I manage the weekend, focusing efforts on the race and revolutionising the geometry of the RS-GP. We are still not satisfied. We need to be fast always and easily, so we need to keep putting forth our best efforts.”

SCOTT REDDING

“From a riding point of view, I gave 100%, minimising mistakes compared to the Misano race. I managed to stop the bike a bit better and I didn’t give in to the frustration, trying to keep things smooth. The fundamental problem was the lack of grip at the rear and the difference between me and the other riders was truly clear. All I could do was wait for the pace to drop in order to recover ground, but without really being able to attack. The limitation of grip to the rear is something we need to solve. Today the bike was braking right and it was turning, but I was never able to count on a good feeling with the rear tyre.”

More, from a press release issued by LCR Honda Idemitsu:

NAKAGAMI EQUALS SEASON’S BEST IN ARAGON

LCR Honda IDEMITSU rider Takaaki Nakagami equalled his best-ever MotoGP class result as he finished 12th in Sunday’s Grand Prix of Aragon. The Japanese rookie built on his excellent performance in qualifying – where he progressed to Q2 in dramatic style – with a strong ride to finish narrowly outside the top 10. The 12th placed finish matches his result from Jerez back in round four of this year’s championship.

Full of confidence after his display on Saturday, Nakagami underlined his improvement by going 13th in the warm up session. After a good start to the race, the Japanese talent became involved in a battle for tenth position with the likes of Maverick Vinales, Johann Zarco, Bradley Smith and Franco Morbidelli. In the end he finished just behind Morbidelli, with Vinales claiming tenth just five seconds ahead. It concluded a positive weekend for Taka who is now looking forward to the flyaway races, including a return to Japan next month.

Takaaki Nakagami – 12th

“I knew that this was going to be a tough race in very hot conditions. I had quite a good start and managed to find some space as everyone came together at turn one and got up to eighth or ninth position I think. Then I had a big fight with Aleix (Espargaro) and just lost a bit of concentration on the gears and lost acceleration which allowed everyone to get back past me”.

“I think we were better in the early part of the race than we were in Misano, but unfortunately I still had a bit of a bad feeling with the front tyre after 10 laps. I was involved in a fight with Zarco, Smith and Franco and got P12 which is our best result I think. But I am not completely happy as we had the chance to finish closer to the top ten. But we’ll try to improve again and I want to thank my team as we improved a lot on Saturday and Sunday.”

More, from a press release issued by LCR Honda Castrol:

EARLY FINISH FOR CRUTCHLOW IN ARAGON

LCR Honda CASTROL rider Cal Crutchlow endured a frustrating end to the Grand Prix of Aragon weekend as he crashed out early on in Sunday’s race. The in-form Briton had demonstrated impressive pace throughout the meeting in north-east Spain and, after qualifying in fourth position, had looked well placed to challenge for a second consecutive podium finish.

Crutchlow made a good start from the front of the second row, but was held up by a coming together at the first corner that saw pole-sitter Jorge Lorenzo crash out spectacularly. Having fought back after losing positions, the 32-year-old was lapping in seventh and trying to get past the Aprilia of Aleix Espargaro when he fell at turn one on the fifth lap, ending his hopes of another positive result.

Cal Crutchlow – DNF

“Obviously I got a good start, but Jorge crashed in front of me – it was no fault of his own, it was just one of those racing incidents. I had to shut off because I thought I was going to hit him and dropped back to ninth or tenth. I made my way through, but then I had exactly the same crash that Marc (Marquez) had this morning at turn one, the bike kicked a little bit and l lost it in braking”.

“I felt quite good in the race, I was happy with my pace at that point and felt I could go faster when I needed to. But I knew it was a long race so was quite content with the position I was in, over the next few laps I needed to pick off Aleix (Espargaro) and Dani (Pedrosa) and then maybe fight for the podium. But Dovi (Andrea Dovizioso) and Marc had a great run and the Suzukis competed well today so it would have been tough. We crashed anyway, so now we just have to look forward to Thailand.”

More, from a press release issued by Reale Avintia Racing: 

Simeon and Torres finish a very tough race at MotorLand Aragón

MotoGP GP of Aragón – MotorLand Aragón

Reale Avintia Racing riders Xavier Simeon and Jordi Torres battled with the heat over the 19 laps of the Aragón Grand Prix to finish in 19th and 20th position.

To complete the full race distance aboard the Ducati GP17 of his injured team-mate Tito Rabat was a valuable experience for the Belgian rider, who was forced to retire from the previous Grand Prix at Misano due to a crash, but who learned a lot during the race now at Aragón.

On the other side of the garage, Jordi Torres was al smiles after his first experience in the blue ribbon class of motorcycle racing. It wasn’t an easy task to learn so many things in such a short time and with the pressure of a race weekend, but Torre, one of the darlings of the Spanish crowd, improved session by session and finished they race less than a second behind his team-mate. To sum it up, he did a great job.

Should Tito Rabat not get the green light from the medical team of MotoGP to take part at the next round in Thailand, Simeon will have a third opportunity with the Ducati GP17 and Torres will take the vacant seat in the team one more time.

The Grand Prix of Thailand will take place at the Chang International Circuit from 5th to 7th of October.

Xavier Simeon | P19

“This weekend was much more difficult than I expected, as I really thought I’d be able to finish higher up in the classification. But we had a lot of traction problems over the whole weekend. In the race, the last laps were especially difficult. Even though the bike turns very well, I couldn’t get the power down in the moment of opening the throttle. The only positive thing is the additional experience with this bike. Now we have to concentrate on the next race in Thailand where I expect to make another step forward.”

Jordi Torres | P20

“To complete my first Grand Prix in the MotoGP class was a very emotional experience. A dream came true and I enjoyed every moment of it. It helped me to understand tyre wear, how the bike changes over the distance and how you have to adapt your riding style to the decreasing fuel load. But to be honest, not a lot of this sank in and every time I saw myself getting closer to the front, I made more mistakes. I tried to stay cool during the race and to concentrate on my riding position, but I’m still too rigid on the bike. I would have liked to stay with another rider in the race, but nevertheless, I am very happy. Now we’ll have to wait and see if Tito will fly to Thailand or not. I am prepared for whatever is needed.”

More, from a press release issued by Movistar Yamaha:

MOVISTAR YAMAHA FIGHT TO 8TH AND 10TH IN ARAGON GP

Cutting through the rider field in today‘s hot Gran Premio Movistar de Aragón wasn‘t an easy task, but it is exactly what Movistar Yamaha MotoGP‘s Valentino Rossi and Maverick Viñales did. The teammates made up for their sixth and fifth row starting positions by keeping their heads down and riding a clean 23-lap race to finish in eighth and tenth place respectively.

Alcañiz (Spain), 23rd September 2018

Movistar Yamaha MotoGP’s Valentino Rossi and Maverick Viñales showed their grit during today’s blistering hot Gran Premio Movistar de Aragón. Pushing to the limit in the 23-lap race at the MotorLand Aragón track, they made up various places and secured eighth and tenth place respectively.

Rossi had a good start from 17th position, avoiding any drama and contact in the busy rider pack as they all flicked it left. He crossed the line at the end of the first lap in 12th place and soon gained another place as he overtook Takaaki Nakagami. Two laps later the Italian made further strides, moving up two positions when he passed Johann Zarco, whilst Cal Crutchlow took a fall.

After the eventful opening laps, a lonely ride began for the Doctor. He was holding ninth place and steadily closed in on the rider in front of him. Not one to give up easily, he kept his head down. Two laps before the end he overtook Miller for eighth place and held on to that position until he took the chequered flag, 15.199s from first.

Viñales struggled at the start of the race, dropping back from 14th place to 19th after the first corners, but after a couple of laps the local hero began his advance through the rider field. After Álvaro Bautista and Crutchlow had crashed out, he engaged in a battle with Hafizh Syahrin for 14th place. The Factory man muscled his way past his fellow Yamaha rider and then quickly closed the gap to a group fighting for tenth place.

The Spaniard pounced as soon as he could, passing Zarco and Franco Morbidelli for twelfth. With 10 laps to go he also picked off Nakagami and Bradley Smith, breaching into the top-10. Next on his list was his teammate, Rossi, riding almost 6s ahead. With clear track in front of him, the youngster pushed out various personal best sectors but wasn‘t able to close the gap to ninth and finished in tenth place, 22.457s from the front.

Today’s results see Rossi hold third position in the championship standings with an 87-point margin to first and a 15-point gap to second. Viñales equals Lorenzo’s point score but remains in fifth place with 130 points and a 29-point gap to his teammate. Yamaha holds third place in the Constructor Championship after the race in Aragon, with a 79-point margin to first, while the Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team are also in third position in the team standings with a 44-point gap to first.

The Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team will be back in action at the Chang International Circuit in two weeks‘ time for the PTT Thailand Grand Prix, held from October 5th – 7th.

MASSIMO MEREGALLI

TEAM DIRECTOR

We had a very difficult race weekend. To finish just inside the top-10 isn’t a great result, but it’s what was within our reach considering our starting positions. Vale and Maverick finalised their set-ups in the morning warm-up and found some small improvements. It’s only natural that both our riders lost time in the first stages of the race, trying to make their way to the front, but they did the maximum they could today and kept fighting. This tough weekend is done, so now we‘ll focus on preparing for the next race, using the data we collected at the pre-season Buriram test.

VALENTINO ROSSI

Today we also modified the bike a lot, we tried working in another way. Already from this morning I tried to feel a little bit better, so my feeling with the bike improved and we could make some adjustments for the race. The end of the race was better than what I expected, because I wasn’t particularly fast, but my pace was consistent. I was able to recover a lot of positions – because I started from the back of the grid – to take some points for the championship. From one point of view, it’s better than it was yesterday, but from another, our technical situation is quite difficult, because we have to fight to the maximum to be inside the top-10 at the moment.

MAVERICK VIÑALES

I’m disappointed about how things are going. I’ll just go home, try to relax, and start thinking about the next race. The rhythm wasn’t there, though we had it in FP4 – on the same tyres we were doing 1’48s, but in the race it wasn’t possible. I didn’t feel great at the Buriram track in pre-season testing, but I’ll try my best, as always, and take the maximum result.

More, from a press release issued by Repsol Honda:

Marquez wins spectacular Aragon battle to take his sixth win this season; solid fifth place for Pedrosa

On a sunny and hot Sunday at Aragon Marc Marquez took a gamble and won, choosing a soft rear tyre over a more familiar hard spec, in the end winning a fantastic three-way battle with title contender Andrea Dovizioso and Andrea Iannone and extended his Championship lead to 72 points with five races to go in the 2018 MotoGP season.

Today’s brilliant success is not only Marc’s fifth at Aragon and sixth win this season, but also his 67th career victory and 41st in MotoGP, meaning that he is now tied with Mike Hailwood (41) for fourth place on the list of riders with the most GP wins with Honda, behind Jim Redman (45), Dani Pedrosa (54), and Mick Doohan (54).

Dani Pedrosa took a solid result in fifth place, displaying a good pace during the entire race and finishing close to the front group.

In less than two weeks the Repsol Honda Team will fly to Thailand for the first race in the Country to be held at the Buriram International Circuit.

Marc Marquez 93

1ST

“I woke up this morning with the idea that today I could take a risk. I hadn’t felt totally at ease during the weekend with the hard rear spec tyre so, after the warm-up, I said to my team that I wanted to use the soft rear. That started many meetings and discussions but in the end I won the race because I could convince my box to take that gamble! In the end, it was the correct choice. I had a good start but soon after I almost lost the front in a dirty spot on the track, so I had to release the brakes and go a bit wide. I didn’t realize until the end that Lorenzo had crashed. Anyway, the fight was very tight with Dovi and Iannone as well; it was a hard fight but within the limit. This is MotoGP, and it’s what the fans enjoy to watch. Motorland is one of my favourite tracks, and I enjoyed so much riding here over the weekend even if the pressure was high, with events, people, and many things to do every day. I mean, it’s good but also demanding. Even with this, I managed to remain focused, work well with the team, and ultimately to stop Ducati’s momentum. This morning I listened to “In my feelings” from Drake and in the honour lap I thought back to that song and it was great. Anyway, now more than ever it’s the moment to keep calm and manage well the race weekends because I want to win the Championship and to do that you must remain fully concentrated.”

Dani Pedrosa 26

5TH

“Today I could be more competitive than other races and closer to the front group. Unfortunately, I think the key to the race today was the tyre choice. It’s a shame because my riding and my pace was good but the grip on track wasn’t that high and the hard rear tyre wasn’t offering the same grip we had in the practices; maybe the soft better matched today’s track conditions. I was losing some tenths every lap and couldn’t stick to the others. Otherwise, today I could’ve fought for a podium finish or the victory. Step by step we are improving a little bit; let’s see if we can be faster in the next race.”

More, from a press release issued by Red Bull KTM:

STRONG ARAGON GRAND PRIX FOR BRADLEY SMITH AS BRAD BINDER CELEBRATES VICTORY IN MOTO2

RACE 14th Rd. MotoGP 2018 – MotorLand Aragon (ESP)

Bradley Smith fought hard on the fringes of the top ten at a scorching Motorland Aragon circuit before finishing 13th with his Red Bull KTM RC16 while Brad Binder starred in a close and entertaining Moto2 race to score his second victory of the season. In Moto3 Marco Bezzecchi showed a great race in Moto3 from 18th on the grid to 2nd place.

MotoGP

MotoGP cooked in sweltering temperatures for the fourteenth round of nineteen and the third time on Spanish soil in the 2018 campaign. The fast and undulating curves of the MotorLand Aragon circuit drew a good crowd and another tight contest that was ruled by reigning world champion Marc Marquez for the third year in a row.

Red Bull KTM were disappointed to lose Pol Espargaro after a crash in FP3 yesterday that meant further surgery on the Spaniard’s recently repaired left collarbone. The accident prompted Bradley Smith to again fly the orange flag alone on the KTM RC16 and to work through set-up choices for the 23 lap race where tyre preservation would be key in track temperatures that easily entered the 40s.

Smith made his customary bright start and was pushing Valentino Rossi hard for tenth place – a standing he occupied for three laps – but was powerless in the second half of the distance to resist a charging Maverick Viñales and Franco Morbidelli. With 13th position Smith made sure of grand prix points for the third time in the last four outings.

Smith: “This weekend has been a lot of fun. It was our second with the new RC16 package and we were able to test here a month ago, which meant we were already up to speed with our base setting and electronics. It was nice to fight with the guys for Q2 and my one-lap pace with the soft tyre was quite strong. At one point in the race today I was running P10 which is one of the best positions for us this season. I was strong in the first half of the race and then when the tyre dropped I struggled a bit more compared to the others around me. Nevertheless we’ll take a lot of positives from this weekend and we improved from Misano. Now the engineers and I have to study what we gathered from this race and bring some ideas. Randy de Puniet will now test here for two days and hopefully he can find a few more tenths to take overseas with us.”

Mike Leitner (Team Manager MotoGP): “Bradley did a great job on a tough weekend where we lost Pol on Friday; it is always a bit harder to work with just one rider in terms of the settings. Until the middle of the race Bradley was able to fight for the top ten inside that group and this was good. For Pol, he has had surgery straightaway and we hope his recovery will be fine and quite fast. We hope to see him back on the bike but we will keep a close eye on his healing process with an eye towards Thailand.”

Red Bull KTM will now continue 2018 and 2019 development work with a two day stint at Aragon on Tuesday and Wednesday with the test team and Randy de Puniet.

Moto2

Red Bull KTM Ajo stood on top of the Moto2 Grand Prix podium for the fourth time in 2018 and watched Brad Binder spray winner’s champagne for the second occasion this season and for the second time in his career. The South African had to work hard for his spoils: following and passing Alex Marquez and also having to deal with the presence of championship leader Pecco Bagnaia. The 23 year old was able to make a breakaway in the final four laps on his KTM Moto2 to toast his first success since a debut win in Germany in July. The result further consolidated his third position in the standings and behind teammate Miguel Oliveira who recovered from a tough Qualification and weekend of acclimatisation to Motorland by grabbing 9 points.

Binder: “It’s been an incredible weekend. Yesterday we got an unexpected pole and I was very happy to have qualified at the head of the grid. That gave me a lot of confidence for the race. Sunday did not start very well, because in the warmup I did not feel completely comfortable and had a few problems. However, thanks to a series of small changes that my team made for the race, everything worked normally -or even better. I am very grateful for the victory, which is my second in the Moto2 class, and I’m very happy to have got it here at MotorLand Aragon, which is a very special track for me. It’s been a great day and I have taken some very important points for the Championship; If I continue in this way I think I can have a great final run in the season. I have to thank the team for the excellent job they are doing.”

Oliveira: “I gave everything I had, but it was a tricky race because of having to start from the sixth row. I was able to ride fast and my pace was very similar to that of my teammate, Brad Binder, but when I tried to overtake the other riders I lost a few tenths. I feel bad because in qualifying my best lap was cancelled, making me lose time today at the beginning, but this is the price you pay when you are so far back. This is something that we are going to work on and improve. I have my sights set on the flyaway rounds and on gaining the maximum amount of points: There are 125 still in play and we will try to take as many of those as we can. The work will start tomorrow, right here in Aragon, with a day of testing. We will give our all to try to improve and find anything that gives us more security on the bike, which we can apply in the coming races.”

Moto3

After the disappointment of his late crash at Misano and his home Grand Prix two weeks ago Marco Bezzecchi was back in form with his eighth podium appearance of the Moto3 term on the Redox Pruestel GP KTM RC250 GP. The Italian was ‘best of the rest’ behind an escaping Jorge Martin and keeps within 13 points of the Spaniard in the Moto3 standings.

MotoGP will make a maiden appearance around the distinctive layout of the Chang International Layout in two weeks for the first Grand Prix of Thailand.

Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup

A second perfectly judged victory from Deniz Öncü completed the twelfth season of the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup after an incredible and typical 15 rider battle around Motorland Aragón. The 15-year-old Turk had to use every gram of his quickly accumulating skills on his KTM RC250 RB to fend off Carlos Tatay, Ryusei Yamanaka and the rest. A single second covered the first seven at the line and there were at least that many leaders through the 15 laps.

“It was another great race and I am so happy to win it and have second in the Cup behind my brother,” enthused Deniz Öncü. “It was hot and we were fighting all the way. I tried to get away but it was crazy overtaking all the time. The Spanish tried to block me but I just thought; that’s OK I am Turkish I will win.”

Next Race: October 7, 2018 – Chang International Circuit (THA)

Results MotoGP MotorLand Aragon 2018

1. Marc Marquez (ESP), Honda, 41:55.949 min

2. Andrea Dovizioso (ITA), Ducati, +0.648 sec

3. Andrea Iannone (ITA), Suzuki, +1.259

4. Alex Rins (ESP), Suzuki, +2.638

5. Dani Pedrosa (ESP), Honda, +5.274

KTM

13. Bradley Smith (GBR), KTM, +28.821

DNS Pol Espargaro (ESP), KTM (injured)

Standings MotoGP 2018 after 14 of 19 rounds

1. Marquez, 246 points

2. Dovizioso, 174

3. Valentino Rossi (ITA), Yamaha, 159

4. Jorge Lorenzo (ESP), Ducati, 130

5. Maverick Vinales (ESP), Yamaha, 130

KTM

15. Espargaro, 32

19. Smith, 18

22. Mika Kallio (FIN), KTM, 6

Results Moto2 MotorLand Aragon 2018

1. Brad Binder (RSA), KTM, 39.59.247 min

2. Francesco Bagnaia (ITA), Kalex, +1.526 sec

3. Lorenzo Baldassarri (ITA), Kalex, +2.055

4. Alex Marquez (ESP), Kalex, +2.396

5. Marcel Schroetter (GER), Kalex, +5.850

KTM

7. Miguel Oliveira (POR), KTM, +6.741

Standings Moto2 2018 after 14 of 19 rounds

1. Bagnaia (ITA), Kalex, 234 points

2. Oliveira, 215

3. Binder, 144

4. Baldassarri, 132

5. Marquez, 126

Results Moto3 MotorLand Aragon 2018

1. Jorge Martin (ESP), Honda, 37:49.030 min

2. Marco Bezzecchi (ITA), KTM, +5.984 sec

3. Enea Bastianini (ITA), Honda, +6.045

4. Fabio Di Giannantonio (ITA), Honda, +6.095

5. Marcos Ramirez (ESP), KTM, +6.161

KTM

7. Albert Arenas (ESP), KTM, +6.540

9. Jaume Masia (ESP), KTM, +10.329

10. John McPhee (GBR), KTM, +10.537

18. Darryn Binder (RSA), KTM, +14.642

Standings Moto3 2018 after 14 of 19 rounds

1. Martin, 191 points

2. Bezzecchi, 178

3. Di Giannantonio, 150

4. Bastianini, 133

5. Aron Canet (ESP), Honda, 118

KTM

6. Gabriel Rodrigo (ESP), KTM, 97

7. Jakub Kornfeil (CZE), KTM, 96

9. Ramirez, 78

10. Andrea Migno (ITA), KTM, 71

22. Darryn Binder (RSA), KTM, 28

Results Race 2 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup MotorLand Aragon 2018

All riders on KTM RC250 RB bikes

1. Deniz Öncü (TUR), 30:47.814 min (15 laps)

2. Carlos Tatay (ESP), +0.249 sec

3. Ryusei Yamanaka (JAP), +0.784

4. Yuki Kunii (JAP), +0.853

5. Xavier Artigas (ESP), +0.903

Final Standings Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup 2018 after 12 of 12 races

1. Can Öncü (TUR), 235

2. D. Öncü, 192

3. Artigas, 166

4. Filip Salac (CZE), 151

5. Tatay, 148

More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki ECSTAR:

THIRD AND FOURTH FOR IANNONE AND RINS IN ARAGON

Andrea Iannone: 3rd (+ 1.259)

Alex Rins: 4th (+ 2.638)

• Iannone fights until the end and takes 3rd.

• Rins stays with team-mate and brings home 4th.

• Superb day for Team SUZUKI ECSTAR.

The Aragon GP finally ended with an exciting and solid race for Andrea Iannone and Alex Rins, with the Italian taking third place and the Spaniard following closely in fourth. These brilliant results are the outcome of weekend and day that have been positive overall positive, as both riders showed strong pace at the very technical circuit from Friday onwards. This was further cemented in Warm-Up, which was topped by Andrea Iannone with a fantastic lap despite the Italian crashing in the final moments of the session.

As the race rolled around the large crowd were treated to a boiling atmosphere, with the air and track temperatures extremely high. Tyre choice was critical for the 23 lap race and thanks to the time spent checking different options during practice, Iannone and Rins were able to choose wisely. The pairing got excellent starts their 5th and 9th grid spots and immediately slotted into the front group with 3rd and 4th. The intense and thrilling race saw both riders challenge the race leaders frequently, with Iannone snatching 1st place with just a handful of laps remaining. As the chequered flag flew Andrea Iannone was able to claim Suzuki’s first ever Aragon podium and his third of the season. Local rider Alex Rins continued his impressive form with his second consecutive 4th place.

Ken Kawauchi – Technical Manager

“It was a great race! We haven’t had a fantastic start to the second half of the season, so this result and Misano’s result is very special for us. Both riders did a very good job and were both fighting for the podium. Thank you to all of the team, the riders, and everyone who has developed the bike. Now we have many ‘favourite’ tracks coming up before the end of the season so we’ll try to get more and more good results.”

Davide Brivio – Team Manager

“It’s been a great race for us because we stayed so close to the leaders and we were in the fight for the victory until the very end of the race, so it has been fantastic. It’s great to have both riders so close to the top and we’re very happy. Andrea was really strong and Alex rode very well, they both managed the tyres well and our tyre choice paid off. We’ve now lost the concessions, and it’s a good sign because it shows we’ve become much more competitive. So thanks to everyone here and back in Japan for all the hard work they’ve put in. We’ll try to end the season on a high.”

Andrea Iannone

“I think we’ve done a really good performance today. I started well but Lorenzo had an unfortunate crash and that was a shame to see, it’s always bad to see a crash in front of you. But in any case I’m very happy about my race, I was fighting and pushing at 100% at the end of the race, but only at the end, because in the earlier laps I wanted to conserve the tyres; so I tried to manage the throttle and my riding style because I knew it would be really important to have tyre life in the last laps. I think my strategy worked really well and the team and I have worked hard together. We were losing out down the straight but we’re so happy to return to the podium after some disappointing races.”

Alex Rins

“I’m very happy and the weekend has been very productive for the whole team. The race has been a very nice fight. I have learnt a lot battling in front and following Márquez and Dovizioso and also fighting with Andrea. It has been great! This result is good motivation to keep pushing, and especially in Thailand which is a track that I like a lot.”

More, from a press release issued by Michelin:

MICHELIN COMBAT THE ARAGÓN HEAT AS MARQUEZ TRIUMPHS

Michelin witnessed its range of MotoGP™ tyres produce a strong performance during today’s Gran Premio Movistar de Aragón from the MotorLand Aragón circuit in Spain as the heat rose on raceday before Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda) took victory.

Temperatures soared to their highest point of the weekend as the riders lined up on the grid, causing many teams to make last minute changes to their chosen selection of MICHELIN Power Slicks, in readiness to combat the heat. As the race began the track thermometer was reading 45°C – higher than it has ever been at the Aragón circuit for a MotoGP event – and following all the changes, five of the six tyre compounds were now featured in different combinations throughout the field.

Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team) was on pole after an exciting qualifying session on Saturday, which saw him take the first grid spot in the very last moment of the session, unfortunately for the Spaniard his race was short-lived as he crashed out on the first corner. This immediately handed the lead to his team-mate Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team), a position he held for the next 13-laps, before coming under pressure from Marquez. The pair then duelled out the remaining 10-laps of the 23-lap race, with the lead frequently changing hands as they pushed the Michelin tyres to the limit on a track that now had diminished grip levels due to the increased heat. Marquez was using a hard front and soft rear pairing, whilst Dovizioso had gone for a hard/hard combination and the two battled it out for the final laps as the characteristics of their respective bikes gave them the opportunity to use different tyres, but still extract maximum performance. Marquez eventually crossed the line first, giving him a double celebration, because earlier in the week the MotorLand Aragón circuit had named a corner in his honour. He now leads the championship by 72 points with just five races remaining.

Dovizioso came across the line in second and following him home was Andrea Iannone (Team SUZUKI ECSTAR). The Italian used a medium front and soft rear on his machine – meaning all three podium places were filled by assorted manufacturers using different tyre combinations. Iannone had briefly been involved in the battle for first and at one point momentarily led the race, but had to settle for third, just ahead of his team-mate Alex Rins (Team SUZUKI ECSTAR) at his home-race. Fifth was Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda), with Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) taking his and Aprilia’s best MotoGP finish of the season so far, as he took sixth and the position of First Independent Rider. Seventh went to Danilo Petrucci (Alma Pramac Racing), with Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) in eighth. Jack Miller (Alma Pramac Racing) was ninth and Maverick Viñales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) rounded out the top-ten.

Michelin and the whole MotoGP paddock now packs all the tyres, bikes and equipment and heads overseas for the first of four fly-away races, as the championship heads initially to Asia and its first visit to Thailand, when the Chang International Circuit in Buriram will stage the inaugural Thai Grand Prix on Sunday 7th October.

Marc Marquez – Repsol Honda:

“Today, maybe the tyre decided the race! I took a bit of a gamble, but it was not really a gamble for me because it was what I felt was best. I chose the soft rear tyre, because during the practice when I used the hard I was fast, but I didn’t quite feel good enough. The soft was also working in a good way, but it was a bit of a gamble because I had not tried it in the very high temperatures like today. It worked really well for the race distance and I was able to manage it in a good way. I think we did a great job with the Michelin Technician, Clement, and with the whole team, because we found the best tyre, pace and solution for the race distance.”

Piero Taramasso – Michelin Motorsport Two-Wheel Manager:

“The heat this weekend has been our biggest opponent, it has been much warmer than we have ever encountered here at Aragon for the whole weekend and as we had to choose the tyres back in March, we had no way of knowing it would be this warm. Today the temperatures rose again and the track surface became quite slippery, but our range of tyres coped very well with the conditions and it was testament to what we are doing that there were three alternative combinations of tyres on three different manufacturers on the podium. Again, five of the six tyres were used and to have a soft and hard rear in first and second place respectively gives more credibility to our ethos of supplying a whole range that can be used in race conditions and also throughout the whole weekend, and the lap-times have improved a lot from our previous two visits to prove that. We now have a new challenge as we head to Thailand for the first Grand Prix there and the start of the fly-away tour.”

More, from a press release issued by Dorna:

Marquez vs Dovizioso vs Iannone

Three factories fight it out at MotorLand – but it’s Marquez who takes the spoils

Three factories, three riders, a dash of controversy and one of the most incredible moments of the year – that was the Gran Premio Movistar de Aragon. In the end it was a masterclass from Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) as the reigning Champion and Championship leader fought off old foe Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) to emerge victorious, with Andrea Iannone (Team Suzuki Ecstar) completing the podium, but the headlines weren’t all written in the battle: a first-corner crash for Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team) saw him highside out after starting from pole.

Lorenzo was imperious on Saturday but it was Marquez who got a great launch from P3 and dived up the inside to grab the holeshot on Sunday, before both he and Lorenzo headed wide. That’s when the ‘Spartan’ crashed, suffering a dislocated toe in the process. Opinions on the incident differed between the two men but it did leave Dovizioso in the driving seat as he capitalised on the scruffy start for his two biggest rivals, taking the lead as Marquez slotted back into second.

Behind the drama, Iannone and Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) bolted out the blocks to move forward into the fight, with Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team) and Aprilia Racing Team Gresini’s Aleix Espargaro hot on their heels. Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) was also in that tousle in the early stages, but the Brit crashed out five laps in.

So began the battle for Aragon. Rins was looking menacing behind Marquez, feinting numerous overtaking attempts into the first corner as both Suzukis kept tabs on the leading duo and by lap 11, Dovi, Marquez, Rins and Iannone had edged out two-second gap to Pedrosa and Espargaro. The stage was set.

As if someone had flicked a switch and turned it up to 11, ‘DesmoDovi’ made his move and posted the fastest lap of the race a lap later – a 1:48.3. Marquez responded to stay with the Italian and the two looked to have broken clear of the Suzukis on the chase, but not so as the gloves came off between the leading duo. The number 93 carved past at Turn 12, but on Lap 16 Dovizioso got the drive up the hill to attack Marquez back at Turn 4. Never one to refuse a challenge, the Repsol Honda rider immediately responded up the inside at Turn 5, with the Italian then biting straight back at Turn 7. Stunning it was, but it also allowed Iannone to close the gap…

A number of laps later Marquez pounced again at Turn 12 and set off another flurry of dueling. This time, however, Iannone was able to get involved and as Dovizioso took the inside at Turn 15, Iannone took the outside and it made for a stunning sight as Marquez was briefly swamped by both. The Ducati and Honda were back in the lead soon after, but Marquez was about to play his ace.

The race-defining move finally came from the number 93 at Turn 5, and the reigning World Champion held firm until the chequered flag to take a third straight win in Aragon, equaling Mike Hailwood’s win tally of 41 for Honda. Dovi was forced to settle for second but equaled Casey Stoner’s Grand Prix podium count, with Iannone earning his third podium of the year and Suzuki’s first at MotorLand. The rostrum was also enough to mean the Hamamatsu factory will now lose concessions.

Fourth was local hero Rins as he took a second consecutive P4, with Pedrosa securing his first top five since the Catalan GP at his penultimate home Grand Prix. Espargaro excelled in sixth to pick up the Aprilia’s best result of the season and their best result so far, with the Spaniard beating Danilo Petrucci (Alma Pramac Racing) to top Independent rider as the Italian came home seventh.

Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP), meanwhile, was another headline act as ‘The Doctor’ sliced through the field from P17 on the grid to take eighth, ahead of Jack Miller (Alma Pramac Racing) after the two battled in the latter stages. Rossi’s teammate Maverick Viñales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) rounded out the top ten.

Franco Morbidelli (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) won the battle of the rookies in P11, with Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) 12th. Bradley Smith (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) had a solid race to take 13th, ahead of a tough day for Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) in 14th and a points finish for Karel Abraham (Angel Nieto Team) in 15th.

A monumental Marquez victory on home soil leaves the Honda rider with one hand on the title as the premier class head to Thailand for the first time. Will it be another Marquez vs Ducati contest? Will the Championship get closer once again? Or can a last chance saloon for Dovizioso deny the six-time World Champion? In two weeks, all will be revealed at Chang International Circuit…

MotoGP™ Race Results

1 – Marc Marquez (SPA) HONDA +2.822

2 – Andrea Dovizioso (ITA) DUCATI +0.648

3 – Andrea Iannone (ITA) SUZUKI +1.259

First Independent Team Rider

6 – Aleix Espargaro (SPA) APRILIA +9.396


Binder brawls it out at Aragon for win number 2

South African a step ahead at MotorLand

Starting from a maiden intermediate class pole position, Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Brad Binder produced a brilliant performance at the Gran Premio Movistar de Aragon to take his second win of the season and second Moto2™ win. Championship leader Francesco Bagnaia (Sky Racing Team VR46) was beaten into second but claimed a fourth straight podium finish on his 100th Grand Prix start and increased his points lead, with compatriot Lorenzo Baldassarri (Pons HP40) standing on the rostrum for the first time since Mugello, taking third.

Binder got off to a great start and led the opening exchanges ahead of Alex Marquez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) after the Spaniard was able to get himself up to second from P4 on the grid, with Bagnaia slotting into fourth before overtaking P2 starter Marcel Schrötter (Dynavolt Intact GP). Marquez was then able to slice his way through to the lead at home GP as the front trio started to break away from the chasing Baldassarri and Schrötter.

Baldassarri was reeling in the leading three as Marquez’ pace at the front started to dip, however, and heading into Turn 16 on Lap 13, Binder ran slightly wide. Bagnaia held the tighter racing line as the South African started to cut back and the two just tagged each other for a heart in the mouth moment, but both stayed on and Binder stayed ahead. The 2016 Moto3™ World Champion then continued to lock horns with his 2014 counterpart Marquez and after two failed attempts, Binder made a move stick into Turn 12 on lap 15 – with the two coming into contact on the exit. But from there, Binder couldn’t be stopped and he went on to claim his second intermediate class win.

Behind, Bagnaia recovered and made his way past Baldassarri after the latter went wide and was then able to get the better of Marquez – making it P2 for the Championship leader who now has a 19-point lead in the title race. Baldassarri and Marquez then found themselves in a dog fight on the penultimate lap, with the former emerging victorious.

Behind Marquez was Schrötter in a slightly more difficult race after the German showed great pace throughout the weekend, with Joan Mir (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) securing sixth after starting P15 – a great ride from the reigning Moto3™ World Champion. Seventh was Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo), who also produced another comeback ride after starting 18th. The Portuguese rider lost valuable ground in the Championship, but gained some serious positions in the race.

Mattia Pasini (Italtrans Racing Team) was able to come out on top in the battle with Fabio Quartararo (MB Conveyors – Speed Up) as they took eighth and ninth respectively, with Jorge Navarro (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) recovering from a bad start to round out the top ten – from P3 on the grid. Luca Marini (SKY Racing Team VR46) was 11th, two seconds ahead of compatriot Simone Corsi (Tasca Racing Scuderia Moto2) who finished 12th as Augusto Fernandez (Pons HP40), Iker Lecuona (Swiss Innovative Investors) and Tetsuta Nagashima (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) completed the points scorers.

A ninth podium of 2018 sees Bagnaia increase his lead in the Championship over Oliveira as the intermediate class enter the final five rounds of the season. Can the Portuguese rider bounce back in Thailand?

Moto2™ Race Results

1 – Brad Binder (RSA) KTM 39’59.247

2 – Francesco Bagnaia (ITA) KALEX +1.526

3 – Lorenzo Baldassarri (ITA) KALEX +2.055

MotorLand masterclass: Martin untouchable at Aragon

The Spaniard storms home turf as Bezzecchi and Bastianini blast through the field

Jorge Martin (Del Conca Gresini Moto3) took a stunning win at Gran Premio Movistar de Aragon to extend his points advantage over Marco Bezzecchi (Redox PruestelGP), with the Spaniard starting from a pole position that saw him equal the number of poles of his Team Manager Fausto Gresini and not looking back. Bezzecchi did some incredible damage limitation in the standings and took second after riding through the field, with Enea Bastianini (Leopard Racing) mounting a similar comeback to complete the podium after both Italians were given 12-place grid penalties. The podium for the number 33 sees him draw level with Alex Rins and Romano Fenati with the most Moto3™ rostrums – 23.

Martin took the holeshot from pole as Aron Canet (Estrella Galicia 0,0) dropped back a little from his front row start and Fabio Di Giannantonio charged forward, with the Championship leader putting the hammer down immediately as he began to gap the chasing pack. ‘Diggia’ headed up the train behind, battling Marcos Ramirez (Bester Capital Dubai) at the front of a long group. Championship contender Bezzecchi, meanwhile, immediately moved up through that group and into the top ten after his grid penalty, with Bastianini following suit not long after.

The fight throughout the front half of the field was a Moto3™ classic, but Martin was more than free of the fracas and taking advantage of the clear track. With Bezzecchi blasting into the head of the train behind, however, the pace hotted up for those on the chase – and the Italian had already made up 16 places.

It had seemed as though Bezzecchi and fellow charger Bastianini could have the pace to get into clearer air but it remained a group fighting for second, with Gabriel Rodrigo (RBA BOE Skull Rider), Ramirez, Albert Arenas (Angel Nieto Team), Di Giannantonio and Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Squadra Corse) for close company. Rodrigo then crashed out after an incident with Arenas, leaving five riders fighting to complete the podium behind Martin.

Martin crossed the line ahead for a serene show of dominance, and after a tousle around the final lap it was Bezzecchi who kept just ahead to take second – some incredible damage limitation after his grid penalty. Bastianini clawed back some ground on a few in the title fight to complete the rostrum after his own awesome ride through the pack, and he moves up to fourth in the standings after a DNF for Canet.

‘Diggia’ was just behind compatriot Bastianini and took fourth, with Ramirez completing the top five. Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Squadra Corse) was only a tenth further back with an impressive race to take sixth, with Arenas the final member of that front group over the line and still close.

Adam Norrodin (Petronas Sprinta Racing) took eighth and achieved his target of a top ten after a solid race to beat off Jaume Masia (Bester Capital Dubai) by less than half a tenth, with John McPhee (CIP – Green Power) completing the top ten in the tight second group as he crossed the line just ahead of Jakub Kornfeil (Redox PruestelGP).

There’s more to come as Moto3™ encounter Thailand for the first time next time, with Martin leading but the Championship having already taken an incredible number of twists and turns. Is there another waiting in the wings? Find out from the 5th to 7th October.

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