FIM MotoGP World Championship Race Results From Indianapolis Motor Speedway (Updated)

FIM MotoGP World Championship Race Results From Indianapolis Motor Speedway (Updated)

© 2013, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Red Bull Indianapolis GP FIM MotoGP World Championship Indianapolis Motor Speedway Indianapolis, Indiana August 18, 2013 Race Results (all on Bridgestone tires): 1. Marc Marquez, Spain (HONDA), 27 laps, 44:52.463 2. Dani Pedrosa, Spain (HONDA), -3.495 seconds 3. Jorge Lorenzo, Spain (YAMAHA), -5.704 4. Valentino Rossi, Italy (YAMAHA), -19.895 5. Cal Crutchlow, UK (YAMAHA), -19.955 6. Alvaro Bautista, Spain (HONDA), -20.061 7. Stefan Bradl, Germany (HONDA), -24.842 8. Bradley Smith, UK (YAMAHA), -40.690 9. Nicky Hayden, USA (DUCATI), -40.701, ran off track 10. Andrea Dovizioso, Italy (DUCATI), -40.823, ran off track 11. Andrea Iannone, Italy (DUCATI), -59.668 12. Aleix Espargaro, Spain (ART-Aprilia), -66.650 13. Colin Edwards, USA (FTR-Kawasaki), -69.462 14. Claudio Corti, Italy (FTR-Kawasaki), -75.207 15. Hiroshi Aoyama, Japan (FTR-Kawasaki), -80.159 16. Hector Barbera, Spain (FTR-Kawasaki), -85.879 17. Danilo Petrucci, Italy (IODA/SUTER-BMW), -89.616 18. Michael Laverty, UK (PBM-Aprilia), 96.388 19. Bryan Staring, Australia (FTR-Honda), -1 lap 20. Yonny Hernandez, Colombia (ART-Aprilia), -10 laps, DNF, mechanical 21. Lukas Pesek, Czech Republic (IODA/SUTER-BMW), -13 laps, DNF, retired 22. Randy De Puniet, France (ART-Aprilia), -22 laps, DNF, retired 23. Blake Young, USA (APR-Kawasaki), -27 laps, DNF, crash 24. Ben Spies, USA (DUCATI), DNS 25. Karel Abraham, Czech Republic (ART-Aprilia), DNS World Championship Point Standings (after 10 of 18 races): 1. Marquez, 188 points 2. Pedrosa, 167 3. Lorenzo, 153 4. Rossi, 130 5. Crutchlow, 127 6. Bradl, 93 7. Dovizioso, 87 8. Bautista, 81 9. Hayden, 72 10. Smith, 59 11. Espargaro, 56 12. Pirro, 36 13. Iannone, 29 14. Barbera, 24 15. Edwards, 20 16. De Puniet, 19 17. Petrucci, 18 18. Spies, 9 19. TIE, Corti/Hernandez, 7 21. TIE, Alex De Angelis/Abraham, 5 23. Laverty, 3 24. TIE, Staring/Aoyama, 2 26. Javier Del Amor, 1 More, from a press release issued by Yamaha Factory MotoGP Team: Lorenzo Takes Third in Indianapolis Thriller Indianapolis (Indiana, USA), 18th August 2013 Reigning World Champion Jorge Lorenzo marked his return to fitness today with third in the Indianapolis Grand Prix, his fifth premier class podium finish at the US track. He impressed with a stunning start from second on the grid, out dragging both Marc Marquez and Dani Pedrosa to take the hole-shot into turn one. Lorenzo immediately built a half second gap and managed to hold the lead on a track not best suited to the Yamaha until Marquez squeezed past with 15 laps to go. Marquez was not allowed to break away and Lorenzo kept with him until fatigue set in as the race wound down and he was forced to relinquish second to Pedrosa with three laps remaining. This important podium whilst still recovering from surgery allows Lorenzo to now return to European tracks favoured by the YZR-M1 in full fitness and just 15 points behind Pedrosa in third on 153 points. Teammate Valentino Rossi’s race proved to be the opposite of Lorenzo’s. The Italian nine-time world champion spent the early part of the race fighting with a less than perfect set up as he made up ground from his ninth position start on the grid. Nicky Hayden was dispatched on the second lap for eighth and fellow Yamaha rider Bradley Smith would follow. With just six laps remaining it was clear Rossi had saved the best for last, hunting down Alvaro Bautista and Cal Crutchlow who were fighting for fourth. Rossi joined the battle, swapping positions repeatedly until a stunning pass on the second to last corner of the last lap saw him steal fourth from Crutchlow and hold it to the line. The result keeps Rossi in fourth in the overall standings with 130 points, three clear of Crutchlow in fourth. Rossi and the team will now head directly to Brno for the second of three consecutive back-to-back races. Jorge Lorenzo 3rd / +5.704 / 27 laps “I made a very good start and I had half a second advantage in the beginning of the race. I had a lot of hope because I knew I had a good pace but suddenly in the middle of the race Marc started to go faster and faster so it was impossible to win. I’m disappointed to not finish second, because in normal conditions without the drop in rear tyre this would have been possible. I’m happy to be back on the podium at a track that’s not normally a good one for us. I don’t feel perfect, I feel more tired than normal because I haven’t trained so much in the last two months because of the injuries. I felt tired at the end of the race and had some pain in the braking areas but I feel much better and in Brno and Silverstone I will be ok. I think from this moment we can only be better and better.” Valentino Rossi 4th / +19.895 / 27 laps “At the end the race was not so bad, especially compared with yesterday and especially the second half. I could ride the bike in a good way and I could enjoy it. I did a very good lap time in the second half and had great battles with Bradl and Bautista, but especially with Cal on the last lap, that was very funny. Fourth place here is good considering this track is one of the worst for me and considering I started from ninth I am quite happy. We still have to work and understand why in the first laps I can’t ride the bike and use the extra grip of the tyre. In the second part when the tyre slides I can enter the corner faster, I can go faster and I can make good lap times so we have to improve because the first three riders are very strong.” Yamaha Factory Racing Wilco Zeelenberg Team Manager “The Indianapolis race is finished and we have to be pleased with third. We hoped for second place because I think that was our pace but finally the tyre dropped a lot on the end so we have to investigate what happened exactly. Anyway, to be back after injuries and be fighting again with Marc and Dani for victory is great, the first 20 laps especially looked very good. Jorge was riding well and the bike behaved quite good. I think the guys all did a good job so we just have to investigate the tyre drop. We had the same last year when we lost ten seconds on Dani and this year five or six seconds in total on the race winner. We are improving at Indy, maybe next year we can win here.” Yamaha Factory Racing Massimo Meregalli Team Director “Even if we knew since the beginning that Indianapolis was going to be a tough race for us I have to congratulate the team as they have done a fantastic job. We led for part of the race, Jorge had a really good rhythm and he was able to get an important podium for the Championship, that was the target and the main goal. Also Valentino, even if he couldn’t find the right set up, got the right balance of the bike and when the tyre dropped he made an impressive come back. Third and fourth is a good result here and now we go back to some circuits in Europe where we can change the direction of the Championship in our favour.” More, from a press release issued by Pramac Racing: Andrea Iannone 11th in Indianapolis GP Energy TI Pramac Racing Team rider Andrea Iannone ended the tenth round of the MotoGP World Championship, held under sunny skies in Indianapolis, and in front of 60,327 spectators, with an 11th place finish. The lack of strength in the Italian’s right arm, a consequence of the shoulder dislocation suffered during the German Grand Prix, continues to him to compensate with his body, straining his physical endurance. Given Iannone’s general physical condition, and the recently completed long break, this was nonetheless a positive weekend, as well as a good start in preparation for the challenging stretch that awaits the MotoGP riders. In fact, the next appointment awaits in just four days, at the Brno circuit in the Czech Republic. Andrea Iannone – Energy T.I. Pramac Racing Team “All in all, I’m happy because I managed to do the whole race. The first few laps I was behind Dovizioso and Nicky, and I was quite fast. Then I started to suffer physically. My shoulder hurts a lot, and on braking, I couldn’t keep the brake on for too long, as I lacked the strength. I was squeezing the tank with my legs, and I stressed my back to the point that it started to hurt. It’s been one of the best races of the year, as we worked well during the whole weekend, so I’m happy. We should certainly improve the result; we must get closer to the fellow Ducati riders, and that’s our focus for the next grand prix.” More, from a press release issued by Repsol Honda: Magnificent Marquez completes a perfect weekend with teammate Pedrosa in 2nd Respol Honda’s Marc Marquez has crowned a perfect weekend in the Red Bull Indianapolis GP with a sensational victory. Marc led every session over the weekend, broke the pole position record yesterday and also recorded a new fastest race lap of 1’39.044. Marc’s teammate Dani Pedrosa, took an impressive second place after battling with title rival Jorge Lorenzo in the final laps. Marc suffered from a poor start and dropped back from pole to 3rd position by the first corner, with Dani in front of him in 2nd and Lorenzo taking the lead. The three Spanish riders held these positions, racing within tenths of second from each other, for the first nine laps. Then Championship leader Marc made his move and passed Dani. A few laps later, Marc had closed the gap on Lorenzo and on lap thirteen he passed him and slowly began to open a gap as he began to set fastest race laps, taking a new record on lap 18. In the final laps, Dani found a final burst of energy and launched an attack on Lorenzo. With just two laps remaining, Dani passed Lorenzo to seize second place and complete a perfect weekend for the Repsol Honda Team. It was an inspiring ride from Dani who is still recovering from the injury sustained in Sachsenring just over a month ago. The last eight MotoGP races in the USA have now been won by Honda riders and Marc becomes the first rider to take three MotoGP wins in the USA in a single season, having already won at both Austin and Laguna Seca. He’s the third rider of all-time to win three premier-class GP races in the same country in a single season (Jorge Lorenzo in 2010 – Jerez, Catalunya & Valencia, and Casey Stoner in 2011 – Catalunya, Aragon, Valencia, in both cases the three wins were from four races held in Spain). Marc is also the first rookie in the premier-class to win three back-to-back races since Kenny Roberts in 1978, who won in Austria, France and Mugello. Marc Marquez 1st Championship Standing: 1st – 188 points “I am very happy to have taken another 25 points! I knew before we came here that this would be a good opportunity and I was able to take advantage of it. I felt very good throughout the weekend, and I think this has been my best GP overall since coming into the premier class. I was first in every session, so I couldn’t ask for more. In the race I decided to follow Lorenzo and Pedrosa, trying to save my tyres at the start. When I saw that I was feeling good and had less fuel in the tank, I tried to attack. In the end I was able to break away and have some fun sliding the bike around and enjoying how good the ride was! Now we head back to Europe, where we will try to continue working in the same way and see how many points we can pick up” Dani Pedrosa 2nd Championship Standing: 2nd – 167 points “Today I gave all I had. I struggled to keep my energy up and I was forced to ride in a different way because of the pain I was suffering. It was a difficult race, because I was fighting a lot against the bike but in the end I was able to keep up my pace and take a good second place! In other conditions I’m sure we would have done better, but we did all that we could under the circumstances today and should draw that positive from the day” More, from a press release issued by Monster Yamaha Tech 3: Crutchlow fifth after late drama in Indianapolis Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team rider Cal Crutchlow ended an intriguing Indianapolis MotoGP race in fifth position this afternoon, the British rider playing a leading role in one of the most intense battles in the 27-lap clash. Engaged in a frenetic fight for the majority of the race with Spaniard Alvaro Bautista, the tussle for fourth position became a three-way battle, with nine-times World Champion Valentino Rossi riding into contention with a brilliant late attack. All three treated a crowd of just over 60,000 fans to some breathless action, with the trio constantly exchanging overtakes before the exciting battle came right down to the final corner. Crutchlow had produced an outstanding final lap to keep Rossi and Bautista at bay and fourth position seemed to have been secured behind dominant Spanish trio Marc Marquez, Dani Pedrosa and Jorge Lorenzo. After 44 minutes of nail-biting action though there was still time for one final dramatic twist, with Rossi executing a last ditch overtake at the final corner to push Crutchlow back into fifth. Less than 0.2s split Rossi, Crutchlow and Bautista at the finish line and the crowd were on their feet to show their appreciation at witnessing such a fierce but fair fight. Bradley Smith secured his seventh top 10 finish of the season, the British rider’s race starting and finishing in tremendously exciting fashion. Smith got a stunning launch off the line and on the first lap he held fourth place before he slipped back into a fight with Andrea Dovizioso and Nicky Hayden for eighth. The 22-year-old exerted constant pressure on his more experienced counterparts and his determination and hard work was rewarded when Hayden and Dovizioso ran off track at the final corner. Smith pounced on the opportunity to win a drag race to the finish line and he claimed a hard fought eighth spot by the narrowest of margins over home crowd favourite Hayden. Smith’s excellent performance also elevated him into the top 10 in the World Championship standings for the first time in his rookie campaign. Cal Crutchlow 5th – 127 points : “I’m really pleased to finish the race in the top five and it means I am still the leading satellite bike in the Championship, which is an achievement to be proud of. It was a really good battle out there and I enjoyed it a lot. All of us were pushing at our absolute maximum and Alvaro rode fantastic. Credit to Valentino as well because he recovered quite a lot of time and it is not easy to do that towards the end of the race. I knew it was going to come down to the last lap and probably the last corner and I did my best to keep fourth. But unfortunately Valentino made a good move up the inside of the right before the last corner and I couldn’t get him back. I had a lot of fun though I think the three of us gave the American fans something to cheer. I’ve only lost two points to Valentino in the Championship on a track I don’t like at all. I was strong all weekend, so that gives me a lot of confidence for the next races in Brno and Silverstone where I was very competitive at last season.” Bradley Smith 8th – 59 points : “I think eighth position was more or less what we had predicted for the race, but we did not expect to be so far behind the winner. The race was very exciting and I got an amazing start but pretty much right from the first lap I felt we had an issue with the rear end of the bike. I tried to maintain my pace but unfortunately I ran off in at Turn 6 and a few guys passed me. I tried to recover again but the rear problem was getting worse and at the end of the race I could only try to pass the Ducatis. I was a bit lucky that they ran wide in the last corner, so I could pass both on the final straight. Eighth is not a bad result but I’m a little bit disappointed because we did a really good job during the whole weekend and I was very confident for the race. Now I just hope I can carry the good performances from practice and qualifying into Brno.” Herve Poncharal – Team Manager : “That was a great race and I think every single fan that was here today certainly got exceptional value for money with that entertainment on track. The main show behind another fantastic ride from Marquez was the battle between Cal, Valentino and Bautista. Those last few laps once Valentino had caught them was compelling viewing and it is a pity that Cal lost fourth so close to the end. The gap at the line between Cal and Valentino was the blink of an eye and shows what an incredible 27 laps Cal produced. Yet again he is the top satellite rider and he did another brilliant job to be so close to Valentino on the factory Yamaha. Bradley had a very strong race as well. His start was unbelievable and it was great to see him right in the heart of the action so early. At the end he was never letting the Ducati pair relax for a second and a bit like in Assen he took full advantage of a mistake at the final corner. We can now head to Brno full of confidence that Cal will be challenging for the podium again and Bradley will be closer to the top six.” More, from a press release issued by LCR Honda: BRADL ENDS IN 7th PLACE THE INDIANAPOLIS GP Indianapolis, 18 August: the tenth round of the season at the legendary Indianapolis Motor Speedway was a mixed-feelings round for LCR Honda racer Stefan Bradl who managed to finish the 27-lap race in 7th position. Bradl, who was consistently fast in all free sessions, crashed twice yesterday and lacked some confidence during the race which was also particularly physically demanding for the German rider. Stefan Bradl “Honestly I am a bit disappointed about this result and I had mixed feelings in this weekend. At the beginning we were very strong but after 3 crashes in the practices I lost a bit of confidence. We have tried to adjust the bike but, during the race, those changes made the bike too heavy to ride for me. I could not keep the same speed for the whole race because I was too tired so I lost the guys in front of me. Now I just want to move on to Brno and try to be back in the pack”. More, from a press release issued by Bridgestone: Magic Marquez masters Indy to clinch third-straight MotoGP™ victory Round 10: Indianapolis MotoGP™ – Race Indianapolis, Sunday 18 August 2013 Bridgestone slick compounds available: Front: Soft & Hard. Rear: Soft, Medium & Hard (Asymmetric) Bridgestone wet tyre compounds available: Soft (Main), Hard (Alternative) Weather: Dry. Ambient 29-30°C; Track 47-53°C (Bridgestone measurement) There was no stopping Marc Marquez at Indianapolis MotorSpeedway this weekend, the Repsol Honda rounding out a relentless performance by taking the chequered flag today for his third consecutive MotoGP™ victory to sweep all races held in the United States of America this season. Starting from pole position, Marquez lost out to teammate Dani Pedrosa and Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jorge Lorenzo at the start of the race to trail his two rivals for the opening laps. Marquez overtook Pedrosa on lap nine and seized the race lead from Lorenzo on lap thirteen, before streaking away to win by 3.495 seconds. Pedrosa fended off the challenge of Lorenzo to finish in second place, with the reigning MotoGP™ champion Lorenzo placing third. Power Electronics Aspar’s Aleix Espargaro rode valiantly with an injured hand to finish as the top CRT entry in twelfth place. Track temperatures for the race peaked at 53°C, however the temperature at the start of the race was in the mid-forty degree mark and all works riders, and all except four CRT riders, selected their softer rear slick option for the race. Front tyre choice was identical across the field, with all riders using the harder front slick. Although track temperatures increased throughout the race, the softer rear tyre options exhibited consistent degradation with a new race lap record of 1’39.044 set by Marquez on the eighteenth lap of the race. Marquez’s third straight victory extends his lead in the championship standings over teammate Pedrosa to twenty-one points, with Lorenzo third in the standings and a further fourteen points behind. Hiroshi Yamada – Manager, Bridgestone Motorsport Department “That was certainly a very eventful end to what was a fantastic race! Congratulations to Marc for his dominant display this weekend and to Repsol Honda on securing their third 1-2 finish this season. With the good news that MotoGP will return to Indianapolis next year, I am sure the fans appreciated seeing such great action here this weekend, and I hope to see an even larger crowd here next year. We now return to Europe and I am very much looking forward to seeing the next chapter of this brilliant championship fight unfold at Brno.” Masao Azuma – Chief Engineer, Bridgestone Motorsport Tyre Development Department “With track temperatures today no higher than experienced in qualifying yesterday, all works riders and most of the CRT riders decided to use their softer rear slick option for the race. Front tyre choice was the same for all riders, with the hard compound front slick being selected and this combination resulted in very quick lap times in the race. The medium compound slick, which was the softer choice for the works riders performed very well in the conditions with a fast race pace and new Circuit Record Lap being set in the second half of the race. The performance of our tyres this weekend makes me very happy as new qualifying and race lap records were set and we enjoyed good tyre durability at this very demanding circuit.” Marc Marquez, Repsol Honda – Race Winner “I didn’t get a good start but I knew before the race that the most important part was the end of the race. For the first few laps I just focused on following Dani and Jorge and conserving the tyres and once I got past them I felt so good with the bike and managed to build a gap. I really enjoyed the race and the twenty-five points are important for the championship.” More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse: Ninth place for Hayden, tenth for Dovizioso at Indianapolis GP At the last of three MotoGP rounds to be held on American soil this season, Ducati Team riders Nicky Hayden and Andrea Dovizioso finished today’s race in ninth and tenth positions, respectively, at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. As has been the case on many occasions this year, the evenly matched teammates found themselves dicing with one another for the entire race aboard their Desmosedici GP13 machines. Positions were traded on several occasions, and on the final lap, the American tried a last-corner pass on Dovizioso for eighth place. The two made contact and ran off the track, which allowed Bradley Smith to pass them both on the run to the finish line. Tomorrow, the Ducati Team heads to the Czech Republic, where the second of three races on consecutive weekends will take place at the Brno circuit. Nicky Hayden – Ducati Team, 9th “We’d hoped for more. We found a direction in qualifying yesterday, but when the tyre got a few laps on it in the race, we lost rear grip. Early, I was trying to hang with Rossi, but as soon as the tyre went away, I made a little mistake and he was gone. From there, I was just racing with Dovi, and he really pushes and doesn’t make many mistakes. We went back and forth a lot, and then in the last corner on the last lap, we had contact, which was my fault. When the door started to close, I was already committed and didn’t want him to take out my front wheel. Unfortunately, Smith still beat us to the line. It’s a shame, but we still need to improve the bike over race distance. The race went better than last year, and the fans were great to me, but I would’ve liked to put up a better fight than that.” Andrea Dovizioso – Ducati Team, 10th “The race went more or less as I expected. The goal was to finish with a 1’40” pace, but unfortunately, the rear tyre started to lose grip on both sides in the last ten laps, so the race became a strategic battle between Nicky and me. I’m fairly pleased with how I managed my race because I was able to pass him back on the final lap, but in the last corner, he wanted to get by me at any cost, using a really aggressive manoeuvre. I didn’t expect it because I hadn’t left the door open. Nicky came beside me and we touched, and it certainly wasn’t a safe move, but we can say it was a racing incident. We were called to Race Direction because of course it’s important to talk about these things and immediately clear them up. Honestly, I’m quite annoyed to have lost two positions, and I also wanted to keep Smith behind me. Still, there’s no sense in creating controversy in a situation like this, so for me it’s over.” Paolo Ciabatti – Ducati MotoGP Project Director “It was a difficult race for our team. In the early going, Nicky and Andrea stayed in contact with the rest of the group, but in the final ten laps, the drop in performance of the rear tyres slowed our riders’ pace, and they found themselves trading positions a couple times and fighting with each other for eighth place. Unfortunately, Nicky tried to pass Dovizioso in the final corner, even though there was limited space. The two riders touched and went over the curb, and Smith was able to pass them both at the finish line. Nicky and Andrea talked afterward to clear things up, and there was no controversy. The fact remains that we can’t be satisfied with a result like today’s, so we must grit our teeth and try even harder to improve the performance of our bikes.” More, from a press release issued by Team GO&FUN Honda: Team GO & FUN Honda Gresini rider Alvaro Bautista produced another strong ride at Indianapolis, backing up his fourth place last time out at Laguna Seca with another challenge for the same position. Unfortunately he was unable to finish the job on the final lap as he struggled for front grip and he lost out to Valentino Rossi and Cal Crutchlow in an exciting battle to the final corner, scoring an otherwise solid sixth place that confirms his recent progress and provides optimism for the future. Bryan Staring was unable to rediscover the feeling he had with his bike yesterday and struggled to 19th place. Alvaro Bautista (6th) “I am really happy and I think we had a great race today. Obviously I would have preferred to finish fourth but sixth place and the way we got it is not a bad result. Unfortunately I had to push the front harder than I would have liked in the first part of the race and we paid the price at the end, when I was unable to defend my position from Crutchlow. It’s a shame but I am happy anyway, we have a fantastic feeling with the bike right now and we are doing a good job so I want to say a special thanks to the team and the guys at Showa, Nissin and of course at Honda. Now we can look to the future with even more confidence.” Bryan Staring (19th) “I am not happy because unfortunately compared to yesterday we didn’t have the same feeling with the bike. We tried every possible way to improve our confidence but didn’t manage it and I am sorry to the team.” Fausto Gresini “Alvaro has had a good weekend and he finished it off with a fantastic race. Obviously I would have preferred to see him cross the line in fourth place but it seems he was struggling with the front in the second half of the race so we have to be happy with the result that gives the whole team another nice lift. Their hard work is bearing fruit, we have a competitive bike and Alvaro is fighting at the front so I want to thank the team, Honda for giving us a great bike and also Alvaro. It is nice to see him having fun and I am sure we will have a lot more to shout about very soon.” More, from a press release issued by Power Electronics Aspar Team: POWER ELECTRONICS Aspar man rides alone for majority of MotoGP race, crossing the line twelfth. Randy De Puniet retires from race due to mechanical issue The MotoGP race at Indianapolis seemed set to be a runaway victory for Marc Márquez, after he had dominated every session at the Brickyard. However, Jorge Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa had other ideas, and it was the former who pushed hardest at the start of the contest. Temperatures were up enough for the fastest race lap to be one second slower than yesterday’s pole time, and the race on the whole was run at a slower pace than in practice. Márquez finally made his move for the lead thirteen laps in, taking a further four to break away from his rivals. The rookie took the win, ahead of Pedrosa and Lorenzo. Behind them, Valentino Rossi, Cal Crutchlow and Álvaro Bautista added excitement in a battle for fourth. POWER ELECTRONICS Aspar rider Aleix Espargaró would have to overcome pain from a crash yesterday and a motivated home rider in Colin Edwards, if he were to take top CRT honours at Indianapolis. The Spaniard had received an infiltration to his left hand to dull the pain, making it hard to pick up the pace early on, but was gradually able to feel more comfortable. He crossed the line in twelfth and was once again the best of the CRT riders. Teammate Randy De Puniet had experienced mechanical issues throughout the weekend, and eventually retired from the race as a precautionary measure after Lap 5. 12th Aleix Espargaró: “This weekend has been tough for us, I suffered a crash yesterday afternoon and could not work as much as we had wanted. Also today I had a lot of pain in my left hand as a result of the fall, but luckily the Clinic Mobile doctors outdid themselves in treating it and I could ride without problems. I was infiltrated before the race to mitigate some of the pain. It was difficult to be aggressive and give one hundred percent with my hands so sore, as it was hard enough to change direction. Still, I think we should be satisfied as we worked hard, were once again the best in the CRT category and took a good result here at Indianapolis. Now it is time to recover and keep on top next weekend at Brno.” Randy De Puniet (DNF): “During ths weekend we had an uphill struggle. We had various setbacks arise and tried to overcome them as best we could. Even this morning, in the warmup, we made various changes to try and improve traction control. Even so, I noticed that the power delivery felt strange. The wheels were sliding out a lot at various points and I found it hard to corner. I tried to keep focused at the start of the race but the setbacks continued. That meant that I decided to err on the side of caution and bring the bike back to the pits.” More, from a press release issued by Avintia Blusens MotoGP Team: Good race of Aoyama who scores and gets to be fourth CRT Barberá, with set-up problems, finishes sixteenth Indianapolis, 18 August 2013. After a lot of work and tests during the weekend, the MotoGP race was not as positive as expected by the Avintia Blusens team, although it is true that Hiroshi Aoyama took a step forward feeling very recovered from the hand injured at Montmeló and scoring again, after having achieved it in the first race of the season. Aoyama, solved the qualifying problems with the rear brake, did a good start but was left behind when another rider forced him to go off the track. The last 250cc World Champion moved up some positions and managed to maintain a pace that led him to become one of the fastest CRT riders in different moments of the race. Finally he finished fifteenth and scored a point. Less positive was the GP for Héctor Barberá who never felt at ease with the set-up of his bike throughout the weekend. Despite being quickly in some parts of the race, the problems with the front wheel and the lack of confidence that these cause, prevented him from obtaining the desired result. Barberá arrived at Indianapolis having been the first CRT at Laguna Seca and the fifth place at Indy is not enough. Now the team will travel to Brno to race the eleventh round of the season, in which they expect to have a good weekend. 8 Héctor Barberá (16th +1.25.879): It has been a difficult and complicated race in which we have carried the front part bike problems of the practice sessions around. We have done a lot of tests and even before the start of the race we have thought about making some changes. The reality is that I have never managed to ride at ease and things have not changed in the race. I am a little disappointed because I was the first CRT in the last race and I did not expect this result. Fortunately, next weekend we race another GP, we have another opportunity, and it is also at a circuit that I like. 7 Hiroshi Aoyama: (15th +1.20.159): Yesterday we had problems with the rear brake in the qualifying session and today in the warm-up we have not been able to solve them. So for the race we have changed the whole rear brake package. We were a little worried because it was a material that we had not tested and we did not know how it would work. Fortunately it has gone well and I have not had any problem. I am satisfied with having solved the brake issue, having scored again and because we have had a very good pace. I think that without the incident of the first lap, in which a rider forced me to go off the track losing several positions, I could have been able to finish higher up. I want to thank the team for the work done and I hope that we continue in this line. It is good to score again and feel competitive. I am happy. More, from a press release issued by Honda: 2013 FIM MotoGP/Moto2/Moto3 World Championships Round 10, Indianapolis Grand Prix, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Race day, Sunday, 18 August 2013 Weather: Dry Temperature: ambient 27 degrees C, track 39 degrees C HONDA TAKES MAXIMUM POINTS AS RACING RESUMES AT INDY Repsol Honda RC213V riders Marc Marquez and Dani Pedrosa finished first and second at today’s Indianapolis Grand Prix at the iconic “Brickyard”, resuming the interrupted racing season in the best possible form as both increase their world championship points lead over closest rival Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha), third today. It was a third win in succession for 20-year-old class rookie Marc Marquez, who had won the last two Moto2 races here in 2011 and 2012, en route to the 2012 Championship. It gave him a three-out-of-three hat-trick in the USA. He won round two in Austin, Texas in April, then the US GP at Laguna Seca before the summer break. He now leads the Word Championship by 21 points, the youngest rider ever to do so – just one of many records the Spanish rider has smashed in his maiden MotoGP season. With two more races in the next two weekends, the contest is reaching a crescendo. Marquez now has 188 points to Pedrosa’s 167, with Lorenzo losing ground on 153. Marquez was in top form from the start, dominating free practice and qualifying on pole for the fourth time this year. But it was Lorenzo who led away in perfect conditions, closely pursued by Pedrosa and the rookie. Marquez took second after eight of the 28 laps, and moved into the lead before half distance. The three stayed close, then Marquez stretched his lead to win by 3.495 seconds. Pedrosa’s second place was hardly any less of an achievement. The 27-year-old Spaniard, who ceded the points lead to his team-mate three races ago when forced out of the German GP with a broken collarbone, is still recovering from the injury and racing in damage-control mode. He had dropped to third behind Lorenzo, also injured at the same race … but a superhuman effort in the closing stages saw him close a gap of a second and then get back ahead with three laps remaining. Pedrosa finished the race in obvious pain, and is looking forward to continued physical improvement to help him regain further momentum, after winning two races earlier in the season to take the points lead. Fans at the 4.216 km (2.62-mile) infield circuit, which shares part of the front straight and the famous “yard of bricks” with the historic and world-famous Indianapolis Oval, enjoyed warm and dry weather, with exciting racing for the remaining championship points. The warmer conditions made tyre choice important, with all factory riders opting for the same hard front / soft rear combination. Sixth-placed Team GO&FUN Honda Gresini RC213V rider Alvaro Bautista played a leading role in what was eventually a three-bike battle for fourth. He had been to and fro with Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha), when the similarly mounted multi-champion Valentino Rossi caught up in the last laps. Former 125cc World Champion Bautista came off worst in a fairing-bashing brawl in the final corner. Rossi led the trio across the line almost side by side, all within two tenths of a second. Bautista uniquely uses Showa suspension and Nissin brakes, race-developing the Japanese equipment made by Honda associates. German LCR Honda RC213V rider Stefan Bradl was ninth, after tailing Bautista until the closing stages, then losing pace after Rossi caught and passed him. Bradl was fresh off a career-best pole and second place at the last round at Laguna Seca, and was second fastest in free practice – but a tumble in qualifying dropped him to eighth on the grid, spoiling his confidence and his chances of a repeat performance. Australian grand prix first-timer Bryan Staring (Team GO&FUN Honda Gresini FTR Honda) was 19th on the Honda CBR1000RR-powered CRT machine, on his first visit to the circuit. An exciting race in the all-Honda-powered Moto2 class saw Tito Rabat (Tuenti HP Pons Kalex) take his second win of the year, after breaking free from the group disputing second to hunt down and pass long-time leader Takaaki Nakagami (Italtrans Racing Team Kalex), for whom second was still a career best. Crucially for the championship, points leader Scott Redding (Marc VDS Racing Team Kalex) secured third place over his nearest rival Pol Espargaro (Tuenti HP 40 Pons Kalex), who had been closing up on the Englishman over the past three races. Redding passed Espargaro with a fierce move with three of 25 laps remaining; leaving the Spaniard with his hands full fending off Switzerland’s Dominique Aegerter (Technomag carXpert Suter). Simone Corsi (NGM Mobile Racing Speed Up) won a four-rider battle for sixth, from Mika Kallio (Marc VDS Racing Team Kalex), Johann Zarco (Came Iodaracing Project Suter) and Xavier Simeon (Maptaq SAG Zelos Team Kalex). Redding regained a championship cushion of more than one race win, on 159 points to Espargaro’s 133. Rabat’s 25-point win moved him closer in third, on 113. Moto2 machines use identical race-tuned Honda CBR600 engines supplied by the organisers to guarantee close and reliable racing. Variety comes in the different prototype chassis used. In the Moto3 class, where Honda faces rival manufacturers KTM and Mahindra, Australian Jack Miller (Caretta Technology-RTG FTR Honda) has been the most successful Honda rider. The same was expected at Indianapolis, where he again qualified on the second row of the grid. Miller made a flying start and was with the leading group when he crashed out after four of the 23 laps, suffering a suspected broken collarbone. With his nearest championship rival Brad Binder (Ambrogio Racing Suter Honda) retiring from the race, this left the Honda action to Romano Fenati (San Carlo Team Italia FTR Honda), Ongetta-Rivacold FTR Honda rider Alexis Masbou, Alan Techer (CIP Moto3 TSR Honda), Niccolo Antonelli (GO&FUN Gresini Moto3 FTR Honda) and Isaac Vinales (Ongetta-Centro Seta FTR Honda), all locked together mid-race in a fierce seven-rider fight. Vinales crashed out and Antonelli dropped back out of the points, but Fenati was a close ninth at the finish, Masbou and Techer still battling in 12th and 13th. The next race is the Czech Republic GP at Brno in one week. Honda MotoGP rider quotes Marc Marquez, Repsol Honda: 1st “I am very happy to have taken another 25 points! I knew before we came here that this would be a good opportunity and I was able to take advantage of it. I felt very good throughout the weekend, and I think this has been my best GP overall since coming into the premier class. I was first in every session, so I couldn’t ask for more. In the race I decided to follow Lorenzo and Pedrosa, trying to save my tyres at the start. When I saw that I was feeling good and had less fuel in the tank, I tried to attack. In the end I was able to break away and have some fun sliding the bike around and enjoying how good the ride was! Now we head back to Europe, where we will try to continue working in the same way and see how many points we can pick up.” Dani Pedrosa, Repsol Honda: 2nd “Today I gave all I had. I struggled to keep my energy up and I was forced to ride in a different way because of the pain I was suffering. It was a difficult race, because I was fighting a lot against the bike but in the end I was able to keep up my pace and take a good second place. In other conditions I’m sure we would have done better, but we did all that we could under the circumstances today and should draw that positive from the day.” Alvaro Bautista, GO&FUN Honda Gresini, 6th “I am really happy and I think we had a great race today. Obviously I would have preferred to finish fourth, but sixth place and the way we got it is not a bad result. Unfortunately I had to push the front harder than I would have liked in the first part of the race and we paid the price at the end, when I was unable to defend my position from Crutchlow. It’s a shame but I am happy anyway, we have a fantastic feeling with the bike right now and we are doing a good job so I want to say a special thanks to the team and the guys at Showa, Nissin and of course at Honda. Now we can look to the future with even more confidence.” Stefan Bradl, LCR Honda MotoGP: 7th “Honestly I am a bit disappointed about this result and I had mixed feelings this weekend. At the beginning we were very strong but after three crashes in the practices I lost a bit of confidence. We have tried to adjust the bike but, during the race those changes made it too heavy to ride. I could not keep the same speed for the whole race because I was too tired, so I lost the guys in front of me. Now I just want to move on to Brno and try to be back in the pack.” Bryan Staring, GO&FUN Honda Gresini, 19th “I am not happy because unfortunately compared to yesterday we didn’t have the same feeling with the bike. We tried every possible way to improve our confidence but didn’t manage it, and I say sorry to the team.” Honda Moto2 rider quotes Esteve Rabat, Tuenti HP40 Pons, 1st “I made a good start and tried to hold my fourth position, because it is so difficult to pass, then Terol and Aegerter passed me. It took me two tries to get past Aegerter, but then I moved forward one by one until I was second. When the tyres started to slide I feel more confidence – I can brake later. Little by little I started to catch Nakagami. When I ride alone I can go a little faster. So I pushed and I passed him, and in the end we made a very good job.” Takaaki Nakagami, Italtrans Racing Team, 2nd “I’m a little disappointed for sure. From the first lap I tried 100 percent. With a full tank I had good grip, and I could pass Espargaro and Redding on the first lap. I pushed to the end, but after 15 laps I started to suffer from chatter. After that it was impossible to keep my lap time. I knew Rabat was catching me, but I could do nothing. When he passed I tried to follow, but almost crashed. Second is still my best result, so after some frustration then the summer break, it is a good way to start again.” Scott Redding, Marc VDS Racing Team, 3rd “I felt good at the start but I didn’t want to lead because I knew I needed to save the tyres. I could see Nakagami was using a lot of his rear tyre but after about seven laps I suddenly starting having a vibration from the rear and I was losing time in the first and last corners. After that it was all about surviving to the finish and not trying to stress the tyres too much. But when Rabat came by he was gone in a few corners, so it was obvious I had some more tyre issues and that’s a bit disappointing. The battle at the end with Pol was exciting. It was pretty tight in those first couple of corners on lap 23 but I never touched him and sometimes you have to be aggressive like that. I’m just happy to have beaten him because it is vitally important for the Championship.” Honda Moto3 rider quotes Romano Fenati, San Carlo Team Italia, 9th “A better race for me, I would say. I had a good pace, but midway through the GP the tyre grip dropped away dramatically. Otherwise I could have had a better result. We had a few problems, but we were able to overcome them with a smile. Alexis Masbou, Ongetta-Rivacold, 12th “A difficult weekend – I have broken ligaments in my left wrist, due to an old injury that came out again one month ago. Doctors did their best, and I’m satisfied because, though not at 100 percent I still managed a good race. In qualifying I made a mistake that left me with little time to try a fast lap with new tyres, which spoiled my grid position. Anyway, my best race lap is better than last year’s Honda best.” Alan Techer, CIP Moto3, 13th “For me it has been a good race. My chassis is good, I have confidence in it and my feeling is excellent. We should have some more power because in the straights the KTMs are impossible to follow.” RESULTS MOTOGP RACE: (27 laps = 113.832 Km) POS / RIDER / NAT. / TEAM / MOTORCYCLE / TIME / KM/H / GAP 1 / Marc MARQUEZ / SPA / Repsol Honda Team / HONDA / 44’52.463 / 152.2 / 2 / Dani PEDROSA / SPA / Repsol Honda Team / HONDA / 44’55.958 / 152 / 3.495 3 / Jorge LORENZO / SPA / Yamaha Factory Racing / YAMAHA / 44’58.167 / 151.8 / 5.704 4 / Valentino ROSSI / ITA / Yamaha Factory Racing / YAMAHA / 45’12.358 / 151 / 19.895 5 / Cal CRUTCHLOW / GBR / Monster Yamaha Tech 3 / YAMAHA / 45’12.418 / 151 / 19.955 6 / Alvaro BAUTISTA / SPA / GO&FUN Honda Gresini / HONDA / 45’12.524 / 151 / 20.061 7 / Stefan BRADL / GER / LCR Honda MotoGP / HONDA / 45’17.305 / 150.8 / 24.842 8 / Bradley SMITH / GBR / Monster Yamaha Tech 3 / YAMAHA / 45’33.153 / 149.9 / 40.69 9 / Nicky HAYDEN / USA / Ducati Team / DUCATI / 45’33.164 / 149.9 / 40.701 10 / Andrea DOVIZIOSO / ITA / Ducati Team / DUCATI / 45’33.286 / 149.9 / 40.823 11 / Andrea IANNONE / ITA / Energy T.I. Pramac Racing / DUCATI / 45’52.131 / 148.9 / 59.668 12 / Aleix ESPARGARO / SPA / Power Electronics Aspar / ART / 45’59.113 / 148.5 / 1’06.650 13 / Colin EDWARDS / USA / NGM Mobile Forward Racing / FTR KAWASAKI / 46’01.925 / 148.3 / 1’09.462 14 / Claudio CORTI / ITA / NGM Mobile Forward Racing / FTR KAWASAKI / 46’07.670 / 148 / 1’15.207 15 / Hiroshi AOYAMA / JPN / Avintia Blusens / FTR / 46’12.622 / 147.8 / 1’20.159 Pole Position: Marc MARQUEZ 1’37.958 154.9 Km/h Fastest Lap (New record): Marc MARQUEZ 1’39.044 153.2 Km/h Lap 18 Old Circuit Record Lap: Dani PEDROSA 1’39.088 153.1 Km/h 2012 Circuit Best Lap: Marc MARQUEZ 1’37.958 154.9 Km/h 2013 CHAMPIONSHIP POSITION TILL DATE: 1 MARQUEZ 188, 2 PEDROSA 167, 3 LORENZO 153, 4 ROSSI 130, 5 CRUTCHLOW 127, 6 BRADL 93, 7 DOVIZIOSO 87, 8 BAUTISTA 81, 9 HAYDEN 72, 10 SMITH 59, 11 ESPARGARO 56, 12 PIRRO 36, 13 IANNONE 29, 14 BARBERA 24, 15 EDWARDS 20. MOTO2 RACE: (25 laps = 105.4 Km) POS / RIDER / NAT. / TEAM / MOTORCYCLE / TIME / KM/H / GAP 1 / Esteve RABAT / SPA / Tuenti HP 40 / KALEX / 43’47.432 / 144.4 / 2 / Takaaki NAKAGAMI / JPN / Italtrans Racing Team / KALEX / 43’48.198 / 144.3 / 0.766 3 / Scott REDDING / GBR / Marc VDS Racing Team / KALEX / 43’49.173 / 144.3 / 1.741 4 / Pol ESPARGARO / SPA / Tuenti HP 40 / KALEX / 43’50.060 / 144.2 / 2.628 5 / Dominique AEGERTER / SWI / Technomag carXpert / SUTER / 43’50.140 / 144.2 / 2.708 6 / Simone CORSI / ITA / NGM Mobile Racing / SPEED UP / 43’55.960 / 143.9 / 8.528 7 / Mika KALLIO / FIN / Marc VDS Racing Team / KALEX / 43’56.324 / 143.9 / 8.892 8 / Johann ZARCO / FRA / Came Iodaracing Project / SUTER / 43’56.461 / 143.9 / 9.029 9 / Xavier SIMEON / BEL / Maptaq SAG Zelos Team / KALEX / 43’56.710 / 143.9 / 9.278 10 / Jordi TORRES / SPA / Aspar Team Moto2 / SUTER / 43’58.186 / 143.8 / 10.754 11 / Julian SIMON / SPA / Italtrans Racing Team / KALEX / 43’58.730 / 143.7 / 11.298 12 / Nicolas TEROL / SPA / Aspar Team Moto2 / SUTER / 44’00.435 / 143.7 / 13.003 13 / Thomas LUTHI / SWI / Interwetten Paddock Moto2 Rac / SUTER / 44’01.945 / 143.6 / 14.513 14 / Alex DE ANGELIS / RSM / NGM Mobile Forward Racing / SPEED UP / 44’02.072 / 143.6 / 14.64 15 / Marcel SCHROTTER / GER / Maptaq SAG Zelos Team / KALEX / 44’03.177 / 143.5 / 15.745 Pole Position: Scott REDDING 1’43.026 147.3 Km/h Fastest Lap: Julian SIMON 1’43.511 146.6 Km/h Lap 5 Circuit Record Lap: Marc MARQUEZ 1’43.304 146.9 Km/h 2012 Circuit Best Lap: Pol ESPARGARO 1’42.602 147.9 Km/h 2012 CHAMPIONSHIP POSITIONS TILL DATE: 1 REDDING 159, 2 ESPARGARO 133, 3 RABAT 113, 4 AEGERTER 94, 5 KALLIO 90, 6 ZARCO 75, 7 NAKAGAMI 65, 8 TORRES 64, 9 TEROL 62, 10 CORSI 60, 11 SIMEON 58, 12 LUTHI 49, 13 DE ANGELIS 43, 14 SIMON 42, 15 WEST 34. MOTO3 RACE: (23 laps = 96.968 Km) POS / RIDER / NAT. / TEAM / MOTORCYCLE / TIME / KM/H / GAP 1 / Alex RINS / SPA / Estrella Galicia 0,0 / KTM / 41’37.200 / 139.7 / 2 / Alex MARQUEZ / SPA / Estrella Galicia 0,0 / KTM / 41’37.377 / 139.7 / 0.177 3 / Maverick VIÑALES / SPA / Team Calvo / KTM / 41’38.276 / 139.7 / 1.076 4 / Jonas FOLGER / GER / Mapfre Aspar Team Moto3 / KALEX KTM / 41’45.838 / 139.3 / 8.638 5 / Luis SALOM / SPA / Red Bull KTM Ajo / KTM / 41’46.461 / 139.2 / 9.261 6 / Arthur SISSIS / AUS / Red Bull KTM Ajo / KTM / 41’51.639 / 138.9 / 14.439 7 / Zulfahmi KHAIRUDDIN / MAL / Red Bull KTM Ajo / KTM / 41’55.802 / 138.7 / 18.602 8 / Miguel OLIVEIRA / POR / Mahindra Racing / MAHINDRA / 41’58.267 / 138.6 / 21.067 9 / Romano FENATI / ITA / San Carlo Team Italia / FTR HONDA / 41’58.332 / 138.6 / 21.132 10 / Jakub KORNFEIL / CZE / Redox RW Racing GP / KALEX KTM / 41’59.067 / 138.5 / 21.867 11 / Niklas AJO / FIN / Avant Tecno / KTM / 42’04.218 / 138.2 / 27.018 12 / Alexis MASBOU / FRA / Ongetta-Rivacold / FTR HONDA / 42’04.381 / 138.2 / 27.181 13 / Alan TECHER / FRA / CIP Moto3 / TSR HONDA / 42’05.063 / 138.2 / 27.863 14 / Livio LOI / BEL / Marc VDS Racing Team / KALEX KTM / 42’09.856 / 137.9 / 32.656 15 / Matteo FERRARI / ITA / Ongetta-Centro Seta / FTR HONDA / 42’18.788 / 137.5 / 41.588 Pole Position: Alex RINS 1’47.392 141.3 Km/h Fastest Lap (New record): Maverick VIÑALES 1’47.433 141.2 Km/h Lap 7 Old Circuit Record Lap: Romano FENATI 1’48.648 139.6 Km/h 2012 Circuit Best Lap: Alex RINS 1’47.392 141.3 Km/h 2013 CHAMPIONSHIP POSITIONS TILL DATE: 1 SALOM 183, 2 VIÑALES 174, 3 RINS 167, 4 FOLGER 94, 5 MARQUEZ 90, 6 OLIVEIRA 77, 7 KHAIRUDDIN 49, 8 SISSIS 49, 9 MILLER 47, 10 BINDER 46, 11 MASBOU 46, 12 VAZQUEZ 41, 13 KORNFEIL 38, 14 AJO 37, 15 FENATI 30. NEXT EVENT: ROUND11, AUGUST 25, BRNO, CZECH REPUBLIC

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