More from a press release issued by Ducati Lenovo:

Marc Márquez and the Ducati Lenovo Team take a phenomenal victory at Brno. Francesco Bagnaia on the podium in third position. 

The Ducati Lenovo Team was victorious in the Monster Energy Grand Prix of Czechia with Marc Márquez, who put together the perfect race at Brno. Francesco Bagnaia secured the 63rd podium finish of his MotoGP career with Ducati, by finishing third after leading for most of the encounter.

Márquez got a good start from fourth place on the grid and moved up to second position on lap two. Marc stayed within striking distance of Bagnaia before eventually overtaking him on lap 16 and then pushing as hard as possible to keep Ogura at bay in the closing stages. After leading for the opening 15 laps, Bagnaia was passed by Márquez and Ogura, but was able to fiercely defend third position from the resurging Fabio Di Giannantonio.

As the ninth Grand Prix of the season draws to a close, Marc Márquez is fourth in the championship standings with 140 points. Francesco Bagnaia is seventh, 13 points adrift of his teammate. The Ducati Lenovo Team is second in the teams’ standings (267 points), while Ducati sits second in the constructors’ championship (262 points).

The Ducati Lenovo Team will be back in action on Friday, June 26th, for the opening day of the Grand Prix of the Netherlands at Assen.

Marc Márquez (#93 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 1st: 
“I’m extremely happy with this win. It was somehow an unexpected one, as I was sure that I would struggle towards the end. It did happen, actually, but the others were not quicker than me. I believe that the bike had something more, but I wasn’t able to make the most of it, especially in the change of direction between turns 6 and 7, which is normally one of my strong points, but where I was instead losing time. I’m taking each Grand Prix as it comes and right now I’m enjoying the moment. We’ll have a test tomorrow and then head straight to Assen.”

Francesco Bagnaia (#63 Ducati Lenovo Team) – 3rd: 
“I feel good. We had a good weekend and we’re improving: we’re still missing something, especially with used tyres, but we’re getting there. Today we lacked a little performance in the final six laps. I tried to manage the pace the best way possible, knowing that I was missing one to two tenths. Towards the end, I had to slow down because, whenever I was in the slipstream, the front-end was constantly threatening to tuck. Once I had clear track ahead again, I was able to push once more and luckily I had a good margin over Diggia in the closing stages. The fact that I could pick up my pace again is a good sign, but there’s still work to be done.”

Luigi Dall’Igna – General Manager Ducati Corse:
“We’re truly happy. To be able to win two races in a row, with two riders on the podium, is a very important achievement for the whole group. Marc and Pecco managed to be consistent and highly competitive throughout the weekend, and this is key. We narrowed the gap to the leaders, but to be honest I don’t want to think about the championship right now. We’ll continue to work race by race and see what the situation will be like at Assen. We made up some ground, also because our rivals had a bit of bad luck in recent races, but it’s still a long season and we need to maintain the same level of commitment if we want to stay in the fight until the end.”

More from a press release issued by VR46 Racing Team:

The rider of the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team almost clinches the podium in Sunday’s race in Brno and he’s fourth. He keeps the third place in the World Standing and gets even closer to the top of the Championship. Morbidelli is thirteenth.

It was a positive Sunday, but with a pinch of bitterness for the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team, which almost clinched the podium with Fabio Di Giannantonio, who was fourth in the Monster Energy GP of Czechia. However, his fourth place ensures his third place in the World Championship, and he gets even closer to the top. Franco Morbidelli finished in thirteenth place.

With a good start from the front row, Di Giannantonio could keep the second place at the first corner. However, the hectic opening lap caused him to lose ground on the race leader. Fabio was sixth at the end of the first lap, and he made a great comeback, showing a competitive race pace and proving he can battle for the top places. The rider from Rome was out of the podium for just one tenth, but he secured a crucial fourth place and set the best race lap ever (1’53”122) at the final lap. Di Giannantonio is a main contender both in the race and in the Championship, since he confirms his third place in the World Standing with 157 points, further reducing the gap to the championship leader to 23 points.

Morbidelli made some steps forward in this Czech Sunday: Franco started from the third row and showed consistency, getting into the Top10 fight. The Italian Brazilian rider was one of the race’s main protagonists, engaging in intense battles and crossing the finish line in thirteenth place. Now, Morbidelli sits in fourteenth in the World Standing with 43 points.

The Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team is back on track this weekend for the Dutch GP, which will take place at the iconic TT Circuit Assen from 26th to 28th June.

FABIO DI GIANNANTONIO: “We must be happy because we did a great weekend and showed consistency. Unfortunately, we finished both races in fourth place, and we aimed for something more. Today, I made a mistake at Turn 3 of the opening lap when I got passed, and from that moment, our race got a bit more complicated. Then, I recovered a bit and throughout the race I had a great pace, but it was too late to be back at the front. For sure, we have many things to learn, and this weekend we learnt a lot. But the positives are that we were fast, we did our maximum. Moreover, today we got some precious points, we are competitive and the championship is still completely open.”

FRANCO MORBIDELLI: “It was another weekend ended with strange feelings. The race was very tough, but I did my maximum being at the limit all the laps and getting the most of my package as much as I could. I did a better start compared to yesterday, but we still struggle to have the performance I wish for. Moreover, I had no grip, and I was missing corner speed. It’s strange because this year I showed to have a good pace and I got a front row. But I have a team that keeps working non-stop, they are by my side to find solutions. We don’t give up.”

PABLO NIETO: “We leave Brno with some bitterness with Fabio, because the truth is that we almost tasted the podium and we missed very little. Anyway, it was a positive weekend: front row and fourth place in the Sprint despite not choosing the right tyre are a confirmation of that. We conclude the GP keeping the third place in the World Standing and getting closer to the leader; in Assen we want to be back in Top3. With Franco, we must keep working. We see some improvements, as passing to the Q2 and the third row. But we must be able to be consistent in the race. We won’t stop until we do it.”

More from a press release issued by Honda HRC Castrol:

Soft tyre sees Mir lead double Honda HRC Castrol top ten. Joan Mir and Luca Marini emerged from the scorching Grand Prix of Czechia with the team’s combined best result of the season thanks to a fighting fifth and emphatic eighth from the duo.

Race day in Brno followed the expected trajectory as temperatures rose ahead of the 21-lap Grand Prix of Czechia. The brief ten-minute Warm Up gave the Honda HRC Castrol team a last opportunity to test their setup changes for the longer race, the few short laps showing some positive signs.

Rolling onto the grid, Joan Mir elected to opt for what many considered a gamble as he chose to run the soft rear tyre. The only rider to not use the medium, Mir bolted from 11th on the grid and immediately attacked the top ten, moving inside the top six by lap five with cutting precision. Spending the second half of the race chasing down Acosta, the #36 would pass the fading KTM on lap 16 and duke it out for several laps. Crossing the line in fifth position, Mir secures his biggest haul of points so far this year. Rounding out an overall positive weekend, the 2020 World Champion again showed the potential he and the Honda RC213V have.

Luca Marini put in a similarly strong race to his teammate, steadily marching his way forward from 14th place on the grid as he slotted in behind Mir. Passing Morbidelli early, the #10 was into the top ten by lap six and set his sights on Moreira ahead with Jorge Martin in his rearview. Able to make rapid progress in the closing stages on the rookie, Marini showed his experience on the Honda RC213V as his pace remained consistent until the very end and secured him eighth.

A solid haul of points are a just reward for a weekend of hard work for the Honda HRC Castrol squad who remained focused on achieving their best on Sunday when it mattered most. The work does not stop as the MotoGP World Championship now heads north to the TT Circuit Assen, the most historic venue on the calendar.

Joan Mir: “Today we had the chance to really fight for something worth it, we went for it and were able to achieve a good result so this makes me feel really pleased about the weekend as a whole. I want to say thanks to the Honda HRC Castrol team because they did a great job this whole weekend and we were able to overcome the dip we had in Q2. I had a lot of belief in myself and this decision with the soft tyre, we were only gifted one position with Acosta’s issue. This is realistically what I can do at the moment. The goal is to perform like this every weekend; we are still taking it race by race. Let’s bring this feeling to Assen.”

Luca Marini: “A really solid race for us and I am satisfied with my pace, how hard we pushed and how many positions we were able to recover. We have been able to improve the bike compared to Friday and Saturday and the medium rear helped us to solve many of the strange feelings we were having in the Sprint. Again it has been a weekend of recovery and putting the pieces together on Sunday, but we must be in the top ten on Friday afternoon – especially for Assen where it’s hard to overtake. I have to say congratulations to Joan for the race he made with the soft, he managed it very well.”

More from a press release issued by Gresini Ducati:

Consistency and points, good Sunday for Fermin Aldeguer in Brno.

• RACEDAY

FERMIN ALDEGUER 6º

ALEX MARQUEZ DNS

• STANDINGS

FERMIN ALDEGUER 9º (76 Points)

ALEX MARQUEZ 10º (67 Points)

Fermin Aldeguer: “We can be satisfied. Yesterday we didn’t do very well in qualifying and it made the whole weekend a bit more complicated. Today as well I didn’t start well and by the first corner I was at least 15th. Then I did well to react immediately and find a good pace. It’s a sixth place that definitely gives us confidence, but in Assen we really need to make an important step forward, especially in qualifying.”

More from a press release issued by Aprilia:

Three Aprilias in top ten at Brno. 

Aprilia Racing’s weekend at the Brno Circuit in the Czech Republic was a mixed feeling. Starting from ninth on the grid, Jorge Martín had to serve two long-lap penalties after an incident at the first corner of the Hungarian Grand Prix. Despite the penalty, the Spanish rider recovered several positions to finish ninth.

Marco Bezzecchi did not take part in the race after being suspended following an incident involving a marshal after his crash in Saturday’s sprint.

The excellent performance of Ai Ogura of the SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team also merits mention: after his sprint podium, he remained among the frontrunners and finished second in the main race. Raúl Fernández added a seventh-place finish, giving Aprilia three RS-GP26 machines in the top ten.

Jorge Martin: “The aim was to finish the race and secure the best possible result. I got a good start and tried to make up as many positions as possible before serving the two long-lap penalties. After serving the penalties, I realised I had lost many positions. In the end, this is the consequence of a less-than-ideal qualifying session and the mistake I made in Hungary. I feel we still lack something to fight for victory: without the penalty, I could probably have battled for fourth or fifth, but my pace is not what it was a few races ago. We need to analyse the situation in detail to get back to fighting at the front.”

Marco Bezzecchi: “I would like to apologize to the entire MotoGP community for my behavior toward the trackside marshal. I’m also sorry because I know how much effort and sacrifice marshals make to ensure our safety. This behavior shouldn’t happen and there is no justification for it. I apologize to everyone, Aprilia Racing and all my fans.” 

Massimo Rivola – CEO Aprilia: “It was a difficult weekend – with Jorge’s double long-lap penalty in the main race and Marco’s disastrous Saturday, which even deprived us of the chance to see him race. The standings were not our focus before, and they are not our focus now. We must react as a united team and as the strong company that we are, and keep working to improve the bike. There’s still a long way to go in the championship, and our rivals have clearly taken a step forward – we must do the same. Congratulations to Ai Ogura, who had an extraordinary weekend with a pole position, a new lap record and two podium finishes. This result demonstrates the competitiveness of the RS-GP26.”

More from a press release issued by Red Bull KTM Tech3:

Enea Bastianini battled the high temperatures in Czechia to emerge from a multi-rider fight and grab two positions on the last lap to finish tenth while contact with other riders at the start of Maverick Viñales’ race limited him to 15th. 

Much like the rest of the weekend, conditions were punishing for Sunday’s 21-lap race at the Brno Circuit as track temperatures hit 47 degrees by 14:00 when the MotoGP™ race got underway.

Launching from two places higher than qualifying due to one rider’s injury and another’s penalty, Bastianini started well to finish the lap in P15, a place behind Viñales, who had a strong start but was then penalised by contact with another rider in the first corners.

The Red Bull KTM Tech3 team-mates were soon caught up in an entertaining duel for tenth position, which included Franco Morbidelli, Luca Marini, Jorge Martin and Brad Binder. The task was all the more difficult as the red-hot temperatures meant front tyre pressure was critical. Overtaking therefore became very difficult.

Nevertheless, ‘La Bestia’ still found a way. Even if he was struggling with the front end, the Italian passed Morbidelli bravely on lap 13 for twelfth. A retirement for another rider and a brilliant late attack on Diogo Moreira was enough for tenth place – a solid effort after a tricky qualifying on Saturday.

It was another important race in Viñales’ recovery. After making big improvements with the strength of his shoulder this weekend, ‘Top Gun’ was still lacking physical endurance and admitted to lacking energy as the race progressed. Finding it difficult to recover from a tricky start, he rode solidly to 15th.

There’s little time to rest for Bastianini and Viñales. They’ll be back in action in five days’ time at the Grand Prix of the Netherlands hosted at the iconic TT Circuit Assen from 26-28 June.

Enea Bastianini: “It was a very tough race, very hot, and when you’re behind too many bikes you’re in a critical condition because you can’t make your line. Every lap I got a bit more comfortable, and at the end it was possible to push a little more.

“Our limit today was the front. I think I saved the front from closing maybe five or six times, that was crazy. I tried to stay close to Martin, but I wasn’t comfortable in that part of the race and at the end I was close, but it was too risky to push for it today.

“When we’re close to other bikes the rear degrades worse, and the front is on the edge when we take the corners. Yesterday was better, and it’s important to understand why today wasn’t the same. Next week it’s not going to get easier as it’ll be 34 degrees again in Assen. It’s difficult, but we stay positive.”

Maverick Viñales: “It was a tough, exhausting weekend physically, especially in this heat, but that’s a good way to keep building up strength for the season. Already on Saturday I was completely fatigued and then the race was so long today, it’s been hard. But there are clear positives to take from the weekend, even if the race itself didn’t go the way we wanted.

“I had a strong start today and the first corner was good, but then I had some contact and there was some damage to the bike. After that the flow of the race was much harder. The track temperature was so high today, it made it so slippery with the tyres and I struggled a lot. I’ve felt less comfortable on the bike as the weekend has progressed, so this is something we need to look at and try to make changes before next weekend. Now we head to Assen, one of the hardest tracks on the calendar, and I’m looking forward to the challenge.”

Nicolas Goyon, Team Manager: “Well, that’s another satisfying result for Enea here in Czechia. He started from P15 and ended up inside the top 10 without too much drama, so it’s a satisfying result. But if we look deeply at the race, Enea’s pace wasn’t that fast, and this is really something that we have to look at, especially on a circuit where he was strong last year. So, we don’t really understand why we’re struggling more this year than last year. On Maverick’s side, it’s only one point today, we are a bit disappointed. We all expected a little bit more from him. He showed a really strong Friday to start the weekend with, and we’d had some hope for this race, but unfortunately his struggle in the race was more than expected. So, for him as well, we have to understand why, and we have to go over the whole weekend and quickly get to a conclusion for the next race, which will be next week in Assen.”

 

 

 

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More from a press release issued by Pro Honda LCR:

Pro Honda LCR rider Diogo Moreira finished 11th on Sunday in Brno

• Starting from the fifth spot of the grid (after a rider received a penalty, allowing Moreira to gain one position), the Brazilian made a tremendous start and immediately put himself in contention for a podium finish.
• As the laps went by, Moreira struggled to maintain the pace and, despite pushing hard to hold his position, he gradually lost a few places.
• He managed the situation intelligently without making mistakes and crossed the line in 11th place, collecting points and valuable information ahead of next week’s race.

 

 

 

 

Diogo Moreira 11th: “It was a tough race. We chose the medium tyre because it was the safest option and, after yesterday’s crash, it was important to make sure we reached the finish. The final stages of the race were difficult, and I focused on managing the tyre and bringing it home. Considering the circumstances, we did a good job and managed to score points. In Assen, we’ll aim to take another step forward and be back fighting again.”

 

 

 

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More from a press release issued by Prima Pramac Yamaha:

Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP Endures Difficult Brno Race as Razgatlıoğlu Recovers into the Points. 

A challenging Czech Grand Prix for Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP saw both riders battling from the back of the grid in difficult conditions. Despite showing improved pace in the morning Warm Up, the race highlighted the areas where the young YZR-M1 project still needs development. Toprak Razgatlıoğlu recovered from the back of the grid to finish 14th and score points, while Jack Miller crossed the line in 16th position.

The Czech Grand Prix proved to be a difficult race for Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP, with both riders facing an uphill battle after starting from the back of the grid. Encouraging signs had emerged during the morning Warm Up, where both Jack Miller and Toprak Razgatlıoğlu showed stronger pace than they had managed throughout the weekend, but the hotter track conditions and longer race distance once again highlighted the areas where Yamaha’s current package remains a work in progress.

After starting from the back of the grid following yesterday’s penalty, Razgatlıoğlu produced another determined comeback ride. The Turkish rider fought his way through the field, gaining several positions and crossing the finish line in 14th place to collect two championship points. While not the result he was aiming for, it was a positive recovery in difficult circumstances.

Miller’s afternoon was more complicated. Caught in battles deep inside the midfield for most of the race, the Australian was unable to make the progress he had hoped for and ultimately finished 16th, recovering only two positions from his starting place.

Although the final results are not where the team wants to be, the weekend provided further valuable information for Yamaha’s development programme. The focus now immediately shifts to Monday’s important test at Brno, where Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP will take part in the first on-track test of the new 850cc MotoGP prototype that will debut in the 2027 World Championship.

Toprak Razgatlıoğlu: “It was good to race at Brno again after such a long time. The weekend didn‘t start the way we wanted, especially in qualifying where we made a mistake that made things more difficult for the races. But overall, I think we did a good job and managed to improve step by step. Today‘s race was not easy because once again I had to fight my way through the field. I was pushing hard every lap, trying to recover positions and stay with riders ahead of me. In the final laps I was right on the limit, trying to gain one more position, and in the end we were able to finish inside the points. I‘m happy because we were able to fight with different manufacturers and because every race helps me understand more about MotoGP, the tyres and how to manage the race. There are still areas where we need to improve, and everyone in Yamaha is working very hard to find solutions and keep moving forward. Now we look ahead to Assen. It‘s a circuit I know well and one that I really enjoy, but the most important thing for me is to start the weekend stronger. If we can do that, I believe we can take another step forward and fight for a better result.” 

Jack Miller: “Another tough race for us. I didn‘t really make any major mistakes and felt like I got everything out of the package we had today. I tried to stay with Toprak, but every time I pushed a little harder on the brakes or tried to carry more corner speed, I was right on the limit. He was able to pull away gradually, especially in the tighter sections. The way he can stop the bike in those chicanes is really impressive and there are definitely things we can learn from that. Physically I felt good throughout the race and was able to push at my maximum from start to finish. The commitment and effort were there every lap, which is the positive I take away from today. At the same time, it‘s difficult because we know there is still work to do. We‘ll analyse everything carefully, keep working and focus on finding the next step forward.” 

Gino Borsoi – Team Director: “Overall, I would describe this as a positive weekend, especially on Toprak‘s side of the garage. He delivered two excellent races and, particularly today, showed a very strong pace. In the closing stages he was able to run at a level that allowed him to fight much closer to the riders inside the top ten, which is an encouraging sign for all of us. What makes his performance even more impressive is the way the weekend developed. Friday was not easy, but session after session he continued to improve, understanding more about MotoGP, the tyres and what he needs from the bike. The relationship with his crew is becoming stronger every weekend and that is helping him express his potential more consistently on race day. I am also pleased with the progress Yamaha is making. There were several moments during the race where our pace was very competitive and the gap to the front group was significantly smaller than it had been earlier in the season. Race after race we are seeing positive signs and continuing to close the distance to the riders ahead. On Jack‘s side, we were unable to fully solve an issue that affected his performance throughout the weekend. He gave everything he had and worked extremely hard, but at the moment he is not able to exploit the full potential of the package. Now our attention turns to Monday‘s test, which will be very important for everyone. It will be the first opportunity to evaluate the new 850cc MotoGP machine and gather valuable information for Yamaha‘s future project. We are all looking forward to understanding the direction of the next generation of bikes and contributing to their development.” 

More from a press release issued by Castrol Honda LCR:

Castrol Honda LCR replacement rider Cal Crutchlow crossed the line in 17th place on Sunday in Brno.

• Starting from 21st on the grid, Crutchlow faced a challenging race in extremely hot conditions.
• The Brit delivered a strong performance, setting competitive lap times and maintaining a consistent pace, quicker than several of his rivals.
• In the closing stages, tyre wear became increasingly difficult to manage, but by avoiding mistakes and staying focused, he crossed the line in 17th place. 

 

Fabio Quartararo: “I can keep it short. Yesterday, after the Sprint, we saw that I was not braking late enough, so today I wanted to push and try to ride the way I like to ride. My start was not so great: I lost some positions. I did overtake some people whilst riding on the limit – I overtook Brad [Binder], Maverick [Viñales] and Luca [Marini] – but it only lasted 1.5 laps.”

Alex Rins: “I retired from the race because of a malfunction. It made the riding unpredictable. I had a big gap to the rider behind me, but I wanted to avoid risks because we are always riding on the limit. So, I returned to the box. It’s a shame to end the weekend like this because we are giving it our everything.”

Massimo Meregalli: “We knew this circuit would be demanding, especially in these conditions, but we expected a better race than what unfolded today. Álex did his best in tough conditions and kept pushing until he felt a strange malfunction and then opted to return to the garage. Fabio’s crash was unfortunate – he was in a position to fight for points. But the main thing is that he is unhurt. Now our priority is to analyse the data and take learnings from this weekend as we prepare for the next GP in Assen, The Netherlands.”