(Above) Alex Rins (42) nips Marc Marquez (93) at the finish line to win the British Grand Prix at Silverstone. Photo courtesy of Dorna.

2019 FIM MotoGP World Championship

Silverstone Circuit

Northamptonshire, England

August 25, 2019

Race Results (all on Michelin tires):

1. Alex Rins, Spain (Suz GSX-RR), 20 laps, Total Race Time 40:12.799

2. Marc Marquez, Spain (Hon RC213V), -0.013 second

3. Maverick Vinales, Spain (Yam YZR-M1), -0.620

4. Valentino Rossi, Italy (Yam YZR-M1), -11.439 seconds

5. Franco Morbidelli, Italy (Yam YZR-M1), -13.109

6. Cal Crutchlow, UK (Hon RC213V), -19.169

7. Danilo Petrucci, Itay (Duc GP19), -19.682

8. Jack Miller, Australia (Duc GP19), -20.318

9. Pol Espargaro, Spain (KTM RC16), -21.079

10. Andrea Iannone, Itay (Apr RS-GP), -25.144

11. Francesco Bagnaia, Italy (Duc GP19), -40.317

12. Sylvania Guintoli, France (Suz GSX-RR), -45.478

13. Hafizh Syahrin, Malaysia (KTM RC16), -54.783

14. Jorge Lorenzo, Spain (Hon RC213V), -56.651

15. Karel Abraham, Czech Republic (Duc GP18), -89.282

16. Tito Rabat, Spain (Duc GP18), -91.716, crash, long lap penalty

17. Takaki Nakagami, Japan (Hon RC213V), -100.420

18. Aleix Espargaro, Spain (Apr RSGP), -1 lap, DNF, retired

19. Miguel Oliveira, Portugal (KTM RC16), -12 laps, DNF, crash

20. Johann Zarco, France (KTM RC16), -12 laps, DNF, crash

21. Fabio Quartararo, France (Yam YZR-M1), -20 laps, DNF, crash

22. Andrea Dovizioso, Itay (Duc GP19), -20 laps, DNF, crash

World Championship Point Standings (after 12 of 19 races):

1. Marquez, 250 points

2. Dovizioso, 172

3. Rins, 149

4. Petrucci, 145

5. Vinales, 118

6. Rossi, 116

7. Miller, 94

8. Quartararo, 92

9. Crutchlow, 88

10. Morbidelli, 69

11. Pol Espargaro, 68

12. Nakagami, 62

13. Joan Mir, 39

14. Aleix Espargaro, 33

15. Bagnaia, 29

16. Iannone, 27

17. Oliveira, 26

18. Zarco, 22

19. Lorenzo, 21

20. Stefan Bradl, 16

21. Rabat, 14

22. Michele Pirro, 9

23. Guintoli, 7

24. Syahrin, 6

25. Abraham, 5

26. Bradley Smith, 0

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

Syahrin fights back to the points – Oliveira’s top 10 challenge finds unfortunate premature end

In bright sunshine, Hafizh Syahrin showed a steady British Grand Prix today, finding his way back towards the points scoring positions. The Red Bull KTM Tech3 rider did some slower initial laps, but then showed a great race long fight with Jorge Lorenzo to eventually beat him and bringing home a 13th position.

On the other side, Miguel Oliveira came off the line well, making up three positions in the course of the first lap to be well placed in 12th. Step by step he won further ground fighting his way towards the top 10, until he got caught out in the ninth lap, which unluckily ended his chase for a strong result early.

Hafizh Syahrin

Position: 13th

Championship: 24th

Points: 6

“It was a hard and also a long race. I felt a little bit strange before the start of the race and I didn’t have too much confidence, because I was scared to crash in the race again for the third time in a row. So, in the beginning, I tried to ride safe and didn’t really find a good rhythm. But after ten laps, I could manage to come back step by step, I made my fastest lap on the last one. I’m really sorry to the team and everybody, because I was just lacking confidence. For sure, this will be a different story in Misano, I will work hard to build my trust again, also during the test, which will help me a lot.”

Miguel Oliveira

Position: DNF

Championship: 17th

Points: 26

“It was a disappointing race to crash with Johann. There is nothing else to say, I was feeling confident, the bike was feeling good, it was a realistic opportunity to finish inside the top 10 again, but unfortunately it ended too early. I’m looking forward to the next one.”

Hervé Poncharal

Team Manager

“It’s a big shame to end up a weekend like that. I am very sad and also disappointed because this is not what should happen in between experienced riders, especially on the same brand. It was early stages yet, we had everything under control like we planned and Miguel was having his own race, trying to save the tyres. The target was a top 10 finish and I think it was really possible. The race is the fruit of long, long hours, everybody is working hard and to see it ending like this, is just a pity. Johann came to apologize to Miguel and to me, but in a way it’s something, I can not digest. It’s a bitter feeling. I’m not happy at all, but this is part of racing, unfortunately. On the other side, we were really working hard with Hafizh the whole week to tell him ‘You haven’t seen the flag till we came back from the summer break. It’s very important for you to get your confidence back and not to do anything stupid.’ He had a cautious race in the beginning. You could see that he was not trying too hard and quite scared to do any mistake. But in the end, he had a great battle with Lorenzo, who is a multiple World Champion on a factory Honda, so I think he learned quite a lot. He passed him with two laps to go and did his fastest lap on the very last lap. Clearly, that means, he was having a little bit of pace still in his pocket. This is a good result for him, because some points are important, finish the race and having a good fight. So, let’s take the positives of the whole weekend; we are competitive. Let’s go to the next round!”

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

IANNONE BATTLES, RECOVERS AND FINISHES TENTH

A WELL-DESERVED TOP-10 FINISH SLIPS THROUGH ALEIX ESPARGARÓ’S FINGERS

Both of the Aprilia machines got off the line at the Silverstone race with an outstanding start which launched Andrea Iannone and Aleix Espargaró into the heated battle for the top ten positions. The RS-GPs demonstrated excellent consistency, staying with the second group of riders.

However, Aleix’s good performance was interrupted less than two laps from the chequered flag due to a technical problem which is currently being assessed by the engineers. It was an undeserved stop for the Spaniard who, in any case, praised the rediscovered competitiveness in anticipation of the final part of the championship.

Andrea finished the race with an excellent tenth place, matching his best result in Assen and, above all, benefiting from a confidence boost after all the hard work done up to now.

ALEIX ESPARGARO’

“My start was very good, but then I lost a couple of positions after the accident involving Dovi and Quartararo. I managed to recover quickly and my pace wasn’t bad. I battled with Petrucci and my brother for a while, but it was not easy to stay out front. I felt like I had a good pace, maybe slightly better than theirs. Unfortunately, less than two laps from the finish, the bike stopped. It’s a pity after everything we had done.”

ANDREA IANNONE

“I rode a good race, making up positions and managing to stay in the group with Aleix, Pol and Petrucci. Throughout the weekend we worked hard and I hope that some of the progress we made will help us in the upcoming races. Unfortunately, I lost ground in acceleration, even compared to my teammate, and that kept me from launching an attack on the riders ahead of me. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: we must never give up and today I confirm that once again.”

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

Reale Avintia Racing Team riders leave Silverstone satisfied

The Silverstone race was a positive one for Reale Avintia Racing Team riders. On the one hand, Tito Rabat, who was back in the circuit where he suffered a serious injury in his right leg last year, started 16th on the grid and was riding in points positions during some laps, but unfortunately he suffered a crash when fighting to overtake other riders. Karel Abraham, meanwhile, achieved another point by entering 15th after a complicated Saturday in which he qualified last after suffering a crash and some technical problems.

The next race will be held at the Misano Circuit in three weeks on September 13th, 14th and 15th.

Karel Abraham | P15

“On Saturday we thought they wouldn’t let me race after the crash but they finally gave me the fit. During the race I had pain in the muscles of my hands, which were injuried by the crashed of Friday. I was close to retiring from the race but I thought about staying in case someone crashed and we could get some point and it eventually happened. After crashing, Tito was recovering little by little and I was afraid to make too much effort because I was close to pass out, but in the end I could get into the points ahead of him. I hope to be physically recovered for the Misano test on Thursday.”

Tito Rabat | P16

“The crash has been a shame because we did a great QP, a great warm-up and I was fighting with the group of Zarco, Petrucci and Espargaró but I made a mistake by forcing too much, I ran wide and when I was trying to pass to Guintoli my front wheel locked. It was very hot and the grip of the wheels changed a lot. I want to apologize to the team because we were doing a great job but I made a mistake. ”

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

CRUTCHLOW SETTLES FOR SIXTH AT SILVERSTONE

Cal Crutchlow took sixth place in front of his home fans at the British Grand Prix on Sunday. The LCR Honda CASTROL rider could not quite find the rhythm to push on and battle for the podium places at Silverstone, but maintained his concentration to secure a creditable points finish nonetheless.

Starting from ninth on the grid, Crutchlow was able to move through the field, but not quite at the rate he wanted as he struggled with tyre grip throughout the race. In the end he finished six seconds adrift of Franco Morbidelli in fifth and admitted afterwards he was frustrated not to be able to mount more of a challenge on home soil.

Cal Crutchlow – 6th

“I tried my best at the start to be able to push, but the tyre wasn’t quite there. I felt a lack of grip immediately in the race and I knew I wouldn’t be able to battle with the other guys. It was pretty similar to what happed in Mugello. But to finish 19 seconds behind the winner here is not acceptable, not from me and not from my team. We tried our best this weekend and we had pace, there was no doubt about that. Yesterday I was able to go one and a half seconds faster than I was at the end of the race, it’s just strange how some tyres are fine and some aren’t. Don’t get me wrong, it would have been difficult to win the race regardless, but I should have been a lot further up than I was.”

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

DEMANDING RACE FOR TAKA AT SILVERSTONE

Takaaki Nakagami saw his hopes of strong finish at the British Grand Prix ended by a crash midway through Sunday’s showpiece at Silverstone. The LCR Honda IDEMITSU rider started from tenth on the grid and rode well in the first half of the race to put himself on track for another impressive top 10 finish.

However, with 13 laps remaining and when positioned in eighth, the Japanese star made a mistake coming out of turn 16, causing him to lose the front end of his RC213V. Although he was able to rejoin, Taka found himself at the back of the field and had to settle for 17th position when he finally saw the chequered flag.

Takaaki Nakagami – 17th

“I didn’t expect this crash during the weekend, from Friday to the warm-up we did a great job and gradually close the gap. I expected our pace to be about 2 minutes high to middle and we made a good start. In the beginning I lost a bit of time with Pol (Espargaro) but once I overtook him I started to recover my pace and followed Jack (Miller) again. But at turn 16, after the apex when I came off the brake and started to touch the throttle, I lost the front grip and had no chance to recover it. I’m very disappointed and sorry for the team because the weekend was not so bad and our pace suggested we could fight for the top seven or eight. But we lost this opportunity and I’m very disappointed in myself, but these things happen in racing because I was pushing.”

More, from a press release issued by PETRONAS Yamaha SRT:

Highs and lows for Morbidelli and Quartararo at Silverstone

Franco Morbidelli matches best result for PETRONAS Yamaha SRT in fifth but Fabio Quartararo caught out on opening lap of British GP

British GP – 25 August 2019

The PETRONAS Yamaha Sepang Racing Team pair of Franco Morbidelli and Fabio Quartararo had a day of highs and lows at the British Grand Prix. Morbidelli finished fifth, matching his best-ever result in the MotoGP class, whilst Quartararo unfortunately crashed out on the opening lap.

Morbidelli made a superb start off the line and gained positions right away, getting stuck into the fight for fifth place. Losing the leading group as he diced for position, impressive pace in the final laps of the race wasn’t enough for him to close down those in front. Securing the top five spot and holding onto it until the chequered flag, Morbidelli took top independent team honours in the process.

Quartararo was caught out in the opening turn when a mistake from another rider caused him to roll off the throttle, triggering his crash. Having enjoyed a strong weekend up until that point, Quartararo was left suffering from concussion after the heavy tumble, for which he was sent for further medical assessment at a medical facility in Coventry.

The next event of the 2019 MotoGP championship gets underway at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli on September 13th, with race day at the San Marino Grand Prix on Sunday September 15th. However, the team will also take to the track later this week at the Misano circuit for a two-day test on Thursday and Friday.

Franco Morbidelli:

“It was a great race for us, especially as throughout the weekend that this sort of result didn’t seem possible at times. I made a good start, was able to move into some interesting positions, and my feeling improved as the race went on. I fought with Crutchlow for a bit but was able to get away from him, and fifth is a good result for me and my crew. It’s a good point to start the next races from, and I feel that we can use what we’ve learned this weekend to improve further.”

Fabio Quartararo:

“[Alex] Rins had a small slide in front of me and I shut the throttle a little too much to avoid him and then highsided. It’s a pity for the result, but more importantly I hope that Andrea [Dovizioso] is OK. It was a racing incident, and just bad luck for both of us. All weekend we were fast and the worst position of the weekend was fourth in qualifying. I had the same pace as the top guys and I’m really happy with the improvements we made this weekend. The team made a big step forwards together and it’s something we can build on.”

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

TOP TEN FOR POL ESPARGARO AT BRITISH GP THRILLER

MotoGP 2019 Round 12 of 19, Silverstone Circuit (GBR) – RACE

Red Bull KTM’s Pol Espargaro rode to a positive 9th position today at a sunny Silverstone Circuit for his best result since the Gran Premi de Catalunya and after an exciting latest episode of MotoGP that was settled by 0.013 of a second for the win.

Pleasant summer conditions graced the Silverstone Circuit for the twelfth round of 2019 MotoGP. The series faced a resurfaced and typically fast and challenging layout and from where three of the four Red Bull KTM RC16s lined up together on the fifth row of the grid.

Espargaro forced his way into contention for the top ten in the early phases, and once the race had settled after the fiery crash between Fabio Quartararo and Andrea Dovizioso on the first corner. Twenty long laps saw the Spaniard throttling the best of his works KTM RC16 in the tussle for sixth and he finished just over twenty-one seconds behind the gripping finale between Alex Rins and Marc Marquez. Only two seconds separated Espargaro from 6th spot.

Johann Zarco and Miguel Oliveira were disputing positions on the fringe of the top ten until disaster struck when Zarco lost traction with the front end of his #5 racebike into the Loft Turn and hit the Portuguese sending both into the gravel and out of the running. Zarco has received a three-place grid penalty for the next Grand Prix. Red Bull KTM Tech3’s Hafizh Syahrin was able to capture his best result of the season with 13th and 3 world championship points.

Pol Espargaro: “It was a difficult race and the temperatures were quite high at the end which made the track slippery, more than we expected, and I was struggling with the rear tyre. Anyway, we were in the group fighting for sixth and we should be happy. We took some good points and we are playing for the top ten in the championship. The bike is getting better and better and we are doing a good job to be competing with the Hondas and Ducatis. Misano next and it is not the easiest for me but I have been fast in the past. We have a test in a couple of days and we’ll see what we can do.”

Johann Zarco: “It was a shame about the crash because the race was interesting. I was in control and looking to overtake Miguel in that slow corner – as I was doing to a few others in practice – and in the end I just had to apologise to him for destroying his race. The whole weekend I showed a bit better pace. I will just have to wait for Misano now and hope to have the same kind of feeling.”

Miguel Oliveira: “It was disappointing to crash with Johann. There is nothing else to say. I was feeling confident, the bike was feeling good, it was a realistic opportunity to finish inside the top 10 again but unfortunately it ended too early. I’m looking forward to the next one.”

Hafizh Syahrin: “It was a hard and long race. In the beginning I tried to ride safe and didn’t really find a good rhythm. But after ten laps I could manage to come back step-by-step, I made my fastest lap on the last one. I’m really sorry to the team and everybody because I was just lacking confidence. For sure, this will be a different story in Misano, I will work hard to build my trust again, also during the test, which will help me a lot.”

Mike Leitner, Red Bull KTM Team Manager: “We are very happy with Pol’s race performance and to be so close to sixth position when everybody had to manage the tyres and fuel. Again a single-digit result is very good for us, the project and for Pol especially after Red Bull Ring where he wasn’t able to finish. We are happy because we know this track is very difficult. We are not so happy with the race crash from Johann and it was unlucky that he hit Miguel and both riders went out. We have to take it like it is. I’m happy for Hafizh in P13 and it shows that he is getting better and better with the KTM. We know we have to push and work hard to make a step but we are at a point where we can fight for single-digit race results, which is our target this year. We are looking forward to the Misano test now and preparation for the race there.”

Moto2 & Moto3

Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Brad Binder fought with Jorge Navarro and Augusto Fernandez for Moto2 podium honours at Silverstone and also had to contend with pressure from Remy Gardner. The South African was eventually about to push the RC12 to 3rd for his fourth trophy of 2019. Teammate Jorge Martin managed 12th.

In Moto3 SKY Racing Team VR46 duo Dennis Foggia and Celestino Vietti rode to 8th and 9th positions respectively. Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Can Öncü finished outside the top twenty – in 24th – and less than 28 seconds from race winner Marcos Ramirez.

MotoGP next heads to the east coast of Italy and the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli; firstly for a test on August 29th and then followed by the Gran Premio Octo di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini which will take place in in three weeks time.

Next race: September 15th, Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, Gran Premio Octo di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini (ITA)

More, from a press release issued by Repsol Honda:

Marquez equals Agostini with sensational second in Silverstone

Continuing his run of two top finishes, Marquez took important steps towards his ultimate goal as a determined Lorenzo finished in the points on his return from injury.

The British summer continued in full force on Sunday as round 12 of the 2019 MotoGP World Championship at the Silverstone circuit enjoyed 31°C ambient temperatures. With circuit temperature at 44°C when the lights went out, it was set to be another demanding premier class race.

From the 88th pole position of his Grand Prix career, MotoGP World Championship leader Marc Marquez made a perfect start aboard his Repsol Honda Team RC213V and avoided the incident behind. With championship rival Andrea Dovizioso and potential podium contender Fabio Quartararo out of the race, Marquez was joined by Alex Rins at the front as the duo swapped fastest laps for most of the race.

The pair played a game of cat and mouse until the final lap, Marquez having led the entire race and setting a new race lap record of 1’59.936. A front-end moment in the last corner caused the World Championship leader to close the throttle and as a result was forced to settle for second place, missing the win by just 0.013s. Continuing his run of top two finishes in 2019, Marquez leaves Silverstone with a dominating 78 point lead in the MotoGP World Championship with seven races left.

Taking the 88th podium of his premier class career, Marquez draws level on premier class podiums with the great Giacomo Agostini. The result moves Honda to 45 points clear of Ducati in the Constructor Championship and brings the Repsol Honda Team to within 36 points of the Ducati Team in the Team Championship.

Knowing his physical condition, Jorge Lorenzo entered Sunday’s British Grand Prix with the simple aim of finishing the race to further understand his fitness level. The five-time World Champion’s determination was rewarded with a pair of points in 14th place as he profited from a consistent approach and the mistakes of others ahead.

Six-time World Champion Jim Redman, winner of Honda’s first premier class race in 1966 on the Honda RC181, was also in attendance and enjoyed talking racing with Marquez and Lorenzo.

Now the Repsol Honda Team will travel to the Misano Circuit for a two-day test. Racing resumes at the San Marino GP, September 13-15, at the same circuit.

Marc Marquez

2ND

“I am happy with the result for the championship but not the result for the race as to lose out in the final moment after leading is not the best feeling. Spending the whole race in front is difficult here because you use more of everything. I tried to go slow for one lap to see if Rins would lead, but he didn’t and I knew Viñales was behind us so I kept pushing. My target wasn’t the race, it was the championship and if the Yamaha riders arrived maybe we could have finished lower. In the last turn I had a moment on the front and had to close the gas which let Rins through but we are happy because we leave with 78 points over second but I hope Dovi is OK after a big crash like that, I hope he can recover well and return because it is always better when you earn the points fighting.”

Jorge Lorenzo

14TH

“Today went better than expected. Coming into this race I knew it would be difficult and I was thinking that maybe I will finish one minute or more behind the winner because all weekend I have been about three seconds slower than the fastest time. To finish within one minute of the winner and to take away two points is a good reward for a demanding race. I was able to learn more about how to conserve the tyres as well as testing my fitness so I am pleased. Right now I am sore, but I will be stronger for the Misano test and then again in a better physical condition for the Misano race.”

More, from a press release issued by Ducati:

British GP: seventh place for Danilo Petrucci at Silverstone, Andrea Dovizioso involved in a crash at Turn 1

Danilo Petrucci concluded this afternoon’s British GP at the Silverstone circuit in an overall seventh place. The Ducati Team rider from Terni, Italy, who started from row 4, lost a few positions in the early stages of the race and crossed the line at the end of the opening lap in thirteenth. Danilo then began a recovery that led him to pass Miller on the final lap and he took the chequered flag just half a second away from Crutchlow in sixth.

A nasty crash however immediately brought Andrea Dovizioso’s race to an end. The rider from Romagna, who got a good start from the third row, at the first corner was unable to avoid the bike of Quartararo, who crashed in front of him after a high-side, and he catapulted down violently onto the asphalt. On-track medical assistance arrived immediately and then Dovizioso was taken to the circuit medical centre for checks: the doctors found that he had concussion and a number of contusions, so they decided to take him by helicopter to Coventry Hospital for further checks that fortunately have excluded any complications. Dovizioso will return to Italy this evening.

Despite today’s no-points score, Dovizioso remains second in the Riders’ standings, 78 points from leader Marquez, while Petrucci drops to fourth, 4 points behind Rins, who won today’s race at Silverstone.

Ducati still holds second place in the Constructors’ standings and the Ducati Team continues to lead the special Teams’ classification.

Danilo Petrucci (#9 Ducati Team) – 7th

“I knew that today it was going to be a difficult GP for me and the incident at Turn 1 affected my race, because I had decided to stay on the outside line but found the bikes of Andrea and Quartararo in front of me and I lost a few places. I then began my recovery and it wasn’t easy to pass the other riders, but in the last ten laps I was quick and I set my fastest lap on the penultimate lap. For sure without the crash I could have finished higher up, but when you start so far behind anything can happen. I feel bad about this missed opportunity but above all I feel bad for Andrea, and I hope it was nothing serious.”

The Ducati Team will be back on track again on Thursday and Friday of this week (29th and 30th August) for two days of official MotoGP testing in view of the GP of San Marino scheduled for the same circuit from 13th to 15th September.

More, from a press release issued by Monster Energy Yamaha:

PODIUM SUCCESS FOR MONSTER ENERGY YAMAHA MOTOGP AT SILVERSTONE

Silverstone (UK), 25th August 2019

GRAND PRIX OF GREAT BRITAIN

RACE

Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Maverick Viñales smoothly rode his Yamaha to a solid third place at today’s GoPro British Grand Prix. Valentino Rossi had a great start from second, but grip issues prevented him from challenging at the front. However, he still held fourth position over the finish line.

3rd MAVERICK VIÑALES +0.620 / 20 LAPS

4th VALENTINO ROSSI +11.439 / 20 LAPS

Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP’s Maverick Viñales pushed all the way throughout today‘s GoPro British Grand Prix, riding his YZR-M1 to a third-place podium finish. Valentino Rossi was chasing the front-runners but was unable to join the fight for the podium and took the chequered flag in fourth place.

Viñales had a good start and rode to fourth in the midst of a chaotic first turn. He was followed by fellow Yamaha man Franco Morbidelli and they had a bit of a tug of war between them for fourth place, but the Factory rider had the early race pace to get away. He started to follow his team-mate and caught up and swiftly passed him on lap 7.

The Spaniard was now in third place and had a 2.888s gap to close, but a scrap between leaders Álex Rins and Marc Marquez meant that the number-12 rider was able to make up time. He was inching closer and in the last two laps he was in contention. The gap was down to about half a second and Viñales was giving it his all but was unable to put in a move. He crossed the finish line in third place, 0.620s from first.

Rossi had a strong start and maintained his second position in the first corner and across the finish line for the first time, but soon he had to let Rins pass. He wasn‘t able to match the pace of the front-runners due to a lack of grip, but characteristically kept his head down to bring home as many points as possible.

When Viñales passed him on lap 7, the Doctor tucked in behind in an effort to bridge the gap to the race leaders. However, he was unable to keep up as his rear tyre started to drop and had to push 100% to manage the gap to Morbidelli in fifth. Concentrating fully on defending his position in the latter stages of the race, Rossi finished in fourth place, 11.439s from the race leader.

Today’s third place sees Viñales take over fifth in the championship standings from Rossi again, with two points between them. Yamaha remains third in the constructor standings, and Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP also stays in third in the team classification.

Viñales and Rossi will now concentrate on the coming two-day test starting next Wednesday at Misano, before they head for the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli for the Gran Premio Octo di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini, held from September 13-15.

MASSIMO MEREGALLI

TEAM DIRECTOR

“We expected to be more closely to the front and join the fight with the two leading riders, but at the beginning of the race we saw that it was going to turn out differently. That said, our performance is improving, we are making consistent progress. Maverick’s third place is the consequence of hard work. Vale had been strong all weekend, but he had a different feeling this afternoon due to grip issues and tyre degradation, especially in the final stages of the race, but he still took fourth. Anyway, this round has been positive overall. The most important thing we take away from this weekend is that our riders were more comfortable with the bike in all sessions. We know what we would like to work on at the upcoming Misano Test, so we‘re looking to make further steps.”

MAVERICK VIÑALES

“I don‘t know if I would have been able to make a move if I had been closer to the front-runners, because it‘s always difficult. I was closing the gap lap by lap, just a little, one or two tenths, but I couldn‘t close the big gap in just one lap. I tried my best and I think we got the maximum and maybe even more from our bike today. There are long straights here and at this track it‘s really about the engine, so we’re happy with third. We missed a bit of traction and top speed. In many corners I was much faster, but in others I was surviving the best I could. I think we improved the bike quite a lot during the weekend and that‘s the most important. At the test in Misano we’ll work on improving the grip. We‘re going to be very focused, do a good test, then we‘ll race some more, and we‘ll see what we can do.”

VALENTINO ROSSI

“It‘s another fourth place, but we‘re a bit disappointed. We expected more from this race, because I started from the front row and during the practice sessions I always had a good pace. Unfortunately, I suffered more today, especially with the rear tyre. Already from the beginning of the race I had less grip. I was able to keep a quite good pace going until midway through the race, I suffered very much in the second half, I had to slow down a lot. It‘s a shame, we had expected to fight for the podium. We wanted to do the race like Maverick, he did a great job, but unfortunately we were a bit slower.”

More, from a press release issued by Michelin:

MICHELIN MAKES RECORDS TUMBLE AS RINS SHINES IN THE SILVERSTONE SUN

2019 12 GP UK 00155

Michelin completed a full set of new records with its MotoGP™ tyres during this weekend’s GoPro British Grand Prix from Silverstone in England as Alex Rins (Team SUZUKI ECSTAR) took victory with an exciting last-corner manoeuvre.

Michelin brought a range of tyres which it was confident were ideally suited to the newly resurfaced 5,900m Silverstone circuit and right from the first session on Friday fast and consistent times were being posted by the riders. This was highlighted in the afternoon session as Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) broke the All-Time Lap Record. This was then bettered by the Frenchman in Saturday morning’s Free Practice, before Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) set a new low of 1’58.168 in Qualifying, a huge 1.773 seconds quicker than the previous best to give Michelin and himself the all-time and pole lap records.

Beautiful weather was a consistent feature all weekend over the Silverstone track, culminating with an air temperature of 31°C on Sunday, making this the hottest race-day of the year so far. With track temperatures at 44°C, the majority of the field chose the hard MICHELIN Power Slick compound tyres for the front and rear and these performed exceptionally for the 20-laps, as throughout the race the lap-record was broken a number of times, before Marquez set a new best with a 1’59.963 on lap-10, over one-and-a-half-seconds under the existing record.

As the lights went out to signal the start, Marquez got the holeshot and led for the first lap. Very soon Rins was in close contention as the pair pushed hard at the front, using their Michelin tyres to the full to produce a close and fast race. As the final lap began, Rins closed on Marquez and saved the best until the very end, he attacked on the inside of the final corner, getting the grip and drive from his MICHELIN Power Slick tyres to take the victory by just 0.013 seconds from Marquez. His winning time of 40’12.799 set another new record, as it was under the existing race duration best by almost 33-seconds. Third on the podium went to Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), with Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) in fourth. Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) was fifth, as he secured the Best Independent Rider position. Home-star Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda) came over the line in sixth, with Danilo Petrucci (Ducati Team) and Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) in seventh and eighth respectively. Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) was ninth and Andrea Iannone (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) rounded out the top-ten. With three different manufacturers on the podium, all six manufacturers in the top-ten and all of the top-ten recording race duration times within the previous record, the Michelin ethos of making tyres that work for all bikes was extremely evident at Silverstone today. To round off a perfect weekend of record breaking for Michelin, the Event Best Maximum Speed was also broken, as Miller, Crutchlow and Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team), all set a new high of 333.3 km/h through the speed trap.

Michelin now heads directly to Misano in Italy for a two-day Official Test next week, before the MotoGP paddock then returns to the same circuit for round 13 of the championship, which is scheduled for Sunday 15th September.

Alex Rins – Team SUZUKI ECSTAR:

“It was incredibly today; we have worked hard to prepare for this race because it was new asphalt and it was all new for the tyres. I was pleased with the way the Michelins worked all weekend, they did a very good job and so did we, so I am very happy.”

Piero Taramasso – Michelin Motorsport Two-Wheel Manager:

“This has been an incredibly positive and successful weekend for us. Silverstone has done a good job with the resurfacing and this new asphalt enabled us to show how well the tyres work when the grip and surface is at its best. We brought a range of tyres that we believed would work in England, but we never expected it to be so hot, so instead of seeing more soft and medium compounds on the bikes, the majority of the field used hard tyres on the front and rear for the race. These worked very well and gave us a new duration record by a huge margin, a new race lap record and these added to the pole and overall record which were set on Saturday, and the new speed record, meant we got a full house this weekend. To witness another great last-lap and last corner battle was again especially pleasing as it shows the durability and grip that that the tyres have after such a long and demanding race. We will take all the positives from this weekend, but we have also learnt a lot which we will use in the decision for next year’s allocation. Now we head to Misano and continue testing new tyres which could be added to the range for 2020.”

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

RELENTLESS RINS TAKES SUPERB SILVERSTONE WIN

Alex Rins: 1st

Sylvain Guintoli: 12th (+ 45.478)

• Alex Rins runs calculated and precise race to take superb victory.

• Sylvain Guintoli brings home a great 12th place.

• Team thrilled with second top step of the season.

The 2019 British GP got underway in fantastic conditions as 50,000 fans turned out to enjoy a sizzling Silverstone for Round 12.

Hard tyres were the order of the day for the majority of the field as track temperatures reached 45c. Alex Rins got a solid start from his 5th place grid spot, slotting immediately into 3rd as a big accident happened just behind him. By the end of the first lap, Rins had put in a pass on Rossi to take 2nd place, he then proceeded to set several fast laps – running an excellent race pace and taking advantage of his corner speed and confident feeling with his GSX-RR.

With 12 laps left to go, Rins executed a move on race leader, Marquez, and the pair exchanged positions back and forth. As Marquez attempted to pull away, Rins stayed on his tail. Even a small moment at Turn 9 with 4 laps to go was not enough to distract Alex from his goal. As the laps ticked down, he looked for every opportunity to overtake his rival, finally pulling off a fantastic move in the final corner to take his second win of the season. He also regains 3rd place in the Championship standings.

Sylvain Guintoli, standing in for Joan Mir, ran a consistent and solid race whilst also collecting useful data. The Frenchman took a great 12th place and four championship points.

Ken Kawauchi – Technical Manager:

“Finally, Silverstone has become a favourite track for us! We’re happy to be back on the podium, but with first position it’s really incredible. Thank you to everyone who is working hard in the team and factory, they made this win happen. Sylvain did a great job this weekend, and this win is down to the contributions of him and the test team. We’re looking forward to continuing the season in a couple of weeks and seeing Joan soon.”

Davide Brivio – Team Manager:

“What a win! I was hoping to have a battle like this one day, especially a battle with Marquez. Alex was just great, he stayed behind, and he stayed calm, he ran a very clever race. He studied the situation and waited for the right moment to try for the win. It was perfect, fantastic. To win against Marquez isn’t easy, and we’re very happy! Sylvain got some good points and he has done a great job to help us develop the bike. Everyone in the team and all the staff in Japan are working so hard, and I want to thank them all.”

Alex Rins:

“Today has been unbelievable. I won in Austin, beating Valentino. And now I’ve won here, beating Marc. These guys are very fast and are ‘legends’ of the sport. I knew it would be difficult to beat Marc today, but I really wanted to try, and it was fantastic to do it. In a couple of the sectors he was faster than me, but I could make it up in some other areas. But towards the end of the race I felt I had better pace than him, and I told myself that I must go for it and take the chance, I saw the opportunity and I made it happen. Big thanks to everyone in the team!”

Sylvain Guintoli:

“The race felt good for me, I had strong pace, especially towards the end. I was hoping to be able to score points, but I didn’t expect this many and a 12th place. It’s fantastic that Alex put the bike on the top step, the team really deserve it and it just shows how much hard work and commitment they are putting in all the time. What a great weekend.”

More, from a press release issued by Pramac Racing:

 #BritishGP RACE. Jack and Pecco 8th and 11th respectively at Silverstone in the GoPro British GP.

Jack Miller starts from the front row but is forced to brake at the first corner to avoid being involved in the accident between Quartararo and Dovizioso. The Australian pushes hard in the first laps to try to recover on Crutchlow and Morbidelli for the fifth place. The pace is good and from lap 10 he engages in a fight with Crutchlow. The abnormal consumption of the rear tyre, however, did not allow him to go and catch Morbidelli. Thanks to the 8th place , Jack return to the top of the “Independent Rider” standings.

Francesco Bagnaia’s race was positive. The Italian rider, who started from 18th position, finished in P11 taking important points for his standings.

P11 – Pecco Bagnaia

To be honest, this is a good result, better than I expected. After a good Friday and the positive feelings of the FP3 and FP4, I have not found any more feeling. We have taken valuable points for the classification and I can’t wait to be in Misano.

P8 – Jack Miller

I lost positions at the start of the race due to the accident between Fabio and Dovi. I tried to recover but I couldn’t get a good pace. The rear tyre didn’t help me. We took important points for the “Independent” classification.

More, from a press release issued by Dorna:

Rins defeats Marquez with a final corner stunner at Silverstone

A battle for the ages rages to the last in an incredible Suzuki vs Honda duel

Sunday, 25 August 2019

Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) became the sixth different winner at Silverstone in the last six races at the track in a stunning GoPro British Grand Prix, timing it to perfection to sweep past reigning Champion Marc Marquez at the final corner and make it two last-second defeats for the number 93 in as many races. A duel from almost the first to last, the race is the equal fourth closest premier class finish – and one very much written straight into the history books. Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) completed the podium and closed in in the latter stages, but the battle remained Marquez vs Rins to the line.

Marquez got a storming start from pole, streaking away from the line as Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) slotted into second but some huge drama hit just behind. A crash for Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) saw the rookie slide out and unfortunately for the man behind him, Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team), the stricken bike was unavoidable. The Italian hit the Yamaha and both machines and men slid out into the run off, out of the British GP.

That left Marquez, Rossi and Rins at the head of the race, and the number 42 wasted no time attacking the ‘Doctor’ for second, tagging right on to the rear of Marquez as soon as he was past. From there the two began to pull away, and Rossi was left with teammate Viñales to contend with as the number 12 plowed past Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) and started to cut down the gap.

Then Rins ran wide and Viñales did just behind, leaving both men with a little more work to do. Heads back down though, they both set about getting back into the tow of the machines ahead. Rins got back on terms with Marquez, and with 14 to go Viñales was pulling alongside Rossi. Move made and cleanly past, the gap to the two ahead was now the key focus for ‘Top Gun’.

Not long after, Rins attacked. Around the outside, the Suzuki rider swept past in a stunning move for the lead, and breath was held around the track. Was this a deciding moment? Ultimately it didn’t last long, however, and Rins even specified: “I let him back past, I didn’t want him to see my weaknesses.”

And so it came down to a duel to the end, and what a duel it was. The two remained tagged together as the laps ticked down and everything was set up to perfection for a final lap showdown, although the Suzuki rider had a wobble at Turn 9 after a look behind to check on the approaching Viñales. Regrouping quickly, Rins then took another nibble on the penultimate lap, getting past Marquez for just about a corner before the reigning Champion struck back…and then came a dress rehearsal of sorts.

Coming around the final corner to start the final lap, the Suzuki swept around the outside and was alongside Marquez as the two went elbow to elbow, but Rins ended up on the green stuff and Marquez held firm. The number 42 also lost a few metres with the move, and the pressure was on for the remaining five kilometers of the race. Was there time to catch and pass the man in such charge of the Championship?

Through Maggots and Becketts, the Yamaha of Viñales was almost as close to Rins as Rins was to race leader Marquez, with the number 12 on the limit to try and get in the fight. As the corners passed, however, the Honda and Suzuki edged away – and Rins was more than simply hanging in there. With three corners left the Suzuki was Marquez’ shadow, but was there time? The dress rehearsal from a lap before gave us a clue of what was in store: it was going to go down to the final corner.

Rins had showed some incredible speed there throughout the race, and the number 42 credited that as a big part of his being able to stay with Marquez. That was now his ace, and as the Honda rider tried to defend, the Suzuki unleashed its awesome corner speed as Rins ran wider and then cut back, barrelling alongside Marquez towards the line. And, by hundredths, coming out on top.

The win was the fourth closest in premier class history, Rins’ second of the season and the first time the gloves have come off for the number 42 in a last lap fight for a premier class victory. 40 years since Sheene vs Roberts was split by 0.030, Rins beat Marquez by just 0.013. For the reigning Champion, it was also a second final corner defeat in a row.

Viñales, then, was forced to spectate around the final sector, but the 2016 Silverstone winner said he got the maximum from the machine for his 60th podium in third. Teammate Valentino Rossi took fourth and the top Yamaha results continued as Morbidelli completed the top five. The number 21 was also the top Independent Team rider.

He stole that honour from home hero Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) as the Brit took P6, crossing the line half a second ahead of Danilo Petrucci (Ducati Team), with Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) and Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) not too far behind either as they took P8 and P9 respectively. Andrea Iannone (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) completed the top ten after a solid Sunday showing from the Italian.

Francesco Bagnaia (Pramac Racing), Sylvain Guintoli (Team Suzuki Ecstar), Hafizh Syahrin (Red Bull KTM Tech 3), Jorge Lorenzo (Repsol Honda Team) and Karel Abraham (Reale Avintia Racing) completed the points.

Johann Zarco (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) didn’t finish after he came into contact with Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) and they both went down, the Frenchman subsequently penalised with three grid positions at his next race. Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) and Tito Rabat (Reale Avintia Racing) crashed but rejoined, Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) suffered an issue and, of course, neither Quartararo nor Dovizioso saw the flag. Dovizioso, after examination, was given the all clear and returns home from the UK as normal, although he and Quartararo will need to be declared fit in Misano having suffered concussion.

That’s it from Silverstone, with six different winners in the last six races at the track made a reality by Alex Rins after a truly history-making stunner of a showdown. Next it’s Misano and Marquez’ advantage has increased once again, but it’s twice in a row the reigning Champion has been pipped to the post on race day. Will it continue on the Riviera di Rimini? Find out in three weeks time.

Alex Rins: “Unbelievable, unbelievable! I’ve beaten two legends: Valentino in Texas, Marquez here in Silverstone. It was so crazy. I beat him today but now I need to continue; I know it will be difficult. I made some mistakes, I nearly crashed at the first corner – I had a big moment. Two laps to the end I crossed the line very close to Marc and I thought the race was over but then I saw one lap remaining and thought: ‘wow, Alex, come on you need to keep pushing’. I was able to cut a lot of time in the first and second sectors and then in the last sector Marc was much stronger than me. Into Turn 16 he was able to brake really hard. The last lap was unique though and it was possible for me to overtake.

“I have a lot of confidence with my Suzuki right now. We work so hard during the practices to get the feeling right and I was able to play with my bike to brake harder.”