With 19th position in his first ever Grand Prix, Scott Deroue can look back at Qatar satisfied and with much to think about. So does his team mate Ana Carrasco, who finished 24th, which was not what she and RW Racing GP had hoped for.
While Jack Millar crossed the line first to pick up his first Grand Prix victory, Scott Deroue and Ana Carrasco were involved in their own fierce battles. Deroue was fighting with Zulfahmi Khairuddin and Philipp Oettl for 18th place, while Ana Carrasco was a bit further down duelling for 23rd.
Deroue ended up with Khairuddin and Oettl after an excellent start which brought him from 18th to 14th. But the first laps were too much of a rollercoaster for the 18 years old Dutchman and he had to let go.
RW Racing GP team manager Jarno Janssen: “Scott has fought like a lion, but it was a bit too much at the beginning. When you are lost for a lap or so, or make a mistake, at this level you can pack it in. This is something he has to get used to and learn from. Scott has stepped into a new world, a new level and he will need time to learn and to adapt. Now he knows... For a first Grand Prix it definitely is a good result and we are happy with it.”
Ana Carrasco has been struggling all weekend and also in the race she wasn’t full of confidence with her bike. After starting from 25th on the grid she was tangled up in a battle for 22nd, 23rd all the time with Luca Grünwald, Alessandro Tonucci and Andrea Locatelli. Grünwald and Tonucci got away and in the final lap Locatelli was able to pass Carrasco and snatch 23rd, leaving the Spanish 17 years old in 24rd.
Team manager Janssen: “Ana has fought for what she is worth, but she lacked confidence for all the weekend. The bike is the same as in testing. We’ve tried everything in terms of setup, gearing and suspension. We even tried a new engine, but it didn’t make any difference. That’s a shame. Let’s just hope Ana and the bike will have full play and be friends again in Austin.”
Scott Deroue – 19th (+36.691)
“I had a decent start and picked up a few positions immediately, but that first lap: complete madness! I thought I knew something about pushing and jostling from the Rookies Cup, but in Moto3 it is much worse. I had no idea where I was and what was going on around me. That might have cost me some of my concentration and I lost connection to the group that ended up fighting for the points. Consider it a learning point. I was with Oettl and Khairuddin and I had a good battle with them. In the last lap I came to the front of the group and I was first on the straight to the finish line. I thought I had 18th place in my pocket when Khairuddin came out of the slipstream and nicked me with a difference of 0,005. I am absolutely pleased with the results of my first Grand Prix, but at the same time I have the feeling there was more in it. I have much to think about on the flight home.”
Ana Carrasco – 24th (+45.650)
“Obviously this is not the start of the season I’ve been hoping for. I didn’t feel comfortable with the bike from the beginning and whatever the team did, somehow I couldn’t get over it. It was a battle with the bike and myself. The team changed the engine overnight, but that didn’t bring me what I hoped for. The race wasn’t too bad, but I’m not satisfied at all with the result. This just wasn’t my weekend. Hopefully Austin will be better.”
RW Racing Press Release
