The Tech3 Racing Moto2 Team completed a successful weekend at the Circuit of the Americas with both riders undertaking convincing displays and finishing inside the top 10 in round 2 of the Moto2 World Championship. The race was initially delayed at the start due to the weather conditions, however it did not disrupt the 19 lap race at the 5.513 kilometre Texan circuit.
Marcel Schrotter skilfully guided his Mistral 610 across the finish line in a hard fought 9th place, to score his first championship points of the Moto2 season. The young German had a positive start and held his qualifying position of 10th place during the opening minutes of the race. He then became involved in a battle for 9th, in the fiercely competitive intermediate class, before slipping back to 11th. Schrotter maintained a consistent pace and caught the 10th position rider in front. He proceeded to power past and clinch 9th at the chequered flag.
Stand in rider Ricky Cardus fought intrepidly during the Moto2 Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas to finish strongly in 10th place. After an unfortunate qualifying session yesterday, which saw him finish in 22nd position because of an early crash, the young Spanish rider had a magnificent start in a typically chaotic opening lap in the Moto2 class. He made ten places to find himself in 12th position when passing the finish line for the first time during the race. Cardus, then moved up to 8th, before battling for 7th place. The Spanish rider, who continues to replace the recovering Alex Mariñelarena, eventually slipped back and was overtaken by his teammate before crossing the line in 10th place while collecting his second set of championship points for the team.
Marcel Schrotter - 9th - 7 points:
“I am really happy about my race today. The start of the weekend was tough, but I managed to qualify well and had a strong race. It was not easy to keep concentration on the starting grid, as we had to wait for a long time and I was wondering how the track would be after the slight rain. Still my start was good, and I got through the first corner well. There was a lot of overtaking during the first laps, and all the riders were pushing hard, so I didn’t want to take too many risks straight away. Once everything had settled and I was alone, I got into a good rhythm, and caught the group in front of me half way through the race. I could have even overtaken DeAngelis at the end but unfortunately I continued to make several small mistakes just before the long straight, where the acceleration is vital. With the worn tyres, there was also a bit of chatter, but I am still very happy with our top 10 result, which is my best ever finish in the Moto2 class, and we will continue to work full of confidence for the next race in Argentina”.
Ricky Cardus – 10th – 10 points:
“I’m truly happy about today’s race, even if it has been a very hard and demanding one. Because of a small injury, I could not train as much cardio as I wanted to, so I felt really tired towards the end of the race. I had a great start and could recover positions quickly, so that even after starting from 22nd position I could stay the whole race with the group from 6th to 11th. Tenth is my best ever finish in the World Championship, so once again I want to say that I’m really thankful for the opportunity to be here with Tech3 Racing and I want to send a hug to Alex Mariñelarena who is recovering at home. His bike is waiting for him because even if it is an individual sport we have to be human and no one wants to take advantage of the injury of some another rider. For as long as I can, I will do my best and enjoy riding for Tech3 because they are really doing a fantastic job to help me”.
Tech 3 Racing Press Release
