Hector Faubel on Top FP3 Moto3 Valencia

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Hector Faubel (Andalucia JHK t-shirt Laglisse team) set the fastest lap 1'51.521 on the last Moto3 free practice at Valencia circuit today. Maverick Vinales on second fastest 1'51.543, while Jack Miller on third fastest 1'51.717

1 Hector FAUBEL Andalucia JHK t-shirt Laglisse 1'51.521

2 Maverick VIÑALES Blusens Avintia 1'51.543

3 Jack MILLER Caretta Technology 1'51.717

4 Luis SALOM RW Racing GP 1'51.796

5 Danny KENT Red Bull KTM Ajo 1'51.835

6 Alex MARQUEZ Ambrogio Next Racing 1'51.847

7 Brad BINDER RW Racing GP 1'51.918

8 Adrian MARTIN JHK t-shirt Laglisse 1'51.992

9 Jonas FOLGER Mapfre Aspar Team Moto3 1'52.084

10 Efren VAZQUEZ JHK t-shirt Laglisse 1'52.245

11 Arthur SISSIS Red Bull KTM Ajo 1'52.288

12 Miguel OLIVEIRA Estrella Galicia 0,0 1'52.317

13 Alessandro TONUCCI Team Italia FMI 1'52.430

14 Giulian PEDONE Ambrogio Next Racing 1'52.449

15 Niccolò ANTONELLI San Carlo Gresini Moto3 1'52.490

16 Jakub KORNFEIL Redox-Ongetta-Centro Seta 1'52.558

17 Juan Francisco GUEVARA Wild Wolf BST 1'52.575

18 Niklas AJO TT Motion Events Racing 1'52.828

19 Alex RINS Estrella Galicia 0,0 1'52.903

20 Sandro CORTESE Red Bull KTM Ajo 1'52.930

21 Josep RODRIGUEZ Moto FGR 1'53.223

22 Louis ROSSI Racing Team Germany 1'53.337

23 Philipp OETTL HP Moto Kalex 1'53.583

24 Zulfahmi KHAIRUDDIN AirAsia-Sic-Ajo 1'53.810

25 John McPHEE Caretta Technology 1'53.827

26 Alan TECHER Technomag-CIP-TSR 1'53.943

27 Luca AMATO Mapfre Aspar Team Moto3 1'54.213

28 Kenta FUJII Technomag-CIP-TSR 1'54.230

29 Miroslav POPOV Mahindra Racing 1'54.248

30 Armando PONTONE IodaRacing Project 1'54.326

31 Romano FENATI Team Italia FMI 1'54.329

32 Danny WEBB Mahindra Racing 1'54.800

33 Isaac VIÑALES Ongetta-Centro Seta 1'55.095

34 Toni FINSTERBUSCH Racing Team Germany 1'58.658

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Jonas Folger Sixth and a Second from Victory

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Positive riding conditions at Misano finally arrived for Sunday, and the Moto3 riders made the most of them to put on a close show.  The top seven were separated by just 1.3 seconds, although the race win went to championship leader Sandro Cortese. Race pace was similar to in qualifying -1’44- and there was nothing in it until the final lap. Cortese finally split the group and took the win, ahead of Salom and Fenati.

After two races on the podium, MAPFRE Aspar rider Jonas Folger was not quite able to keep up his streak in today’s 23-lap contest. The German was disappointed to finish off the rostrum, but happy with a sixth place and a final time just a second off the winner. From sixth on the grid, Folger moved up into second on the opening pair of corners, then stuck with the leading group. Lacking a little acceleration, he made up time with daring late braking and held on for ten more points.

Teammate Héctor Faubel also had a great start, but contact from various riders on the opening lap cut him off from the leaders. He tried a comeback, alongside Khairuddin in no-man’s land, but eventually placed thirteenth.

6th Jonas Folger: “Today was a very close race, and I finished just a second off the winner. I am happy, because we did a great job this weekend. It is just a pity that we couldn’t cap it off with another podium. On some corners I could feel that my bike lacked a little acceleration, perhaps for the weight, because I didn’t take the right line or because I was lacking power. I had to brake extremely late in order to not lose touch with the leaders. I am satisfied, because we had a great race. On the final laps I could see that it was going to be tough, because there were a lot of riders going for the podium. In the end I moved up a place and got sixth place. We improved our front end feeling a lot and I can sense that the bike is much more stable in the dry. Even though I didn’t take another podium and I am annoyed about that, I will keep the motivation from this for the next race.”

13th Héctor Faubel: “At the start of the race I was going well and maintained my position. I went into the doublé ‘S’ on the inside, passing three riders. But there was a lot of contact and we lost touch with the lead group. Alongside Khairuddin I pushed hard to latch back onto the front pack and improved upon my qualifying times. I hoped that those ahead of me would slow each other down, but they never let up. I couldn’t do much more. It is positive that we finished 14 seconds behind the podium finishers despite starting from so far back, but I am not happy with thirteenth. I think that we deserved a good result, but it wasn’t to be here. We now have to keep working our hardest to place as well as possible at Motorland.”

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Jonas Folger aiming for third consecutive podium for new team

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Misano on the Adriatic Coast is the destination for the World Championship this weekend, following two weeks of inactivity. It’s a popular holiday destination, but the Moto3 riders are not going to the region for anything approaching a holiday. The lower cylinder class riders are preparing for round twelve of their season. A short track 4.226km in length, flat and with slow, closed corners awaits them for Friday practice. Sandro Cortese heads the standings, with direct rivals Viñales and Salom trying to take points off his lead at every race. There will also be a significant competitive Italian presence on the grid this weekend.

The MAPFRE Aspar team head to Misano on a high after taking two of this season’s three podiums at the last pair of races. Jonas Folger had a fantastic race at Brno to win last time out, having been provided with a competitive bike by his team. The aim for this weekend is to continue his run of rostrum finishes.

Héctor Faubel also has a top three goal in mind, now back to full fitness after an intense period of physiotherapy to relieve the pain caused by his crash at Indianapolis. The Spaniard is now fighting fit for the challenge of Misano.  

Jonas Folger: “My wish is to carry on my podium run at Misano and, if possible, repeat my victory from Brno. That win gave me enormous motivation and I hope to be able to carry on from where I left off on Friday. We found a good setting at Brno, but we can still improve on it so we shall get to work on that. I can’t wait to get back together with my team and head to Misano. The past two races as a MAPFRE Aspar rider have been fantastic, but I know that we can qualify better. If we can prepare everything well, then there will be nothing to worry about in the race. We have the bike; we just need to put it higher up the grid. Misano is a technical circuit in my opinion, with very slow corners and quick changes in direction. It’s not at all like Brno –it’s a small track where you have to work hard so as to not drop a single tenth. There are some corners that are key to getting a good lap time.”

Héctor Faubel: “Misano is a circuit at which I have always been fast. However, alongside Indianapolis it is a circuit at which I have never been on the podium. That’s a good motive for me to put an end to such a statistic this weekend. My bike is undergoing an evolution that is very favourable. We had a good weekend at Brno despite some problems and it was just a shame that we had more issues in the race. If we work as we did there, then we will qualify well and will be ready to race. I am now fully recovered from the knocks I took at Indianapolis, so I hope to be able to perform at my best this weekend. I just ask that everything unfolds normally in order to work without problems. I am convinced that the results will come soon. I want to get a good result for the team.”

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Jonas Folger Takes Dominant win in Czech Republic

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The decision by Race Direction to declare the Czech Republic Moto3 race a wet one presented big choices for the participants. The 11am contest would be contested with some riders on slick tyres and others on wet, with the track drying out rapidly. One rider was sure about his strategy, and that was Jonas Folger. The German rider took the lea don lap four and decided to pull away from the rest of the field in search of victory. The championship leaders formed the chasing pack, as Salom, Cortese and Viñales settled their scores on the final lap. Folger took a dominant win, with Salom second and Cortese third on the podium.

If a rider is capable of finishing third alter starting from fifteenth, then what Could he do when starting from tenth? That question was answered by MAPFRE Aspar’s Jonas Folger, who took his second rostrum finish in as many weekends with a race victory. A great performance in the morning warmup hinted at what was to come, as when the lights went out in the race he surged through the field. Moving into the lead on lap four, he increased his advantage to over eleven seconds and then used his head to maintain a comfortable gap. From lap fifteen he went into maintenance mode for his second career win.

Also praiseworthy was the eleventh place taken by Héctor Faubel. The Spaniard lost positions off the line, but was obviously affected by his less-than-full fitness level alter his crash at Indianapolis. He will now focus on the upcoming San Marino GP, for which he hopes to be completely recovered.

1st Jonas Folger: “Today was the perfect race for us. I can sincerely say that I had never expected it to be so simple to gain such an advantage in such little time. I made a determined start and decided to push hard when I had moved into the lead. When I noticed that I was extending an advantage, I continued to push for another ten laps in order to create the largest gap possible. The aim was to create a cushion between myself and the other riders and then maintain it, which is what I did for the last seven laps. It was incredible to win this race and I am very happy. It is fantastic to be a part of this team, Jorge Martínez ‘Aspar’ gave me an opportunity and I am trying to repay his confidence in me the best way that I can. Jorge and MAPFRE have got behind me and really taken me to the next level. I have come into the team from a difficult situation, and now I can see that it was worth the suffering to be able to earn this opportunity that I have now.”

11th Héctor Faubel: “When I let off the clutch at the start, the bike began to slide. Once I’d got to the first corner I was swamped by other riders and found it hard to gain positions. After passing various riders I picked up a solid pace until I reached Cortese, Viñales and Salom. As the laps went by I began to notice a sharp pain in my back which distracted me. It was a pity to have missed out on a positive result because of not being 100% fit. I felt good this weekend and we had a good grid position, but in the race I was unable to perform as I would have liked. I feel bad, because the team have worked excellently this weekend and I wanted to thank them with a good result.”

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Hector Faubel Battles Through Pain for Second Row Start

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The Moto3 class escaped the rain that head threatened to fall on the Brno circuit this afternoon but the cool and cloudy weather certainly made for some tricky track conditions. The three top riders in the current championship Sandro Cortese, Luis Salom and Maverick Viñales proved to be the men to beat throughout the day and although the lap times were inconsistent it was the latter of the trio who eventually emerged to take pole position with a stunning effort of 2'08.075.

Like most of his rivals on track MAPFRE Aspar rider Héctor Faubel went for the softer tyre compound this afternoon but it wasn't to his liking. However, the Spaniard was able to qualify in a creditable sixth place considering the injuries he sustained at Indianapolis a week ago. His team-mate Jonas Folger will start from two rows further back after struggling to find a front-end set-up with his new bike for this circuit. The German starts tenth fastest and although he was unable to set a fast lap on his own terms today he is confident he can run with the pack in tomorrow's race.

6th Héctor Faubel 2.08.880 (15 laps): 

“I had an injection today for qualifying and it eased the pain but made me feel ill so I won't be doing it again for the race tomorrow. I am happy because even though I'm not 100% fit I was able to set a good pace on my own. At the end of the session I tried the softer compound but I wasn't keen on it and we know what we need to do with the setting for the race. The two top guys are a step ahead but the guys behind them are quite close so anything could happen in the race. My objective is to get a good start and hang on to the lead group for as long as I can.”

10th Jonas Folger 2.09.382 (13 laps): 

“I struggled to adapt to the soft tyres today and I was losing time in the first sector. I tried to get a tow from another rider and came up behind Kent but ran out of time to set a good lap. I would have liked to be higher up on the grid and I know I can go faster but I'm still not comfortable with the feel from the front end. We have tried a lot of things and we know what we need to to do improve. It will be a tough race tomorrow and there will be a big group at the front so we need to be consistent and keep an eye out for attacks. Last weekend I finished on the podium after qualifying fifteenth so hopefully we can repeat it tomorrow.”

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Jonas Folger Again the Surprise Package with Mapfre Aspar Team

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German clocks fastest lap in morning session and ends day in seventh place, Faubel rides through the pain of Indianapolis injuries

Jetlag or not there were no excuses for the Moto3 World Championship riders this morning as they set their alarms to take to the Brno circuit in the Czech Republic for first free practice and the eleventh round of the 2012 season. Their cause wasn't helped by soaring late summer heat in this part of inland Europe, where ambient temperatures touched 30º with 41% humidity, although it didn't stop them from dramatically improving their times from the morning to the afternoon.

Just a week after joining the MAPFRE Aspar Team and making a stunning debut with a podium at Indianapolis Jonas Folger again upset the applecart with the fastest time of the opening session. A few set-up changes from the base that served him so well in the USA did not have the desired effect this afternoon though and the German youngster finished the day seventh fastest overall. Héctor Faubel returned to action less than a week after being admitted to hospital in Indianapolis, the veteran Spaniard easing himself back with the 23rd fastest time.

Jonas Folger

“I love this circuit. We did a great job this morning and my feeling with the bike was great. We tried some new things this afternoon but they didn't work as well so we'll take a step backwards tomorrow. The start of this season wasn't easy for me but I learnt a lot and now that I have a good team and a good bike I am able to put that experience to good use. Right now things are working out and I am happy. I am enjoying working with this team but we have a long way to go. We have started our adventure together in a good way but we will need to keep trying new things to make sure we are competitive in every session. The good thing is we have plenty of ideas for ways to improve.”

Héctor Faubel

“I thought the most painful thing would be my elbow but it was actually my ribs, particularly in the left-hand corners. Depending on how much rest I get tonight I might have to have a painkilling injection before qualifying tomorrow afternoon. Things went pretty well on track this morning and I felt comfortable this afternoon but with twelve minutes remaining I stopped to change tyres and we couldn't get the bike started again. I imagine it is because the engine has reached maximum mileage. In general I am happy, today was just a case of getting a feel for the bike again after the crash and I am sure we can move up the order tomorrow, especially if we can find some more grip.”

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Folger brings hope after team's second podium of the season as Faubel battles for fitness

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With the summer break now a distant memory the MotoGP World Championship continues apace with the second race in as many weekends, the paddock heading from the United States back to Europe for the first of three straight rounds on the old continent. First up is the Czech Republic, followed by San Marino and Aragón, before an intercontinental triple-header in the far east and Australia. The battle for the Moto3 title promises to be an exciting one after the latest drama at Indianapolis, where Maverick Viñales crashed out in the final corner to allow Sandro Cortese to extend his lead still further in the championship. At 5.403km in length the Brno circuit is always a major challenge for the smallest bikes in the championship but it rarely fails to produce great racing for the fans.

Almost exactly a year since his first win at World Championship level Jonas Folger was back on the podium at Indianapolis, this time as a MAPFRE Aspar Team rider. The German could not have wished for a better debut with the team and third place was just reward for an industrious weekend. The hard work will continue this weekend and hopefully so will the good results. Folger's new team-mate Héctor Faubel was forced to watch the Moto3 race from his hospital bed after a practice crash at Indy that left him battered and bruised but thankfully without major injury. On his return to Valencia he paid a visit to Dr. Vila who has tried to accelerate the Spaniard's recovery and although he is still in some pain he will travel to Brno and attempt to ride.

Héctor Faubel: “My whole body is aching and covered in bruises but thankfully there are no fractures. The left side of my chest, stomach and lumbar region are painful but I am past the worst of it and I am determined to ride at Brno. We found a good solution for our grip problems at Indianapolis and the bike is easier to lean over and it handles better, which gives me more confidence. I was really happy up until the crash because I could push hard and maintain a consistent pace. I'm beaten up but I want to give it my best shot at Brno. It is one of my favourite circuits on the calendar and I want to start picking up some good results from now on.”

Jonas Folger: “Brno is a wonderful circuit and I hope I can perform well there again. It wasn't an easy weekend in Indianapolis because we started from scratch and I had to get to know the team and ride a bike I had no prior experience of. The slippery track surface didn't make things any easier for us but together with the MAPFRE Aspar guys we came though our first race in the best possible way. The track surface at Brno is perfect and it is a pure racing circuit so I hope we can get another good result there. We came away from Indianapolis with a good base set-up so we will work from that this weekend and look to improve it for this track.”

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Superb Debut for Jonas Folger with Mapfre Aspar Team

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The Moto3 Indianapolis Grand Prix was missing three of the riders who had started the weekend on track. Faubel, Webb and Miller were ruled out of raceday action through crashes, and ten further riders were taken out of the race over the course of the 23 laps. Just twenty riders crossed the finish line. Kent pushed hard early on and the leaders in the first half included he, Salom, Khairuddin and Rins, but nobody was able to really assert their authority on the Moto3 class contest. On occasions they broke into the 1.48 mark, but mid-1’49s were more typical lap times.  el ritmo de la prueba era de 1.49 medios, bastante más lento que los entrenamientos. Viñales broke free, Cortese and Salom managed to chase him down, and the victor would be decided on the final lap. A crash for Viñales ended his chances, and Salom held off Cortese on the line. Jonas Folger thus moved up into third.

Up from fifteenth place on the grid to ninth in the space of one lap –that was Jonas Folger’s early case for success in his first race with the MAPFRE Aspar team. The German rider put in an excellent showing as he joined up with the lead group, keeping his patience in a tough contest. He lost touch a few times on the brakes, but was finally able to break free and was rewarded with a slice of good fortune. When Viñales crashed on the final lap, Folger moved up into third place. The MAPFRE Aspar Team debutant thus took the team’s second podium of 2012.

Teammate Héctor Faubel was discharged from hospital this morning. Despite pain in his abdomen, lumbar and left elbow, the Spaniard will attempt to recover in time for the Czech Republic GP.

  

3rd Jonas Folger: “I feel very happy about this podium. The season had been difficult up to now and I have got a good result finally after joining a great team. I love being able to show that I can be competitive with a good bike and a good team. I want to thank them for this magnificent opportunity. On the opening laps I had to gain positions from fifteenth. I then reached the lead group and had to fight hard to keep with them. I pushed a lot and made a few mistakes on my braking points. In any case, I carried on with the strong pace from before, in order to get as far up the order as possible. I was also thinking about preserving the tyres, because I knew that at the end of the race the asphalt would be very slippery. I was part of the chasing pack and saw that I could leave them behind after a few laps, because I had better drive through the corners. On the penultimate lap I overtook those who were ahead of me and pushed hard on the final lap to keep third place.”

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Hector Faubel to Spend the Night at Indianapolis Methodist Hospital

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MAPFRE Aspar Team rider Héctor Faubel will spend the night under observation at the Indianapolis Methodist Hospital tonight following his crash during qualifying practice this afternoon. The Spanish rider has undergone CAT scans and x-rays after reporting pain to his lumbar and abdominal region and left elbow although no fractures were detected. There is, however, some bad bruising and liquid on his abdomen, which is why he has been admitted until the morning when he will be released. He will then undergo checks from the FIM doctors, who will decide on his participation in tomorrow's race although at this stage it seems unlikely.

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Hector Faubel Misses Most of Qualifying After Big Crash

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Whilst the weather conditions were perfect at Indianapolis today the same could not be said for the track and qualifying practice for the Moto3 race had to be red-flagged on two occasions due to a series of crashes. Just seven minutes had elapsed when Héctor Faubel was thrown spectacularly over his handlebars in the final turn, causing a fifteen minute delay as the MAPFRE Aspar rider was taken to the medical centre by ambulance. Several other riders would follow him before Álex Márquez suffered a virtually identical crash to Faubel in the same spot and again the red flag was produced with only 23 seconds left on the clock, effectively signalling an early end to the session. Lap times were close to last year's 125cc records and with the top twelve lapping within the same second it promises to be a close race tomorrow.

Faubel is hoping to make a full recovery overnight after being taken to the Indianapolis Methodist Hospital for checks on his chest area. However, he remains in a lot of pain and his participation in the race is not confirmed. His new team-mate Jonas Folger has done a great job so far and will line up in fifteenth position for his debut with the MAPFRE Aspar team tomorrow. The German youngster is hoping to join in with the battle at the front after lapping a second shy of pole position.    

15th Jonas Folger 1.49.656 (17 laps): “We have done a good job again today. It's just a shame we couldn't find a better setting for the front at the end but we have improved throughout the day and I'm adapting to the bike even though we need a bit more. I am sure we can find it in warm-up tomorrow. Fifteenth place is a decent result considering everything is completely new to me and I think we have a decent race pace. It is difficult to predict the result but I will push my hardest for the best possible outcome.”

29th Héctor Faubel 1.51.407 (2 laps/CRASH): “I started the session strong. The weekend has been going well and I didn't want to pass up the opportunity to qualify near the front. Coming into the last corner I could feel the bike letting go and then the next thing I knew I was flying through the air and it seemed to take an age to come down. For a second my mind was blank and I don't remember the landing. It was a shame because we were expecting so much from this weekend. Now I am suffering a lot of pain in my chest and abdominal area so I hope I can recover quickly.”

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Jonas Folger and Hector Faubel seventh and eighth at Indianapolis

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After more than a month of inactivity, the Moto3 riders were back in the saddle today with two practice sessions for the Indianapolis Grand Prix. The track didn’t provide them with the best of conditions to start off with, as overnight rain had left numerous puddles on the surface of the asphalt. Things dried off later on, but the surface remained dirty and there were a series off crashes –fortunately without injuries. Sandro Cortese recorded the best time of 1’49.307, whilst traffic halted the progress of those looking to match the German. The top eight was tightly packed, boding well for the weekend.

German rider Jonas Folger debuted for the MAPFRE Aspar Team today, starting strongly. On a completely new machine and with a completely new team, Folger nonetheless managed to place third in the opening session and seventh in the afternoon run. Very satisfied with his welcome to the team and the opportunity to ride the Kalex, Folger will continue his adaptation tomorrow.

Teammate Héctor Faubel returned from vacation with a renewed optimism and also had a positive first day at The Brickyard. He was eighth overall, just behind his new teammate and with a best time of 1’50.368.

Jonas Folger: 

“These first two sessions for the MAPFRE Aspar Team have been very positive. I felt really good. I am still learning with this bike, which is completely different to that which I had previously ridden this season and has its own character. The first encounter with the bike has been fantastic. Now I need to adapt my riding style to this machine. The team have welcomed me with open arms, everyone here is very professional and they know what they have to do at every moment. This is important for us as we look to improve steadily. Now I have to get as many laps under my belt as possible and adapt to the Kalex/KTM as soon as possible. We have made a good start and I hope this continues tomorrow.”

Héctor Faubel: 

“This morning we started out with a wet track and had to ride for most of the session with wet tyres. In the afternoon the track was more slippery and a little dirty because of the rain from yesterday. We started the weekend working hard, picking things up again from Germany and Italy. Today we mainly focused on the front end of the bike and we will analyse the data this afternoon to see where we can get more grip. In general we are satisfied with things, as the chassis is working well and it is giving me confidence. We will look for some new solutions tomorrow with our gearing.”

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Jonas Folger Ready to Make Mapfre Aspar Debut at Indianapolis

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After a month's break since the last race at Mugello it is time for the Moto3 World Championship riders to go back to work as the season resumes with the Indianapolis GP this weekend. Series leader Sandro Cortese and Maverick Viñales will be difficult to beat, having each taken a second place apiece from the last two races here in 2010 and 2011 behind MAPFRE Aspar rider Nico Terol, who has since moved up to Moto2. Cortese arrives at round ten of seventeen with a nine-point advantage over Viñales in the chase to replace Terol as the minor category World Champion.

The MAPFRE Aspar Team go into the second half of the season with a mixture of youth and experience, teenager Jonas Folger joining the team to link-up with the veteran Héctor Faubel. After enduring a more difficult first half of the season than predicted Faubel is determined to turn his fortunes around in the final eight races whilst German youngster Folger has been drafted in to try and boost the team's results in the second half of the season and he is excited about the challenge ahead.

Héctor Faubel: “We travel to Indianapolis after a pretty long break and I can't wait to get back to work on the bike with the team. I like Indianapolis a lot, I have never managed a podium there so our objective is to change that statistic. At the start of the holidays I took the opportunity to have a rest and then I continued the training plan that I have for the season. I have worked hard on the bicycle and on the motocross bike but without taking too many risks of crashing. Since last week I have been going to bed later and later to try and get used to the time difference. Indianapolis is a circuit with unpredictable grip levels but I like it. The first and final sectors are quite twisty and that's where you can make up time.”

Jonas Folger: “I am really excited and a little nervous about the new challenge ahead of me starting this weekend. Everything is new for me – the bike, the team... I will work very hard from the first session to try and adapt as quickly as possible. Hopefully we can get on the right path with the bike and be fighting near the front from the start. Aside from the results the most important thing right now is to adapt quickly to the team and the bike, get a good feeling and go as fast as I can. If I can manage that I am sure the results will come. Indianapolis is a difficult circuit but I like it and hopefully it proves to be a good place to make my debut with the MAPFRE Aspar Team”.

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Jonas Folger Joins Aspar Moto3

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Jonas Folger officially joins Aspar Moto3 and will race for rest of the 2012 Moto3 with Aspar. On the next race at Indianapolis, Folger will start his new experience with Aspar, race along with Hector Faubel. Folger is replacing Alberto Moncayo.

Jonas Folger

“I am delighted to be signing for the Mapfre Aspar Team. It is probably the most experienced team in the paddock and I know how professional they all are. I am highly motivated and will work as hard as necessary to make the most of this opportunity. My objective is to squeeze every bit of potential out of the Kalex, which is a very reliable bike in terms of the chassis and the KTM engine. It is a fast bike and it looks quite easy to ride so I am very much looking forward to riding it, meeting the team and getting down to work

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Hector Faubel Round Off Top Ten at Italian GP

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Once again, the Moto3 race at Mugello provided ample excitement for fans. High temperatures and the desire of the fourteen riders in the lead group guaranteed plenty of overtaking and plenty of challengers for the victory. A number of riders overreached early on (Moncayo, Salom and Oliveira) and gradually the lead pack was reduced in numbers, down to seven by lap seven and then subsequently just three (Viñales, Fenati and Cortese). Viñales won out in a close finish to the Italian Grand Prix, followed by Fenati and Cortese.

Mapfre Aspar rider Héctor Faubel had a difficult start which lost him places, but he was a master on the brakes to regain ground immediately after. What he lacked at Mugello was a bit of good fortune, as when riding as part of the lead group he had to deal with a pair of crashes from those in front of him. He continued to push, joined by Kornfeil and Khairuddin. All three were riding in no-man’s-land and Faubel was able to claim six points for his tital with tenth place.

Teammate Alberto Moncayo had the same plan as Faubel, and was up with the frontrunners early on. However, on the third lap he was taken out by contact with Luis Salom and was unable to complete the race.

10th Héctor Faubel: “The start was a difficult one for me, but fortunately my braking on the opening turn allowed me to regain the places that I had lost. I tried to stick with the front group. There were riders who got ahead of themselves and crashed out right in front of me. The second crash, that of Oliveira, came right as the group was making a push. The bike was in the middle of the track and I lost a lot of time avoiding it. I tried to keep up by giving my all. The weekend had been going well, and the only thing that we didn’t have was luck in the race. We saw today that we are capable of leading, but we need to improve our acceleration with long gears that weill give us that little bit extra that we need to start thinking about podiums.”

  

Alberto Moncayo (DNF): “I noticed that the clutch sensitivity in the warmup was really good, so I made a great start and got up to the lead group. I knew that I could do well today. We did a good job this morning and that made me comfortable in the opening three sectors. The engine has also improved a lot from race to race, and I was able to take a tow from the riders ahead of me and even pass them on the slipstream. I was very competitive today and wanted a good finish to the race, but Salom put himself in so tightly up the inside that he clipped my front brake and ran me off at turn three. I crashed and it was shame to end the weekend this way.”

Aspar Mapfre Press Release

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Faubel and Moncayo tenth and twelfth at Mugello's Grid

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Intense heat made the temperature rise at Mugello on Saturday, with a qualifying session to match for the Moto3 riders. Whilst it seemed as if times would not improve due to the conditions, there were some storming laps put in by riders in the lower cylinder class. 1’57.980 was the best of the bunch. Rossi, Vázquez and Kent all pushed hard and occupied lead positions on the timesheet, until Maverick Viñales put in the definitive lap to take pole position. Sandro Cortese was second and the two will look to break free in the Italian round.

Everything is ready for tomorrow’s Italian Grand Prix. The MAPFRE Aspar riders put in further hard work in qualifying, riding at a high level but experiencing slight misfortune in traffic. Neither was able to put in a clean fast lap to move up to the top spots on the grid. Héctor Faubel and Alberto Moncayo will thus start from the fourth row won Sunday. Faubel will need to make further adjustments to his setup to ensure more stability on the fast sections of the track. Moncayo is in search of more acceleration on the exit to corners. Both are hoping to get a good start off the line and move up to the top group when the lights go out.

10th Héctor Faubel 1.59.573 (17 laps): “After seeing how qualifying went, I am happy with our final position. I feel bad about not having been able to put together a perfect lap today. I was losing a lot of time riding on my own and I only came up to slower riders when looking for a slipstream. We have to be optimistic, as we took a big step forward between yesterday and today –lowering our times as a result. In general I am happy, but we still have to reduce the movement on the rear when riding through the fast sections. I hope to get a good start tomorrow and join up with the lead group. Slipstreaming will play a big part. It’s going to be a long race and we’ll have to be fully focused. I hope that the gap between us and the top three in pace evens out in the race.”

   

12th Alberto Moncayo 1.59.698 (16 laps): “I found myself in eighth with ten minutes to go. I knew that I could make a big improvement, but I came up to a packed group and was unable to qualify as well as I’d hoped. We changed the engine this morning, but I didn’t feel comfortable with it. We went back to yesterday’s engine, but I also didn’t have the same feel with it as before. Either something went wrong or everyone improved without us doing so. I feel comfortable with the chassis and we are using practically the same setup as at Sachsenring. We have had a good base for a number of races recently. Whilst there is still a part of the circuit where we could go faster, we have easily been up at the sharp end all weekend. The problem in qualifying was that we couldn’t get a clean lap in. I will treat tomorrow’s race as another learning experience, trying to pass as many riders as possible and having fun.”

Aspar Mapfre Moto3 Press Release

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Moncayo Hits Form at Mugello

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Warm sunshine finally greeted the MotoGP paddock on the start of a Grand Prix weekend this morning as free practice got underway at Mugello with the Moto3 riders the first on track. Romano Fenati and Niccolo Antonelli did their best to steal the headlines at their home circuit but in the end it was Maverick Viñales who set the hot pace on a scorching day.

Just half a second behind him is Alberto Moncayo, who was seventh fastest in the morning and sixth in the afternoon. The Mapfre Aspar rider showed his professionalism to bounce back from his disappointment in Germany a week ago and set about changing his luck. Using the same chassis set-up as Sachsenring the Spaniard was immediately on the pace, shaving seven tenths off his best lap from the morning to the afternoon. His Mapfre Aspar team-mate Héctor Faubel also felt comfortable on the Kalex chassis but with some engine set-up problems the experienced Spaniard is hoping to make up several positions from nineteenth tomorrow.

   

6th Alberto Moncayo 2.00.235 (32 laps): “I am very pleased because we have improved a lot today from one session to the next. This afternoon I was on used tyres and the lap times were good so I think that is good preparation for the race. We'll have to keep improving tomorrow although it is just a case of me adapting to the track conditions rather than changing much on the bike. The chassis is working really well, we just need to improve in T2 because this is where I am losing time. I am really happy with the team and pleasantly surprised by the performance of the engine. The bike is perfect so tomorrow I'll aim to improve my riding and see what we can achieve with this set-up.”

19th Héctor Faubel 2.01.199 (32 laps): “It has been a pretty positive first day here at Mugello. We took things steadily today and tried to make gradual improvements. The chassis set-up is the same as Sachsenring but there was something not right with the engine or the gear ratio today – I was losing a lot of ground on the straights. We'll work with the mechanics tonight and see where we are losing out and why but overall I am happy with my general feeling with the bike and looking forward to ironing out our problems tomorrow.”

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Hector Faubel AIms to Take Best Form from Sachsenring to Mugello

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After last Sunday's 'last-man-standing' lottery at soaking Sachsenring the Moto3 series heads to warmer climes this weekend as the Mugello circuit in Tuscany prepares to play host to round nine. The long and technical Italian circuit's 1.141km straight was always a decisive part of the 125cc races here and it promises to be a major factor for Moto3, with slipstreams always important. Sandro Cortese emerged victorious from his home race to retake the championship lead last Sunday and it will be interesting to see if he can hang on to it into the summer break.

Mapfre Aspar rider Héctor Faubel only missed out on the podium in Germany because of a problem with his bike on the start line that saw the Spaniard forced to start from pit-lane. A spectacular fightback saw him finish seventh, confirming that he and the Kalex/KTM are now a competitive force. Having won at Mugello once already in 2007 Héctor is determined to return to the podium there and head into the holiday period with a clear conscience. His team-mate Alberto Moncayo's problems in Germany came at the end of the race rather than the start, when his engine packed in, but with a solid chassis set-up already established the Spaniard knows that by fixing the problem he will be able to return to the points battle.

Héctor Faubel: “I adore Mugello, it has always been a good track for me. Despite the unpredictable weather I had a lot of fun on the bike last weekend and I hope that continues. We have found a good balance, the chassis feels good and handles well and the engine is improving. Even so we have to keep working. We are on the right lines but we have to turn our efforts into podiums and I am sure that will happen soon. Hopefully we can get to the end in the lead group because the slipstreams will be decisive at this race.”

Alberto Moncayo: “Sachsenring was a bit like Assen – we performed very well in practice but it didn;t translate into a good result. We had a setback with the engine so our first job at Mugello will be to try and fix it. We have been out of the points at the last two races so the goal is to make up for that as much as possible this weekend. I like Mugello a lot but I know how important it is to have the bike working well there. We took a big step forward with the chassis two races ago and I feel very secure with the bike in corner entry, so now we have to get the engine right so that we don't have the same problem as Sachsenring.

Aspar Mapfre Moto3 Press Release

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Fourth and fifth row starts for Faubel and Moncayo after soaking wet Sachsenring session

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The rain showers that fell yesterday during the Moto3 free practice proved to be a mere warning shot of the onslaught that hit the Sachsenring circuit today, leaving standing water all over the track for qualifying practice. The conditions gave the opportunity for some new names to challenge at the top as the likes of Miller, Kornfeil, Martin and Kent all mounted a challenge for pole position but in the end it was the experience of home favourite Cortese that shone through, the German pulling out an incredible 1.4 seconds over the rest of the field on his final lap to send the local crowd into raptures.

It was a disappointing session for the Mapfre Aspar Team following an otherwise positive weekend here, with both Héctor Faubel and Alberto Moncayo missing out in the lottery for grid positions. Faubel started the day strongly, lapping consistently inside the top ten this morning but an engine problem contributed to a difficult afternoon session that saw him slip to twelfth place. Moncayo on the other hand made gradual improvements to join his team-mate on the fourth row, battling the effects of a virus as well as those of the rainstorms to qualify thirteenth.

12th Héctor Faubel 1.45.372 (20 laps): “We have been up front in every dry session so far this weekend and we were hoping for the same thing in the wet but it didn't happen. I felt comfortable at the start of the session but had to come in because the engine temperature was too low. Then when I went back out it started to rain even harder until luckily it started to ease off towards the end. I pushed really hard in the last five minutes and on a couple of laps I was within the pole time over the first two sectors but we didn't managed to put a full good lap together, partly because of the traffic and partly the conditions. I was hoping for better than a fourth row start but our pace is good and if we can get a decent start we can be fighting at the front.”

  

13th Alberto Moncayo 1.45.373 (17 laps): “I have been struggling with a virus all weekend and I felt it out on track today. I want to take qualifying step by step because there was so much water on track. We changed the rear suspension setting halfway through the session and it didn't work as we'd hoped so tomorrow we start from the fifth row alongside Héctor and it promises to be a tough race. Hopefully we can help each other out. I will get a good rest tonight and hopefully tomorrow we can be back fighting for the positions where we belong.”

Aspar Mapfre Press Release

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Faubel and Moncayo Improve Performance in New Team Colours

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With barely enough time to catch their breath after last weekend's thriller at Assen the Moto3 boys were back on track today at Sachsenring, where the action promises to be just as close after no fewer than seventeen riders lapped within the same second in today's free practice. Jakub Kornfeil set the pace this morning, giving way to series leader Maverick Viñales in the afternoon, although top spot could easily have gone to any number of riders who all took their turn at leading the time sheets throughout the day. 

For the first time Héctor Faubel and Alberto Moncayo took to the track resplendent in the red colours of MAPFRE, main sponsor of the Aspar Team in Moto2 and now also in Moto3. The change seems to have had a positive effect on the pair so far, with Faubel lapping second fastest this morning and fourth in the afternoon with a consistent pace in the 1'29s, often threatening P1 with his split times through the first three sections only to fade in T4 – the key to his pole position challenge tomorrow. Moncayo has also taken a step forward here in Germany, lapping fifth in the morning and ninth in the afternoon but tenth on the combined sheets. The Spaniard is hoping a new engine will propel him into the battle for a top grid position in tomorrow's qualifying practice.  

4th Héctor Faubel 1.29.156 (40 laps): “I think we've started this Grand Prix in the right way and I am happy with the job we've done today. We spent the whole day riding on used rubber and based our plan completely around our race set-up. We are starting to feel the benefit on track of all the hard work we are doing and we must keep going on this upward curve. We need to work on the front end of the bike for tomorrow. I feel very comfortable in the first two sectors but we're getting a lot of chatter in the second half of the lap so we need to smooth it out if we want to be competitive tomorrow. We need to improve our pace in the fast corners but I am feeling calm and happy that we're working well and we'll be closer to the top tomorrow. So far we are fourth fastest and less than half a second away so it looks like red could be our lucky colour!”

10th Alberto Moncayo 1.29.370 (38 laps): “I am really happy. I had a very good feeling with the bike today even though I didn't manage to get a perfect lap in because of the traffic. There are sectors where I am doing really well and others where we need to work on. We used the old engine today just to finish it off before fitting the new one tomorrow. So we have that to try as well as a new exhaust, which will be interesting and should help push us much closer to the front. My feeling with the chassis is very good so we'll just keep working in the same way tomorrow and I'm sure we'll make more progress.”

Aspar Mapfre Press Release

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Jakub Kornfeil on top FP1 Moto3

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Jakub Kornfeil set the fastest lap on FP1 Moto3 Sachsenring 1'29.188. Hector Faubel from Aspar Mapfre on second fastest 1'29.206, while Luis Salom on third 1'29.252

1 Jakub KORNFEIL Redox-Ongetta-Centro Seta 1'29.188

2 Hector FAUBEL Mapfre Aspar Team Moto3 1'29.206

3 Luis SALOM RW Racing GP 1'29.252

4 Miguel OLIVEIRA Estrella Galicia 0,0 1'29.385

5 Alberto MONCAYO Mapfre Aspar Team Moto3 1'29.428

6 Maverick VIÑALES Blusens Avintia 1'29.596

7 Danny WEBB Mahindra Racing 1'29.704

8 Niklas AJO TT Motion Events Racing 1'29.789

9 Alan TECHER Technomag-CIP-TSR 1'29.810

10 Danny KENT Red Bull KTM Ajo 1'29.829

11 Alex RINS Estrella Galicia 0,0 1'29.968

12 Sandro CORTESE Red Bull KTM Ajo 1'29.989

13 Efren VAZQUEZ JHK Laglisse 1'30.137

14 Toni FINSTERBUSCH Cresto Guide MZ Racing 1'30.158

15 Marcel SCHROTTER Mahindra Racing 1'30.366

16 Niccolò ANTONELLI San Carlo Gresini Moto3 1'30.372

17 Zulfahmi KHAIRUDDIN AirAsia-Sic-Ajo 1'30.435

18 Jonas FOLGER IodaRacing Project 1'30.439

19 Louis ROSSI Racing Team Germany 1'30.458

20 Simone GROTZKYJ Ambrogio Next Racing 1'30.593

21 Isaac VIÑALES Ongetta-Centro Seta 1'30.909

22 Luca GRUENWALD Freudenberg Racing Team 1'30.943

23 Jasper IWEMA Moto FGR 1'31.102

24 Adrian MARTIN JHK Laglisse 1'31.127

25 Luigi MORCIANO Ioda Team Italia 1'31.251

26 Giulian PEDONE Ambrogio Next Racing 1'31.360

27 Arthur SISSIS Red Bull KTM Ajo 1'31.369

28 Brad BINDER RW Racing GP 1'31.399

29 Jack MILLER Caretta Technology 1'31.618

30 Alessandro TONUCCI Team Italia FMI 1'31.846

31 Ivan MORENO Andalucia JHK Laglisse 1'32.335

32 Romano FENATI Team Italia FMI 1'32.382

33 Alexis MASBOU Caretta Technology 1'32.551

34 Kevin HANUS Thomas Sabo GP Team 1'32.593

35 Kenta FUJII Technomag-CIP-TSR 1'33.477

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