Pramac Racing Team Review Argentina MotoGP Race

Tweet

In this thrilling race held for the first time on the circuit Argentina, Pramac Racing closes the third round in the best way possible. Andrea Iannone earned the sixth place, his best performance ever since the star of his career in the Top Class. Even Yonny Hernandez gave his best, finishing for the third consecutive time in the points.

Andrea Iannone - Pramac Racing - at the start rocketed in the front group. During the first two laps  positions mixed up several times, the Italian twenty-four year old protagonist of these hot phases conquers the third position. Halfway through the race, the following group composed by Pedrosa, Rossi and Bradl change their pace, overtaking the Italian. Andrea maintains his pace, showing great maturity, bringing home a precious sixth position and first Ducati rider, which earned him the fifth place in the Championship standings.

Yonny Hernandez - Energy T.I. Pramac Racing - in his home race starts off earning six positions in the first lap. For over twenty laps the Colombian was in tenth place, keeping behind him experienced riders like Hayden and Aoyama. In the final stage of the Grand Prix Yonny fights to keep the position but is overtaken by the two riders. The twenty-five year old Colombian crosses the finish line in twelfth place, earning four points for the Championship.

 Andrea Iannone ( Pramac Racing)

"I'm very happy with how the race went, I pushed hard from the start and I was going to stay in the leading group, but unfortunately, between the eighth and the tenth lap I was forced to slow down due to the decay of the tires. I have more feeling with the bike and I work always better with my team. I thank everyone for the excellent work done this weekend in Argentina and Ducati for all the support they give me."

Yonny Hernandez (Energy T.I. Pramac Racing)

"I'm happy with the todays result, I fought again for the top-ten. In the last laps of the race I suffered the decay of the tires losing two positions. I've felt the support from my fans here in Argentina and I want to thank them all. Thanks to the team and in particular to Francesco and Giacomo Guidotti who are helping me to get better and better."

Pramac Racing Press Release

read more...

LCR Honda Review Argentina MotoGP Race

Tweet

The inaugural round at the renovated Termas de Rio Hondo circuit was followed by 53.000 excited fans that celebrated Marquez third consecutive victory. LCR racer Stefan Bradl, who was consistently fast throughout the weekend despite yesterday’s tumble in the Q2, took a very good start from the 9th spot playing an important role in the first part of the 25-lap race battling with the front guys. 

Towards the end the German was not very confident with the front and managed to finish in 5th position scoring further points in the final standing. Bradl is currently 6th with 24 points. 

Stefan Bradl: 

“Considering yesterday’s crash in qualifying and the 9th position on the grid, I think we can be very happy with this result. I knew that we needed a good start from the third row and I made it. The first lap was a bit “crazy” but after that I think I played my role in the battle for the front group. We have been strong on braking and we could fight with the other guys and I had a lot of fun. In the final part of the race I could not match the speed of the front guys because I had some issues with the front so I preferred to remain calm to finish my race in a safe and good position”.

LCR Honda Press Release

read more...

Repsol Honda Review Argentina MotoGP Race

Tweet

2013 World Champion Marc Marquez has enjoyed another fantastic race weekend taking victory from pole position. He has become the first rider since Valentino Rossi in 2001 to win the opening three premier class races of the season, and all from pole – a feat not matched since Giacomo Agostini back in 1971

Teammate Dani Pedrosa capped the amazing weekend for the Repsol Honda team with his second place finish at the Red Bull Argentina GP, and has now finished on the podium at the last seven MotoGP races – his longest sequence of successive podium finishes since 2012. He now moves ahead of Alex Barros, into third place, on the top ten list of all-time point scorers in the premier class. (1st Rossi – 3884, 2nd Doohan – 2298, 3rd Pedrosa – 2092, 4th Barros – 2079).

It was a difficult start for Marc and Dani, who were 1st and 2nd on the grid respectively, slipping to 2nd and 5th by turn one. The early stages of the 25 lap race were filled with drama as riders passed and ran wide and Marc dropped back to 6th with Dani 7th by lap three. As the race began to find its rhythm, so did Marc and Dani, and they started to move through the traffic. By lap five Marc was up to 2nd behind Lorenzo but Dani was still amongst the pack. However, he overtook four riders and by lap nine was up to 3rd behind Lorenzo and Marc.

Marc was content to sit behind Lorenzo for thirteen laps but finally made a move on lap seventeen passing him comfortably and opening up a two second gap in just three laps. Dani then began to close the gap on Lorenzo. He set the fastest lap of the race (1’39.233) on lap twenty two and then on the penultimate lap he passed Lorenzo to claim second place for the Repsol Honda Team.

Marc has extended his lead in the Rider Championship to 75 points, with Dani on 56. Honda lead the Constructors Championship by 28 points and also the Team Championship by 68. The team must now pack up and fly directly to Andalucia, Spain for the GP of Jerez next week.


Marc Marquez - 1st - Championship Standing 1st - 75 points
“I am happy with how the weekend went in general and I’d like to thank all my team! I think it was a nice race for the fans, with plenty of passes and I wasn't expecting it to be like that. As the race went on and I saw what the gap was to Jorge Lorenzo and I tried to catch up with him quickly and spend a few laps on his tail. When I saw that Dani was getting closer, I tried to overtake in order to maintain more of a gap. I took 25 more points today which are very important and I've put together three wins in a row, but we are aware that the season is very long and we are now heading to Jerez where Dani and Jorge are very fast. We will need to be up there with them, fighting for the win!”

Dani Pedrosa - 2nd - Championship Standing 2nd - 56 points
"I enjoyed the race but after losing some time at the start it affected me and I found myself alone again. In the final part of the race I had a good pace and was able to recover places, but it didn't count for much. I took second place, but with the pace that we had we could have pushed for the win. You always have to learn and maybe I saved my tyres too much when I was riding as part of the group. Fortunately we found a good setup that allowed us to be more competitive, and this is positive”

Repsol Honda Press Release

read more...

Ducati Review Argentina MotoGP Race

Tweet

The third round of the 2014 MotoGP season in Argentina was a tough one for Ducati Team riders Andrea Dovizioso and Michele Pirro, who concluded the third GP of the season at the new Termas de Rio Hondo circuit respectively in ninth and seventeenth place.

At the start of the race Dovizioso was immediately in amongst the battle for the leading positions, and he crossed the line on lap 2 in second place, but then problems with his front tyre meant that he was overtaken by his rivals over the next few laps.

Pirro on the other hand was never able to find the right feeling with his Desmosedici GP14 during the weekend and struggled throughout the 25 laps of the Argentinean race.

After the first three GPs of the season, Dovizioso however is still in fourth place in the overall standings on 34 points.

Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team #04) – 9th
“It was a very tough race, to be honest I didn’t think it would go like that. I was a bit unlucky because I also had a problem with the engine, when oil came out and led to a loss of some power. I also think I made the wrong choice of front tyre because I was unable to brake and put pressure on the front wheel, neither under braking nor in the curve, and turn-in was slow as well. The race sort of went a bit wrong for me today, and it just confirms that we still have to improve a lot to be able to stay with the others.”

Michele Pirro (Ducati Team #51) – 17th
“It was a disappointing result, after I had finally managed to find a good feeling with the bike during the warm-up. In the race unfortunately I made several mistakes and lost contact with the group that went from tenth to fifteenth place. It’s a pity, because my lap times towards the end were very close to theirs. Now I hope to make a big step forward at Jerez next week.”

Ducati Press Release

read more...

Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Review Argentina MotoGP Race

Tweet

Movistar Yamaha MotoGP rider Jorge Lorenzo made a stunning return to form today, taking third in the Gran Premio de la República Argentina at the Termas de Rio Hondo circuit.

Starting from second on the grid, Lorenzo catapulted from the line to take the hole shot into turn one, leading the MotoGP pack into the first ever MotoGP race at the circuit.

Teammate Valentino Rossi jumped two places to fourth as the story of the first laps began. What happened next was a flurry of activity with Jorge dropping initially to third with a wide corner and Rossi climbing to second. The positions were not to last as the Yamaha riders shuffled again, Lorenzo climbing back to retake the lead and Rossi dropping initially to fourth before passing Andrea Iannone for third.

With 22 laps to go a brief state of grace saw the Yamaha riders running in first and second. The moment was not to last as Rossi ran wide, dropping to seventh and giving himself a challenge to fight back up the rankings and chase down Sefan Bradl, Dani Pedrosa and Iannone in front.

Rossi began to move forward and showed a fast enough pace to have kept with the ultimate race winner. Unfortunately a mistake by Stefan Bradl under braking pushed him wide whilst running in fourth, costing valuable time and any chance of a podium. He was able to retain fourth, crossing the line less than five seconds from first place.

Lorenzo was meanwhile leading the race, back to his old self and holding off championship leader Marc Marquez for as long as possible. It wasn't until just nine laps remaining that Marquez was able to take the lead, passing on turn five to move up. Lorenzo then did everything possible to hold second but was forced to concede and settle for third on the final lap as Pedrosa was able to pass.

The third place finish moves Lorenzo up to seventh in the standings on 22 points whilst Rossi retains his third position with 41 points.

Jorge Lorenzo
3rd, +3.201 seconds
“I’m really happy, this is probably the most sweet third place in my career in MotoGP, arriving after two difficult races. We have demonstrated that even in not our best shape we can fight with the Hondas and arrive in a proud third position. We want to improve; I want to improve my physical condition still and also the bike and when the moment arrives I think we will be ready to win races. We have to keep improving and have patience and wait for our moment.”

Valentino Rossi
4th, +4.898
“I had the potential and the pace to end on the podium and especially to fight with the three guys in front. Unfortunately in the first laps first of all I made a mistake and lost a bit but the place I lost some more was when Bradl made a mistake. He arrived too deep in braking and he pushed me out of the track and I lost two seconds on that lap and so the podium.”

Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Press Release

read more...

Tech 3 Racing Review Argentina MotoGP Race

Tweet

Marcel Schrotter produced a sterling display to finish just outside the top ten, in 11th position at the Autodromo Termas de Rio Hondo in Northern Argentina, for the first ever Moto2 round at the track.

The German rider had a good start, keeping his 12th place on the starting grid in the first sector, but then dropped back to 20th position after contact with another rider during the opening lap. However, Schrotter remained focused and rode with grit, and began ascending up the field with a rapid and consistent pace during the following laps at the sun soaked Argentinian circuit. He moved up to 13th place before becoming involved in an exhilarating battle for 8th with six additional riders midway through the race. The Moto2 rider remained with the ferocious pack, until crossing the finish line in a hard fought ride to 11th in what was another encouraging performance by the 21 year old German and the Tech3 Racing Team at the new South American round.

Marcel Schrotter produced a sterling display to finish just outside the top ten, in 11th position at the Autodromo Termas de Rio Hondo in Northern Argentina, for the first ever Moto2 round at the track. 

Ricky Cardus’ hopes of scoring his third set of consistent points for the Tech3 Racing Team, as he replaces Alex Mariñelarena during his recovery process, came to a bitter end when he unfortunately fell during the second lap in today’s Moto2 race in Argentina. Having qualified in 18th, the Spanish rider once again undertook a solid start and moved up to 16th position in the first lap before crashing out uninjured, in what was a disappointing end to an otherwise positive weekend at the new 4.803 metre Circuito Termas de Rio Hondo.

Marcel Schrotter - Race : 11th - Championship : 14th - 12 Points :

“I am quite happy with the result, even if I wanted to finish the race inside the top ten. The beginning of the race was tough as it always is in Moto2. Every rider is really competitive, and even if I try to be aggressive, and brake as late as possible and protect my lines, there are still riders attempting to get past. It’s difficult to stay out of the danger with the overtaking and after contact with another rider I lost numerous positions. But once everything had calmed down, passing was still not easy because of everybody being in the slipstream on the long straight, so we got to the corner a lot faster. Also there was no wind today and I had to modify all my braking points. Many riders made lots of mistakes, so I just tried to remain calm and get my rhythm, without losing the group and tried to come back. In the end, the race was not too bad, and the lap times were quite good so I am pleased to score another points finish. We need to work on the start and the first few laps. If we can improve there and keep our positions then I think we will have a better result in Jerez. “

Ricky Cardus - Race : DNF - Championship : 15th - 10 Points :

“I am disappointed with my performance today. I felt a little nervous and I was too keen to move up the field as quickly as I did. Starting at the rear of the field is never easy, and I tried my best to solve this by overtaking, but I pushed too hard and crashed out on lap two losing the rear of the bike. It was my own fault, I just wanted too much too quickly and I am sorry for the Tech3 Racing Team, because the aim was to be competitive for the whole weekend, and to continue like I did in free practice. Of course, I remain optimistic and look forward to racing at Jerez, where I am certain I will be able to get a good, points scoring result.”

Tech 3 Racing Press Release

read more...

Go&Fun Honda Gresini Review Argentina MotoGP Race

Tweet

Alvaro Bautista was involved in a crash on the first lap during today’s Grand Prix of Argentina: started from tenth on the grid aboard the Team GO&FUN Honda Gresini RC213V, the Spaniard crashed at Turn 5 after a contact with the rear wheel of Aleix Espargarò’s bike.

Bautista therefore leaves Argentina with zero points in the standings, as a result of three retirements in as many races: the hope of the team is to reverse the negative trend already this weekend in the first European Grand Prix of the season at Jerez.

His team mate, Scott Redding, hoped to be able to confirm himself today as the fastest rider aboard the Open Class Honda RCV1000R after showing good potential during practice, but could not get a better result than 14th place, slowed by a lack of feeling with the front tyre under braking.

Alvaro Bautista (DNF)

“I really don’t know what to say, I am very sorry. It's a shame, because today I had a good feeling ahead of the race. The only thing we can do now is continue to work hard, as always. We hope to reverse the trend the next weekend in Jerez”.

Scott Redding (14th)

“It’s been a difficult race, because I couldn’t stop the bike as I was struggling a lot with front grip under braking. I already had a little bit this problem this morning during the warm up, but the situation in the race was worst: I went wide a lot of times and I couldn’t really overtake anyone. This problem basically spoiled my whole race: I lost half a second on my pace compared to this morning warm up, so I’m disappointed. Also, I was not feeling really great physically: yesterday I started to feel something like a cold, with a lot of sneezing, and today my energy level came down. It’s annoying, because we thought we had a good chance today”.

Go&Fun Honda Gresini Press Release

read more...

Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Review Argentina MotoGP Race

Tweet

Both Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team’s riders finished Argentina’s first MotoGP race after 15 years with strong performances today at the Circuito Termas de Rio Hondo. In front of 125,000 ecstatic fans who had flocked to the sun drenched Argentinian track over the weekend, Bradley Smith and Pol Espargaro did not lack in determination and ended the race in 7th and 8th position respectively.

Bradley Smith, who started from 7th on the grid but slightly dropped back to 9th in the opening laps at the 4,806 meter circuit, regained his composure and proceeded to recover the lost ground fantastically well, with his excellent race pace shining through once again. On lap six, the British rider overtook his teammate to clinch 8th position before firmly setting his sights on the position in front. Smith made an incredible charge to close the gap to the Factory Ducati rider of Andrea Dovizioso, gaining valuable time every single lap and gracefully passing him. As the fuel load decreased on his Yamaha YZR-M1, his speed boosted and the 23 year old set his personal best and fifth quickest lap of the race at the final stages, on lap 20. Today’s result sees Smith confident of a top result at round 4 in Jerez as the MotoGP paddock returns to Europe next week.

Rookie Pol Espargaro rode a notable race to collect his second top eight finish in succession at the fast flowing Argentinian Grand Prix. After having ran competitively during the free practice sessions, the Spanish rider qualified in 11th position, but rocketed up to 8th aboard his Yamaha YZR-M1 on the first lap. The reigning Moto2 World Champion then set a rapid pace and battled with teammate Bradley Smith for the first part of the race. Later on, he caught Factory Ducati rider Andrea Dovizioso, passing him on lap 19. The 22 year old Catalan eventually completed the race in a confidence boosting 8th position, with high hopes for the next round at Jerez in his home country’s Grand Prix, after gaining more valuable experience.

Bradley Smith - Race : 7th - Championship : 9th - 20 Points :

“It was a tough challenge today, but overall I am pleased to once again finish with a decent position. Unfortunately, my start was not ideal and the race was actually a similar scenario to Austin. My pace at the end was exactly where it needed to be, as I started to do low 1:40 laps, but as usual I struggled during the first half of the race when the bike is on a full fuel load. It happens on different race tracks, with various setups and on all types of tyre, so it seems that I have to find a way to adapt better. I just can’t ride with the same corner speed and I’m not as smooth as I am at the end of the race. But we already have some ideas and will work on it in Jerez as I know I am there in terms of performance. Altogether the team and I are doing a really good job, but we just need to find that missing piece for Jerez, where we can hopefully make amends and can challenge as the leading satellite MotoGP bike which is the main aim at the moment.”

Pol Espargaro - Race : 8th - Championship : 10th - 18 Points :

“Of course, it was not a bad race at all, but 8th position is not what I’m aiming for. Especially because I had a really good feeling and a positive rhythm this morning in warm up. However, for some reason I didn’t feel the same at the beginning of the race, possibly because of the full fuel tank so it was a bit harder to manoeuvre the bike around the high speed corners. As a result, the start and the opening laps were difficult for me and after just a few rounds I was already alone. Later on I tried to stay with Bradley, but he was getting stronger and I did not feel too confident with my rear tyre, so I decided not to push any harder and risk crashing out. The positive we can take from today is that we have been getting stronger towards the end of the race, and closing in on the riders in front. It is still a big learning process, but we have to be patient, taking it race by race and continue working. Luckily in just a few days of time I will already be back on the bike, trying to fight with the other satellite bikes and aiming for a better result.“

Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Press Release

read more...

Race Result Argentina MotoGP

Tweet

1 Marc MARQUEZ Repsol Honda Team 41'39.821
2 Dani PEDROSA Repsol Honda Team 1.837
3 Jorge LORENZO Movistar Yamaha MotoGP 3.201
4 Valentino ROSSI Movistar Yamaha MotoGP 4.898
5 Stefan BRADL LCR Honda MotoGP 15.029
6 Andrea IANNONE Pramac Racing 19.447
7 Bradley SMITH Monster Yamaha Tech 3 24.192
8 Pol ESPARGARO Monster Yamaha Tech 3 29.118
9 Andrea DOVIZIOSO Ducati Team 33.673
10 Hiroshi AOYAMA Drive M7 Aspar 43.279
11 Nicky HAYDEN Drive M7 Aspar 43.352
12 Yonny HERNANDEZ Energy T.I. Pramac Racing 44.819
13 Karel ABRAHAM Cardion AB Motoracing 45.178
14 Scott REDDING GO&FUN Honda Gresini 48.656
15 Aleix ESPARGARO NGM Forward Racing 52.25
16 Hector BARBERA Avintia Racing 53.505
17 Michele PIRRO Ducati Team 53.669
18 Michael LAVERTY Paul Bird Motorsport 56.57
19 Mike DI MEGLIO Avintia Racing +1'03.140
20 Colin EDWARDS NGM Forward Racing +1'05.760
21 Broc PARKES Paul Bird Motorsport +1'16.722
Not Classified  
 Alvaro BAUTISTA GO&FUN Honda Gresini 0 Lap
 Danilo PETRUCCI IodaRacing Project 0 Lap

read more...

Race Result Argentina Moto2

Tweet

1 Esteve RABAT Marc VDS Racing Team 40'06.114
2 Xavier SIMEON Federal Oil Gresini Moto2 2.094
3 Luis SALOM Pons HP 40 3.702
4 Dominique AEGERTER Technomag carXpert 4.868
5 Simone CORSI NGM Forward Racing 5.01
6 Alex DE ANGELIS Tasca Racing Moto2 8.564
7 Mika KALLIO Marc VDS Racing Team 13.157
8 Sam LOWES Speed Up 19.756
9 Sandro CORTESE Dynavolt Intact GP 20.308
10 Jordi TORRES Mapfre Aspar Team Moto2 20.378
11 Marcel SCHROTTER Tech 3 20.97
12 Anthony WEST QMMF Racing Team 21.499
13 Franco MORBIDELLI Italtrans Racing Team 26.799
14 Nicolas TEROL Mapfre Aspar Team Moto2 26.993
15 Takaaki NAKAGAMI IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia 27.139
16 Jonas FOLGER AGR Team 28.598
17 Julian SIMON Italtrans Racing Team 33.433
18 Johann ZARCO AirAsia Caterham 36.469
19 Thomas LUTHI Interwetten Paddock Moto2 37.361
20 Hafizh SYAHRIN Petronas Raceline Malaysia 43.603
21 Azlan SHAH IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia 47.719
22 Roman RAMOS QMMF Racing Team 48.286
23 Sebastian PORTO Argentina TSR Motorsport 51.314
24 Thitipong WAROKORN APH PTT The Pizza SAG 53.786
25 Louis ROSSI SAG Team 53.807
26 Axel PONS AGR Team 55.902
27 Randy KRUMMENACHER IodaRacing Project 56.812
28 Lorenzo BALDASSARRI Gresini Moto2 +1'00.599
29 Robin MULHAUSER Technomag carXpert +1'00.877
30 Gino REA AGT REA Racing +1'08.910
31 Tetsuta NAGASHIMA Teluru Team JiR Webike +1'08.978
Not Classified  
 Maverick VIÑALES Pons HP 40 18 Laps
 Ricard CARDUS Tech 3 21 Laps
 Mattia PASINI NGM Forward Racing 0 Lap

read more...

Race Result Argentina Moto3

Tweet

1 Romano FENATI SKY Racing Team VR46 38'34.451
2 Alex MARQUEZ Estrella Galicia 0,0 0.099
3 Jack MILLER Red Bull KTM Ajo 0.54
4 Livio LOI Marc VDS Racing Team 0.624
5 Alex RINS Estrella Galicia 0,0 5.53
6 Efren VAZQUEZ SaxoPrint-RTG 5.653
7 Isaac VIÑALES Calvo Team 8.965
8 Niklas AJO Avant Tecno Husqvarna Ajo 14.985
9 Danny KENT Red Bull Husqvarna Ajo 15.043
10 Enea BASTIANINI Junior Team GO&FUN Moto3 17.31
11 Alexis MASBOU Ongetta-Rivacold 18.821
12 Juanfran GUEVARA Mapfre Aspar Team Moto3 19.038
13 Alessandro TONUCCI CIP 19.197
14 Brad BINDER Ambrogio Racing 29.001
15 Zulfahmi KHAIRUDDIN Ongetta-AirAsia 38.124
16 Hafiq AZMI SIC-AJO 38.61
17 Scott DEROUE RW Racing GP 38.669
18 Bryan SCHOUTEN CIP 38.807
19 Eric GRANADO Calvo Team 48.717
20 Jakub KORNFEIL Calvo Team 58.925
21 Philipp OETTL Interwetten Paddock Moto3 59.582
22 Arthur SISSIS Mahindra Racing +1'00.029
23 Ana CARRASCO RW Racing GP +1'00.112
24 Jules DANILO Ambrogio Racing +1'06.128
25 Niccolò ANTONELLI Junior Team GO&FUN Moto3 +1'10.178
26 Gabriel RAMOS Kiefer Racing +1'20.240
Not Classified
 Matteo FERRARI San Carlo Team Italia 2 Laps
 Karel HANIKA Red Bull KTM Ajo 3 Laps
 Luca GRÜNWALD Kiefer Racing 12 Laps
 Francesco BAGNAIA SKY Racing Team VR46 13 Laps
 John MCPHEE SaxoPrint-RTG 14 Laps
 Andrea LOCATELLI San Carlo Team Italia 0 Lap

read more...

LCR Honda Review Argentina MotoGP Day 2

Tweet

LCR racer Stefan Bradl missed the chance to produce another strong result in today’s first 15-min Q2 session at Termas de Rio Hondo, having suffered a big high-side on his second flying lap. 

The German used his prior knowledge of the new circuit to slot into the top five yesterday and his pace quickened significantly on day two but his performance on soft rubber was ruined by the tumble. He was not comfortable enough to rejoin the session in the last minutes and was taken to the Medical Centre for further investigation. After the treatment the 24-year-old felt much better and he is now ready to start the 25-lap race from the 9th spot on the grid. 

Stefan Bradl: 

“First of all I am feeling much better now and this is extremely important. I crashed on turn two but we do not know what happened exactly because the traction control was working properly and this is an unusual high-side for a MotoGP bike. I had a big impact on the asphalt and did not feel 100% when I went back to the garage so we preferred to quit our session. The doctors from the Clinica Mobile looked after me and after the treatment I feel good. I just have to rest tonight and get ready for tomorrow because the 9th position is not a disaster and we are all lapping on similar pace so I still can catch the front guys”.

LCR Honda Press Release

read more...

Ducati Team Review Argentina MotoGP Day 2

Tweet

Andrea Dovizioso qualified in fifth place for the Argentina GP, third round of the 2014 MotoGP World Championship, which will take place tomorrow at the Autodromo Termas de Rio Hondo in the north of the country. His team-mate Michele Pirro, who is replacing the injured Cal Crutchlow, was unable to find a good feeling with his Ducati Team  Desmosedici GP14, and could only finish nineteenth.

In the early stages of Q2 Dovizioso set a time of 1m39.545s on his second lap out, which powered him close to the top of the times in the provisional standings. After returning to the pits to fit a second soft tyre, Dovi then managed to further improve by seven-tenths of a second, ending qualifying with a time of 1m38.856s, which earned him a row 2 start position for tomorrow’s race.

Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team #04) – 5th (1m38.856s)

“I am very happy with my position: starting from row 2 tomorrow is fine. But I’m happy above all for the good work we did today. This morning we were quick over one lap, but rather slow over race pace because we were wearing out the rear tyre in a strange way. However we managed to improve the set-up of the bike a lot, this afternoon I was able to lower my pace by almost two seconds, and so now I can get a relaxing night’s sleep! I did a really good lap in qualifying, and when you do this the feelings are always great. Managing the tyres in the race will be very complicated; when you go to a new circuit, with a dirty track surface and no rubber, there are always these problems. I am sure that tomorrow in the race, as well as speed, the difference will be made by those who can ride smoothly and not aggressively.”

Michele Pirro (Ducati Team #51) – 19th (1m41.018s)

“I am pretty disappointed because I was not able to find a good feeling with my Desmosedici GP14. I don’t exactly know why, but I struggled a lot more than expected. This is in no way the position we should be with this bike, so now me and my engineers will try and find a solution for me to run a decent race tomorrow and repay my team for all the work they’ve done in these days.”

Ducati Press Releaseduc

read more...

Go&Fun Honda Gresini Review Argentina MotoGP Day 2

Tweet

Team GO&FUN Honda Gresini’s Alvaro Bautista and Scott Redding will start tomorrow’s Grand Prix of Argentina from the fourth and fifth row of the grid respectively.

Bautista finished the breathless 15-minute QP2 to decide the top 12 grid positions in tenth, with a personal best time of 1’39”429: a result no doubt below expectations, however, mitigated by the fact by having found a good rhythm with the hard tyre during the fourth and final free practice session, thanks to some changes to the bike set-up shown to be very successful.

His team mate, Scott Redding, narrowly missed the entrance to QP2 for a few thousandths of a second, showing a great potential. The young Briton will start the race from thirteenth place with a time of 1’40”238.

Alvaro Bautista (10th - 1'39"429)

“The situation has improved a lot compared to yesterday: we made many changes to the bike set-up and already this morning I felt much more at ease than yesterday. Even the track conditions have improved a lot, but we made a big step forward regardless. Thanks to the good work done on the bike, during the last free practice session I managed to keep a good pace and I was very consistent with the hard tyre, so I’m very confident for tomorrow's race. Unfortunately, in qualifying I made some mistakes during my fastest lap and there was a lot of traffic, so I have not been able to set a reasonably good lap time. However, tomorrow we can do a good race: I would like to thank my team because they are working hard to help me”.

Scott Redding (13th - 1'40"238)

“I’m happy with my qualifying: we checked the split times and it’s clear that my ideal lap time would have been quicker than Hayden. When I went out on track I didn’t push hard enough with the new softer tyre in the beginning: it was my own fault, and it’s a good lesson for the future. Then, I lost the rear a couple of times in my last two fast laps, losing 0.5 seconds in only one sector. All in all, I’m satisfied, but also a little disappointed because Nicky is in front of us. During Free Practice 4 I felt really good and I was pretty consistent with the hard tyre, thanks to a set-up change made on the fron end, so today we made big improvements. Regarding tyres, I think that the only option for the race is the hard compound; anyway, the track is coming better, so is the tyre life, therefore tomorrow’s race could be really interesting for us”.

Go&Fun Honda Gresini Press Release

read more...

Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Review Argentina MotoGP Day 2

Tweet

Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team’s Bradley Smith confirmed his status as the ‘one to watch’ for this season, by pulling off another positive qualifying performance. He cemented his 7th place on the grid for tomorrow’s inaugural race at the fast flowing 4806 metre Termas de Rio Hondo circuit in northern Argentina.

Smith focused on fine-tuning the race setup during the FP3 session, and evaluated which front and rear tyre compound would be the best for tomorrow's race, considering the ever improving track conditions. The Monster Yamaha Tech3 rider showed complete resilience and sailed easily through from Qualifying 1 to Qualifying 2, even setting his best Q1 time on used tyres. He later confessed that the 15 minutes of extra track time had been an advantage as the young British rider rode his Yamaha YZR-M1 with agility around the meandering circuit and a best time of 1:38.958 which was less than a hundredth of a second behind multiple world champion, and Factory Yamaha rider Valentino Rossi. Tomorrow Smith will once again aim to challenge for a top 5 position, and battle with the Factory MotoGP bikes.

Pol Espargaro ran immediately at pace at the Circuito Termas de Rio Hondo, and displayed his persistent efforts and hard work today. The reigning Moto2 World champion walked away from a fall at the final turn in FP3, and was unhurt aside from a minor finger injury, but still qualified straight through to Q2. During Qualifying 2, the MotoGP rookie rode courageously to set a best lap of 1:40.407, and is confident of fighting for his second top ten points scoring finish in succession.

   

Bradley Smith: 7th: 1:38.958:

“I am really pleased with 7th position going into tomorrow’s race. Participating in Qualifying 1 wasn’t part of the plan, but during FP3 I was concentrating on doing long runs with used tyres to make the best choice for tomorrow’s race. But in the end, it even helped us, as the extra track time enabled us to test a few more setting changes. This was especially beneficial as the bike was struggling a bit in the braking areas, which we managed to amend. I was able to go quicker on a used hard tyre during Qualifying 1 and then could further lower my lap time on the soft in Q2. Still, things could have gone better, because I knew the track was improving but I made a small error on my first flying lap on the soft, so the tyre’s grip dropped. If this didn’t occur, maybe I would have had a chance at the second row. It will be tough tomorrow as the track is evolving all the time. I think we need to race with the hard rear tyre as it will be the most consistent. My aim is to get a good start and try to remain with the Factory Yamahas.”

Pol Espargaro: 11th: 1:40.407:

“Honestly I am quite disappointed with my qualifying result of 11th, but I still feel confident of achieving a good result tomorrow as my rhythm was competitive during all the other sessions and I really felt comfortable on the bike. After the crash this morning, I felt a little bit confused but beside a small injury on my finger I was lucky to getaway unhurt and it will not be a problem for tomorrow. This afternoon I decided to try the hard tyre to improve my lap time in qualifying but this was the wrong choice. I felt stronger on it the whole weekend, but the changing grip level and higher temperatures did not put me in the best conditions to get the maximum out of my bike. We still have to try a few things during the warm up, and also the final tyre decision has to be made. In any case I will give it my all during the race, and with a good start I’m convinced I can battle with the other satellite riders.”

Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Press Release

read more...

Pramac Racing Review Argentina MotoGP Day 2

Tweet

A beautiful sunny day on this second day of the Grand Prix of Argentina. Pramac Racing Team riders improve their lap times, also thanks to the better track conditions due to the rubbering of the racing line. A good qualification for Andrea Iannone that made him earn the eighth place on the starting grid, Yonny Hernandez struggled a little bit more with his qualifying in seventeenth position.

Andrea Iannone - Pramac Racing - takes on the day still sore from yesterdays crash, despite this, the twenty-four year old is still competitive. The determination of Andrea and the excellent work of the Team are earned him the eighth place in FP3 which gave direct access to the qualifying practice. The qualification was not perfect but still satisfactory, the Maniac Joe starts off from eighth place on the grid and has a good setting to do well in tomorrow's race.

Yonny Hernandez - Energy T.I. Pramac Racing - continues it improve both his lap times and his race pace during the third and fourth practice sessions. Unfortunately, he still lacks the experience to interpret the qualification session where the Colombian rider was unable to make the best of the soft tire. With a his best lap time in 1’40"691  that earns him the sixth row.

Andrea Iannone ( Pramac Racing)

"Today was a good day, I had a good qualifying session. I still have pain in my neck after yesterday crash but despite this we managed to do a good job improving the bike a lot. On my sigle lap, as last year, I still struggle a bit, for tomorrows race I have a good pace and I think I can do well. I thank the team for all the hard work and Ducati. "

Yonny Hernandez (Energy T.I. Pramac Racing)

"I'm not satisfied with my qualifications today because I could not get a good rhythm and I was not as fast as I wanted. Tomorrow I think I will do much better i have a good race pace even with the used tire. In the race I want to do a good result not only for me but and for this race in South American, I believe in myself and I'll do my best to finish in the points. "

Pramac Racing Press Release

read more...

Marc VDS Racing Team Review Argentina Moto2 Day 2

Tweet

A stunning late attack from Tito Rabat saw the Marc VDS Racing rider claim the first ever Moto2 pole position at the new Circuito Termas de Rio Hondo in Argentina this afternoon.

A breathless lap of 1.43.961 kept the Spaniard’s 100% pole position record intact in 2014 at the end of a super close qualifying session that saw the top three split by just 0.077s.

Mika Kallio will start his 200th World Championship race from 14th on the grid, the Finn qualifying just under 0.4s from the top six on a day where he struggled for optimum grip on the abrasive new surface.

Tito Rabat // 1st // 1’43.961

“It has not been an easy weekend with the difficult track conditions, so I am very happy to be in pole position again. On the first day I had problems with rear grip and today problems with the front and it is very difficult to understand the grip because the track is changing constantly. We found a good solution and I made a very good lap time, but the most important thing is the race tomorrow. Many riders are very close and it will be key to make a good start and then a lot will depend on who can save the tyres the best for the final laps.”

Mika Kallio // 14th // 1’44.715

“I can’t be happy because 14th certainly isn’t a true reflection of my speed. I used the soft option tyres at the start of the session but then I had no more because this track is so aggressive for tyre wear that we’ve had to use a lot of tyres already. At the end I had to finish on the hard front and rear because I need to keep a soft option for tomorrow in case we decide that’s what we will race with. We’ve got a lot of information now with the hard tyres and I think for the rear we will have to use that one for the best performance over a race distance. The starting position isn’t good but my race pace is strong and if I can be cool at the start then anything is still possible.”

Marc VDS Racing Team Press Relase

read more...

Repsol Honda Review Argentina MotoGP Day 2

Tweet

Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez has claimed his third successive pole in as many races continuing his perfect start to the 2014 season with teammate Dani Pedrosa also taking an important front row start for tomorrow’s 25 lap race.

Marc recorded his blazing fast lap of 1'37.683 on lap 5 of 6 and finished 0.742 faster than second place man Lorenzo. Marc and Dovizioso (5th) were the only riders who chose to use the hardest option front tyre - partnered with the medium rear - with the others opting for the medium compound front. Dani, who will be aiming for one of his trademark starts, recorded his fastest lap of 1'38.651 on lap 7 of 8.

Marc Marquez - 1st (1'37.683)

“Today I really felt good on the bike and I am happy to have taken pole position! In the morning and in FP4, we worked a lot with the used tyre and this afternoon we obviously focused on qualifying. I put in a very good lap and I think that tomorrow it will be interesting to see which tyre will be required for the race, because there are various options for both the front and the rear - it is going to be a difficult choice! One of the keys for the race will be tyre management, in order to try to get to the end with optimal grip - which will allow us to make the difference”

Dani Pedrosa - 3rd (1'38.651)

“Qualifying did not go perfectly. I wasn't as fast as I wanted to be and I know that I made a few mistakes - especially on the final corner - which hindered me a lot. However, I'm happy, because the important thing is that we had some good practice sessions. We are high up the grid for tomorrow, so we shall try to make the most of this and have a good race”

Repsol Honda Press Release

read more...

QP Result Argentina Moto2

Tweet

1 Esteve RABAT Marc VDS Racing Team 1'43.961
2 Johann ZARCO AirAsia Caterham 1'43.971
3 Xavier SIMEON Federal Oil Gresini Moto2 1'44.038
4 Maverick VIÑALES Pons HP 40 1'44.168
5 Jonas FOLGER AGR Team 1'44.174
6 Luis SALOM Pons HP 40 1'44.322
7 Mattia PASINI NGM Forward Racing 1'44.376
8 Alex DE ANGELIS Tasca Racing Moto2 1'44.384
9 Simone CORSI NGM Forward Racing 1'44.440
10 Takaaki NAKAGAMI IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia 1'44.444
11 Jordi TORRES Mapfre Aspar Team Moto2 1'44.496
12 Marcel SCHROTTER Tech 3 1'44.648
13 Sandro CORTESE Dynavolt Intact GP 1'44.708
14 Mika KALLIO Marc VDS Racing Team 1'44.715
15 Franco MORBIDELLI Italtrans Racing Team 1'44.787
16 Dominique AEGERTER Technomag carXpert 1'44.817
17 Hafizh SYAHRIN Petronas Raceline Malaysia 1'44.821
18 Ricard CARDUS Tech 3 1'44.838
19 Julian SIMON Italtrans Racing Team 1'44.946
20 Anthony WEST QMMF Racing Team 1'45.077
21 Lorenzo BALDASSARRI Gresini Moto2 1'45.159
22 Sam LOWES Speed Up 1'45.161
23 Randy KRUMMENACHER IodaRacing Project 1'45.192
24 Louis ROSSI SAG Team 1'45.199
25 Nicolas TEROL Mapfre Aspar Team Moto2 1'45.223
26 Axel PONS AGR Team 1'45.235
27 Thomas LUTHI Interwetten Paddock Moto2 1'45.462
28 Gino REA AGT REA Racing 1'45.463
29 Roman RAMOS QMMF Racing Team 1'45.883
30 Tetsuta NAGASHIMA Teluru Team JiR Webike 1'45.964
31 Azlan SHAH IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia 1'46.045
32 Sebastian PORTO Argentina TSR Motorsport 1'46.127
33 Thitipong WAROKORN APH PTT The Pizza SAG 1'46.296
34 Robin MULHAUSER Technomag carXpert 1'46.303

read more...

Q2 Result Argentina MotoGP

Tweet

1 Marc MARQUEZ Repsol Honda Team 1'37.683
2 Jorge LORENZO Movistar Yamaha MotoGP 1'38.425
3 Dani PEDROSA Repsol Honda Team 1'38.651
4 Aleix ESPARGARO NGM Forward Racing 1'38.794
5 Andrea DOVIZIOSO Ducati Team 1'38.856
6 Valentino ROSSI Movistar Yamaha MotoGP 1'38.949
7 Bradley SMITH Monster Yamaha Tech 3 1'38.958
8 Andrea IANNONE Pramac Racing 1'39.237
9 Stefan BRADL LCR Honda MotoGP 1'39.297
10 Alvaro BAUTISTA GO&FUN Honda Gresini 1'39.429
11 Pol ESPARGARO Monster Yamaha Tech 3 1'39.822
12 Nicky HAYDEN Drive M7 Aspar 1'40.541

read more...