Ducati Review Austin MotoGP Race

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Today was a day of excitement at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, where the second round of this year’s MotoGP World Championship was held. Starting from tenth place on the grid, Andrea Dovizioso administered the 21 laps in a masterly way to conclude the Texan race in third place, his best result since he joined the Italian manufacturer. The last time a Ducati rider stepped onto the podium was in September 2012.

His team-mate Cal Crutchlow’s day was on the other hand more complicated. The British rider started from seventh on the grid, and three laps in was already up to fourth. After feeling a strong vibration in the rear of his Desmosedici GP14, Cal came into the pits to change the rear tyre. Two laps later and his race was over as he had a nasty high-side in Turn 2, crashing down heavily and injuring his right hand.

Taken immediately to the circuit’s medical centre, he was diagnosed as having a dislocated little finger of his right hand, together with some bruising. He will fly to San Diego tomorrow for a specialist visit, but there should be no problems regarding his return to the track at the next round in two weeks’ time, on the brand-new Termas de Rio Hondo track in Argentina.

Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team #04) – 3rd

“I am very pleased with the way I managed the race because in the early laps I didn’t have the right pace. But I kept calm and kept up a constant pace, and this paid off because I didn’t stress the tyres too much. My performance dropped off a bit towards the end but obviously less than the other riders I was fighting with and this allowed me to do the final stages in a good condition. Then I pulled out a small gap over Bradl and Smith, which allowed me to take the chequered flag with an advantage of almost two seconds. I am very pleased with this result for my team. We’ve been working hard for a year and suffering a lot, and we are still not as quick as we would like to be. Getting a result like this at this time of the season is very important, also for all the engineers and mechanics in the racing division back in Bologna, who are working very hard to improve the Desmosedici’s competitiveness.”

Cal Crutchlow (Ducati Team #35) – DNF

“I was very optimistic, but unfortunately I had a problem with the rear tyre of the bike immediately from lap 1, there were some very big vibrations and it was becoming worse so I thought it was better to pit and change the tyre. Because we were not even at half-distance, the team made the decision to put the soft rear tyre in and I took benefit from that but I was never going to get any points. I remember hitting a bump on the track that upset the bike. It was a fast corner and seemed like it was just going to be a normal crash, but I got caught up with the bike and it ended up highsiding me. I really hit my hand so hard that I dislocated the finger and the swelling of the hand was so bad that I couldn’t see the problem. I’m sorry for the team, but very pleased for Andrea to be on the podium after all the hard work the guys in Ducati Corse have put in over the winter.”

Ducati Team Press Release

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Repsol Honda Review Austin MotoGP Race

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Marc Marquez has completed the perfect weekend in Austin, having led every session, taken pole (with a new lap record), recorded a new fastest race lap and crowned it with a victory this afternoon. His teammate, Dani Pedrosa, also contributed to the fantastic Repsol Honda spectacle with a strong second place 16.8 seconds ahead of third place finisher Dovizioso.

Starting on pole for the 11th time in just 20 MotoGP starts Marc, as last season, was once again the only rider to choose the hard rear Bridgestone tyre. He had his best start in the premier class, only beaten in the first corner by Lorenzo who made an uncharacteristic jump start - forcing him into the pit lane for a drive through penalty - and promoting Marc back up to first by the end of the first lap.

Once out in front, he never looked back. He set a new race lap record on lap three with a time of 2'03.575 (beating his time of 2'04.242 in 2013) and went on to win the race comfortably, apart from a final corner scare on the last lap when he briefly lost concentration, and finished four seconds in front of his teammate. Dani, starting from second on the grid, was also unfazed by Lorenzo’s mistake and slipped in behind Marc as the Repsol Honda duo ran away from the race leaving them untouchable.

With this result, Marc has become the first rider to win the first two races of the year from pole in the premier-class since Repsol Honda’s Mick Doohan in 1995. Repsol Honda riders have now won the last nine MotoGP races in the USA. The last non-Honda MotoGP winner in the USA was Jorge Lorenzo, at Laguna Seca in 2010.

Marc Marquez:

"I'm very happy! I got a really good start, but when I saw Jorge overtake me off the line at first I was a little worried, but then I saw that he had jumped the start. It was a different race to previous ones because I led from start to finish; although it might seem easier that way, it is tough because you have to maintain concentration. It was a perfect weekend and gives us plenty of confidence, although we are aware that the coming races will be different. I know that the race was a little boring for the fans, but sometimes these types of races are good for a rider. Let's hope that the next one is more exciting!”

Dani Pedrosa:

"It was a tough race as Marc was that little faster than me and although I tried to improve with every corner, it was too difficult to gain ground on him and the distance between us increased with every lap. In the end, he was too far away from me. I didn't have anyone behind me either, so I just kept up my pace as best I could. I learnt a few things in this race and we will try to apply them and make the maximum improvement possible, in order to be able to put up more of a fight next time”

Repsol Honda Team Press Release

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NGM Forward Racing Review Austin MotoGP Race

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After the great result scored yesterday in qualifying, Aleix couldn’t make a good start, loosing the contact with the front group.  He struggled with the chattering and preferred to be a bit conservative to finish the race and getting some good points. The Spaniard is now 5th in the championship with 20 points.

It was an unlucky day for Colin Edwards who expected to get another result in his home grand prix. As his team mate, Colin struggled a lot during the race and when there were 4 laps to go his bike stopped, obliging him to retire. With today’s retirement, Colin is 14th in the rider Championship. 

The NGM Forward Racing team leaves Texas in 4th position of the Constructor and Team classification.

Aleix Espargaro - 9th

“This morning we struggled a lot due to the front chattering and it happened the same in the race. I couldn’t push. I had to be a bit conservative, focusing on finishing the race and getting some points. It was very frustrating but it was impossible for me to push more today. Anyway I’m confident for the next gp and I look forward to race in Argentina”.

Colin Edwards - Retired

“We struggled the whole weekend and I also had an issue with my front tyre, that made my race even more complicated.  With 4 laps to go, I had problems with the fuel pressure and my bike stopped, when I was in the back straight. My race was over. Now we will try to understand what happened”.

NGM Forward Racing Press Release

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LCR Honda Review Austin MotoGP Race

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The Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas got underway at 2pm local time in hot but uncertain conditions (with a 40% chance of rain) with Marquez gaining his second seasonal victory followed by Pedrosa and Dovizioso. 

LCR Racer Stefan Bradl, who started from the third spot on the grid, was a great competitor and made the most of his RC213V to get the third place on the podium but some front tyre problems prevented him to finish the 21-lap race behind the Repsol duo. 

Stefan Bradl: 

“First of all this race was a bit strange because of the jump-start of Lorenzo and in the beginning I struggled a bit to find my pace. I had to battle with Rossi and Ducati riders in the first laps and it took me some time to get out of that for finding my speed. After that I could go, but honestly we had a big problem with the front tyre as it dropped down too fast. I had to slow down and it was impossible for me to catch Dovizioso. The tyre performances throughout the weekend were good but in the race we had a very big problem and I think it’s the same for many riders right now. I smelled the podium today and it’s difficult to accept the defeat but we can be happy anyway because we did a very good job”.

LCR Honda Press Release

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Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Review Austin MotoGP Race

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Today’s Grand Prix of the Americas at the COTA circuit in Austin, Texas proved to be a difficult one for the Movistar Yamaha MotoGP riders with Valentino Rossi taking eighth and teammate Jorge Lorenzo taking tenth. 

After a less than perfect start that saw him drop from sixth on the grid to ninth, Rossi re-grouped and started to work his way back through the pack. Displaying his trademark efficiency the nine-time world champion made short work of the opening laps, passing Andrea Dovizioso, Stefan Bradl and finally Cal Crutchlow for fourth in turn seven. Rossi then began to close down Andrea Iannone and looked confident of scoring a podium finish until a sudden loss of grip on the right side of the front tyre left him unable to keep his pace, dropping him to eighth which he held to the line. 

Teammate Jorge Lorenzo experienced his second Grand Prix weekend to forget today, making a jump start at the beginning of the race and receiving a ride-through penalty as a result. He pitted immediately at the end of the opening lap and re-joined at the back of the field in 23rd. The four-time world champion then showed his dedication and professionalism, working hard to move back through the pack to earn his first championship points of the season. As he crossed the finish line he did so in tenth position, less than four seconds from Rossi in eighth. 

The eighth place finish gains Rossi a further eight points to give a total of 28, dropping him to third on the overall standings. Lorenzo’s tenth place earns his first championship points of the season, putting him in 16th with six points. 

The Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team riders today finished round 2 of the MotoGP World Championship in a highly determined manner, with both riders achieving their best ever results in the premier class. Bradley Smith finished in 5th position after narrowly missing out on a debut podium, with rookie Pol Espargaro crossing the line in 6th to claim his first MotoGP points and as the quickest rookie. 

Bradley Smith delivered a fierce campaign to challenge for a podium position, before guiding his Yamaha YZR-M1 home in what was his best ever MotoGP result. After having qualified in 8th, the British rider dropped back a place during the first lap, but soon set into a smooth rhythm and proceeded to move up the field, progressing up to 7th a few laps later. He then closed in on the Factory Yamaha of Valentino Rossi before passing him quickly. On lap 14 the young British rider overtook his teammate and swiftly caught the 5th placed rider three laps later, before hunting down the remaining competitors to challenge for the final podium position. Smith rode tirelessly to reach them, and then exchanged forceful moves with Stefan Bradl right down to the chequered flag fighting for 4th position. Even though the battle didn’t come to a lucky end, on what was once again a difficult racetrack for all the Yamaha bikes, Smith brilliantly showed his progression, finishing as the top Yamaha on the timesheets. 

Rookie Pol Espargaro successfully clinched his maiden points scoring finish today at COTA, and completed the race as the fastest rookie by finishing in a highly impressive 6th position. The Reigning Moto2 World Champion had a positive start, and moved forward to 10th on the first lap. Espargaro skilfully forged ahead and continued to battle remaining with teammate Bradley Smith as they moved up the field. On lap ten, the Spanish rookie brilliantly overtook multiple world champion Valentino Rossi. Espargaro finally completed his impressive point scoring race by taking 6th place on the final lap. 

The NGM Forward Racing Team leaves Texas with Aleix Espargaro finishing 9th overall and first open. After the great result scored yesterday in qualifying, Aleix struggled to make a good start, losing contact with the front group. He had issues with chattering and preferred to be a bit conservative to finish the race and get some good points. The result puts him 5th in the championship with 20 points. 

It was an unlucky day for Colin Edwards who expected to get another result in his home grand prix. As with his teammate, Colin struggled a lot during the race and when there were 4 laps to go his bike stopped, obliging him to retire. With today’s retirement, Colin is 14th in the rider Championship. 

The championship stays outside of Europe for round three, moving south for the Gran Premio de la República Argentina on 27th April.

Valentino Rossi

8th, +45.519

“We destroyed the front tyre completely on the right side. I had the same problem during the weekend but less than this. This morning we made a good step and with a used tyre I could do all the warm up so we were quite positive. Unfortunately after seven or eight laps the front was gone and I had to go three seconds slower. It's a pity because we could do another podium which was the target here in Austin, unfortunately it wasn't to be.”

Jorge Lorenzo

10th, +49.111

“I wasn’t thinking and was distracted and I made a big mistake in the start. I just tried to push at the maximum afterwards to get the best result but the race was almost over for me. I want to say sorry to the team as I destroyed my race, but at least I didn't crash because it was a difficult situation with the tension and it was easy to make a mistake and get injured. The good thing is that I finished the race and got my first points in the championship but clearly it wasn’t our weekend.”

Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Press Release

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Go&Fun Honda Gresini Review Austin MotoGP Race

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The Team GO&FUN Honda Gresini leaves the United States with a bitter feeling as both Alvaro Bautista and Scott Redding didn’t manage to see the chequered flag of the Grand Prix of the Americas, being forced to retire after a crash respectively in the 6th and 20th of the 21 scheduled laps.

After a difficult qualifying, in the early stages of the race Bautista was keeping a pace similar to the riders fighting for the third position, until he lost the front at turn 6.

On the other hand, his team-mate Scott Redding suffered a problem with the right side of the front tyre, which dropped a lot after only a few laps, forcing him to slow down before the crash occurred in the final stages of the race.

The team will now look to forget this complicated weekend to face with the maximum concentration the Argentinian Grand Prix in two weeks time at the new Termas de Rio Hondo circuit.

 Alvaro Bautista (DNF)

“We knew that it wouldn’t be an easy race: I got off the line pretty well and I found myself in the group battling for third place. I could keep a good rhythm and I was able to stay with them, so much so that I even overtook a few riders. Unfortunately, I continued to have the same problems encountered during practice and qualifying: at a certain point I lost the front and I couldn’t avoid the crash. It’s been a really difficult weekend for us, however in the race I might be able to get a top six finish. We will try to forget this weekend as soon as possible: we need to reset everything and start again from scratch, with the highest concentration ahead of the next round in Argentina, where the priority will be to finish the race”.

Scott Redding (DNF)

“I felt comfortable for the first 7-8 laps, but then I started to lose more and more grip on the front tyre and my rhythm started to drop a lot. I tried to resist, but after losing the front several times in the end I crashed: I’m okay, nothing serious, just a small crash. After the race, we checked the front tyre and we noticed that the right side was completely ruined: it’s strange because we already had a lot of laps with this kind of tyre during practice and we haven’t had any problems, so we need to investigate more if there’s been a problem with the tyre. The bike was fine, although the battle with Hernandez, who was passing me everytime on the straights, broke my rhythm, taking away the possibility to try to catch the group of riders in front of me”.

Go&Fun Honda Gresini Press Release

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Federal Oil Gresini Review Austin Moto2 Race

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Xavier Simeon and the Team Federal Oil Gresini Moto2 leave Texas without collecting points: after leading most of the race, the Belgian rider has in fact been forced to retire after a crash during the 16th lap, while he was fighting for the third position.

Siméon mantained the lead until the 12th lap, when he did a mistake caused by the same gearbox problems he experienced during practice and qualifying, dropping to fifth. He then passed Mika Kallio and with just two laps to go, Xavier was targeting the podium, when he unfortunately lost the front at turn 19.

The disappointment was strong also in the Team Gresini Moto2 garage: Lorenzo Baldassarri, who had finally solved the set-up problems found during practice he was recovering several positions in the early stages of the race, before crashing as he lost the front at the penultimate corner of the fourth lap.

Xavier Simeon (DNF)

“I'm really sorry for the team, which is doing a great job: it’s the first time that I stay in the lead for so long and today we obvoiusly could get on the podium. In the early stages I managed to keep a good pace, although I continued to have some problems with the gearbox, struggling to engage first gear. I made a first mistake because of this problem, then I found myself in fifth position but I was able to recover: I overtook Kallio and I was catching Aegerter. At that moment, my goal was clearly the podium, when at a certain point, on turn 19, I lost the front. It’s really reassuring to be so competitive, although it is clear that the most important thing is making points and so far unfortunately we didn’t do it”.

Lorenzo Baldassarri (DNF)

“I got off the line well, but then at the first corner a few riders crashed in front of me and I lost time: I felt good on the bike and I wanted to recover, but maybe I wanted to do it too quickly. I was catching the group of riders in front of me when, at the penultimate corner, while I was on the white line on the outside, I lost the front as soon as I touched the brakes. Too bad, because we had finally found the solution to ride well even on tight corners and I was faster than in qualifying”.

Federal Oil Gresini Press Release

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Tech 3 Racing Review Austin Moto2 Race

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The Tech3 Racing Moto2 Team completed a successful weekend at the Circuit of the Americas with both riders undertaking convincing displays and finishing inside the top 10 in round 2 of the Moto2 World Championship. The race was initially delayed at the start due to the weather conditions, however it did not disrupt the 19 lap race at the 5.513 kilometre Texan circuit.

Marcel Schrotter skilfully guided his Mistral 610 across the finish line in a hard fought 9th place, to score his first championship points of the Moto2 season. The young German had a positive start and held his qualifying position of 10th place during the opening minutes of the race. He then became involved in a battle for 9th, in the fiercely competitive intermediate class, before slipping back to 11th. Schrotter maintained a consistent pace and caught the 10th position rider in front. He proceeded to power past and clinch 9th at the chequered flag.

Stand in rider Ricky Cardus fought intrepidly during the Moto2 Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas to finish strongly in 10th place. After an unfortunate qualifying session yesterday, which saw him finish in 22nd position because of an early crash, the young Spanish rider had a magnificent start in a typically chaotic opening lap in the Moto2 class. He made ten places to find himself in 12th position when passing the finish line for the first time during the race. Cardus, then moved up to 8th, before battling for 7th place. The Spanish rider, who continues to replace the recovering Alex Mariñelarena, eventually slipped back and was overtaken by his teammate before crossing the line in 10th place while collecting his second set of championship points for the team. 

Marcel Schrotter - 9th - 7 points:

“I am really happy about my race today. The start of the weekend was tough, but I managed to qualify well and had a strong race. It was not easy to keep concentration on the starting grid, as we had to wait for a long time and I was wondering how the track would be after the slight rain. Still my start was good, and I got through the first corner well. There was a lot of overtaking during the first laps, and all the riders were pushing hard, so I didn’t want to take too many risks straight away. Once everything had settled and I was alone, I got into a good rhythm, and caught the group in front of me half way through the race. I could have even overtaken DeAngelis at the end but unfortunately I continued to make several small mistakes just before the long straight, where the acceleration is vital. With the worn tyres, there was also a bit of chatter, but I am still very happy with our top 10 result, which is my best ever finish in the Moto2 class, and we will continue to work full of confidence for the next race in Argentina”.

Ricky Cardus – 10th – 10 points:

“I’m truly happy about today’s race, even if it has been a very hard and demanding one. Because of a small injury, I could not train as much cardio as I wanted to, so I felt really tired towards the end of the race. I had a great start and could recover positions quickly, so that even after starting from 22nd position I could stay the whole race with the group from 6th to 11th. Tenth is my best ever finish in the World Championship, so once again I want to say that I’m really thankful for the opportunity to be here with Tech3 Racing and I want to send a hug to Alex Mariñelarena who is recovering at home. His bike is waiting for him because even if it is an individual sport we have to be human and no one wants to take advantage of the injury of some another rider. For as long as I can, I will do my best and enjoy riding for Tech3 because they are really doing a fantastic job to help me”.

Tech 3 Racing Press Release

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Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Review Austin MotoGP Race

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The Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team riders today finished round 2 of the MotoGP World Championship in a highly determined manner, with both riders achieving their best ever results in the premier class. Bradley Smith finished in 5th position after narrowly missing out on a debut podium, with rookie Pol Espargaro crossing the line in 6th to claim his first MotoGP points and as the quickest rookie. Despite the threat of rain, the race remained uninterrupted and dry in Austin, Texas. 

Bradley Smith delivered a fierce campaign to challenge for a podium position, before guiding his Yamaha YZR-M1 home in what was his best ever MotoGP result. After having qualified in 8th, the British rider dropped back a place during the first lap, but soon set into a smooth rhythm and proceeded to move up the field, progressing up to 7th a few laps later. He then closed in on the Factory Yamaha of Valentino Rossi before passing him quickly. On lap 14 the young British rider overtook his teammate and swiftly caught the 5th placed rider three laps later, before hunting down the remaining competitors to challenge for the final podium position. Smith rode tirelessly to reach them, and then exchanged forceful moves with Stefan Bradl right down to the chequered flag fighting for 4th position. Even though the battle didn’t come to a lucky end, on what was once again a difficult racetrack for all the Yamaha bikes, Smith brilliantly showed his progression, finishing as the top Yamaha on the timesheets.

Rookie Pol Espargaro successfully clinched his maiden points scoring finish today at COTA, and completed the race as the fastest rookie by finishing in a highly impressive 6th position. The Reigning Moto2 World Champion had a positive start, and moved forward to 10th on the first lap. Espargaro skilfully forged ahead and continued to battle remaining with teammate Bradley Smith as they moved up the field. On lap ten, the Spanish rookie brilliantly overtook multiple world champion Valentino Rossi. Espargaro finally completed his impressive point scoring race by taking 6th place on the final lap.

Bradley Smith – 5th - 11 points :

“I am very pleased with my performance during the 21 laps with this being the most physical track on the calendar in my opinion. I made it hard work for myself. It’s difficult to get a perfect setting around here as there are so many different corners, and it is impossible to make one setting which suits all of them. You have to make the best compromise. I was a bit too aggressive during the first laps, and overheated my brakes and the front tyre got really warm. So rather than risking anything, I let them recover, which took me 3 or 4 laps. I saw Pol come past me and then Valentino getting away, so I just had to take a breath. Once the tyres had stabilised, I started moving forward. I then thought either the bike is going to come to me or I am just going to have to sit where I am. With 12 laps to go, I realised that I had a chance and put my head down. I got to Bradl and gave everything I could, and when I reached those left right left corners, where I tried to go underneath him, my heart rate just went through the roof. I put all my cards on the table, as I knew that Dovizioso was edging away, but I am still really pleased to be the top Yamaha”.

Pol Espargaro - 6th – 10 points :

“I’m truly happy with today’s result; to finish my first MotoGP race in sixth position and in front of the Factory Yamahas makes me quite proud. I knew that I had to push as much as possible at the beginning, as I didn’t want to lose contact with the guys in front of me. I probably pushed a little too much and I could not keep the rhythm until the end of the race. But I’m happy that I was able to battle with my teammate during a certain stage of the race because Bradley is going really fast this season. Being the second Yamaha means we have not done a bad job at all. The biggest problem during the race has been the front tyre and I think all of the Yamaha’s struggled with it. We knew already from last year’s race that it would not have been an easy track for our bike. I can physically feel that it has been a very demanding race, the MotoGP bikes are exhausting. I have some pain in my shoulder because of the high number of left corners and especially during braking towards the end of the race. The team did a great job and I’m really giving it my all to learn and improve as quickly as possible. I’m already looking forward to the next round in Argentina in a couple of weeks”.

Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Press Release

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Marc VDS Racing Team Review Austin Moto2 Race

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Tito Rabat maintained his 100% podium record in 2014 after the Marc VDS Racing Team rider rode to a determined second place in an entertaining Moto2 race at the Circuit of the Americas.

After a delayed start when rain spots fell just moments before the warm-up lap, Rabat recovered brilliantly from sixth position to take second, extending his World Championship lead to seven-points over race winner Maverick Vinales.

The physical demands of the long and technical COTA track, which features some of the hardest braking zones and fastest changes of direction on the calendar, aggravated on old left shoulder injury for Mika Kallio.

The Finn ignored the intense pain to keep himself in the podium hunt right to the chequered flag and he eventually finished just over a second behind third place in fourth.

Tito Rabat // 2nd

“After making the pole position obviously I wanted to win but these are 20 very important points for the Championship. I got a good start but there was a lot of contact throughout the race, so I pushed as hard as I could and I’m satisfied to come through to second. I had a problem with the gearbox again in the first gear corners. It was so bad at the end I wasn’t even using first gear, so to finish second is a positive result and we can go to Argentina leading the World Championship and ready to fight for the victory again.”

  

Mika Kallio // 4th

“I was really strong at the start of the race and I was always around fourth position and confident my pace was good enough to stay with the first group and get on the podium again. I was right in contention and then suddenly I started to get a really bad pain in my left arm and shoulder from an old injury. I lost power in my hand and I kept making mistakes on the brakes and it was hard to use the clutch for shifting down. The pain was coming so bad in the shoulder I just wanted to finish the race and without that I am sure I could have finished on the podium.”

Marc VDS Racing Team Press Release

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Teluru Team JiR Review Austin Moto2 Race

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A top 20 finish in only his second race of 2014 was the reward of Tetsuta Nagashima’s hard work at today’s Moto2 race at The Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.

After an incident-packed first lap where a number of riders went down, the 21-year-old Japanese rider found himself solidly in the top 20 for most of the 19 laps. For the majority of the race the Teluru team JiR Web!ke Moto2 rider was in 17th position, just two places from the points. Towards the end of the race he dropped down to 21st thanks to some front-end chatter issues, but he managed to take 20th position at the chequered flag.

The race saw Maverick Vinales take his debut win, from championship leader Esteve Rabat. The Moto2 Championship now heads to Argentina for the race there in two weeks time.

Gianluca Montiron, Teluru team JiR Web!ke’s Principal.

“Tetsuta’s best lap time was almost the same as in practice, but he was not so consistent as he had some problem with the brakes. We gained some advantage as some riders crashed ahead, so we were in 17th place but even from there things could have gone wrong so it was so important that he managed to finish the race. What we also take heart from is the fact that he improved his time from the race winner by about 10 seconds so we are moving in the right direction. Now we head to Argentina where no-one knows the track so that will be interesting for our rider.”

Tetsuta Nagashima, Teluru team JiR Web!ke’s: best lap 2m 13.402s

“The race wasn’t easy for me. I didn’t have a good start but there was a big accident on the first corner and I could avoid it and pass the finish line after the next lap in quite a good position. From then my pace wasn’t too bad and I was comfortable, but after the middle of the race at a specific corner I had chattering from the front and the biggest issue I think came from the front brake, so I had to slow down my pace so overall I think I’m disappointed at what we could have achieved. Still, I have a lot to learn and I finished the race to give me much needed experience. I am happy we finished and now I will stay positive for the next race in Argentina.”

Teluru Team JiR Press Release

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Pramac Racing Review Austin MotoGP Race

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The Pramac Racing Team just ended a great weekend. In the North American round all the goals were reached. Andrea Iannone gave everything possible crossing the finish line in seventh position. Yonny Hernandez gets in the points with the a thirteenth placement.

Andrea Iannone - Pramac Racing -  starts off the race gaining third place from the first lap, The Maniac constantly keeps a fast pace pulling out a gap between him and the group behind him. The performance loss due to the degradation of the front tire in the last 6 laps did not allow him to maintain the position, that would been worth the podium, Andrea crossed the finish line in seventh place, however, the best personal performance in the top class .

Yonny Hernandez - Energy T.I. Pramac Racing - had a good start, gaining a few positions throughout the race fighting in the group from the tenth to thirteenth position with riders of experience. The Colombian reached his goal, ending in the points, crossing the finish line in thirteenth place .

Andrea Iannone ( Pramac Racing)

" I am satisfied with today's result , but I could have done better if i didn't have the tire problem. I pushed to the limit till it was possible, the grip of the front tire suddenly got worse making it too dangerous to push. I do not understand why it lost so much grip, during the practice session we used the same compound and didn't have this problem. This is my first good race in MotoGP after a difficult year for Ducati, we are getting stronger! I thank the members of my team for the great job this weekend and Ducati for support. "

Yonny Hernandez (Energy T.I. Pramac Racing)

"It  was a good race I'm happy with my result! I was close to Hayden and Aoyam for most of the twenty laps, they have a lot of experience , and it was a good opportunity that helped learn a lot. I'm glad I achieved my goal again! I thank the team for the hard work done. "

Pramac Racing Press Release

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Race Result Austin MotoGP

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1 Marc MARQUEZ Repsol Honda Team 43'33.430
2 Dani PEDROSA Repsol Honda Team 4.124
3 Andrea DOVIZIOSO Ducati Team 20.976
4 Stefan BRADL LCR Honda MotoGP 22.79
5 Bradley SMITH Monster Yamaha Tech 3 22.963
6 Pol ESPARGARO Monster Yamaha Tech 3 26.567
7 Andrea IANNONE Pramac Racing 28.257
8 Valentino ROSSI Movistar Yamaha MotoGP 45.519
9 Aleix ESPARGARO NGM Forward Racing 47.605
10 Jorge LORENZO Movistar Yamaha MotoGP 49.111
11 Nicky HAYDEN Drive M7 Aspar +1'00.735
12 Hiroshi AOYAMA Drive M7 Aspar +1'03.954
13 Yonny HERNANDEZ Energy T.I. Pramac Racing +1'07.333
14 Karel ABRAHAM Cardion AB Motoracing +1'27.972
15 Hector BARBERA Avintia Racing +1'32.376
16 Michael LAVERTY Paul Bird Motorsport +1'32.543
17 Danilo PETRUCCI IodaRacing Project +1'39.176
18 Mike DI MEGLIO Avintia Racing +1'51.962
Not Classified  
 Scott REDDING GO&FUN Honda Gresini 2 Laps
 Colin EDWARDS NGM Forward Racing 4 Laps
 Cal CRUTCHLOW Ducati Team 9 Laps
 Alvaro BAUTISTA GO&FUN Honda Gresini 12 Laps
 Broc PARKES Paul Bird Motorsport 13 Laps

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Race Result Austin Moto2

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1 Maverick VIÑALES Pons HP 40 41'31.520
2 Esteve RABAT Marc VDS Racing Team 4.009
3 Dominique AEGERTER Technomag carXpert 7.323
4 Mika KALLIO Marc VDS Racing Team 8.59
5 Simone CORSI NGM Forward Racing 9.934
6 Thomas LUTHI Interwetten Paddock Moto2 16.987
7 Anthony WEST QMMF Racing Team 17.561
8 Alex DE ANGELIS Tasca Racing Moto2 18.948
9 Marcel SCHROTTER Tech 3 19.72
10 Ricard CARDUS Tech 3 24.552
11 Takaaki NAKAGAMI IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia 28.463
12 Mattia PASINI NGM Forward Racing 43.955
13 Randy KRUMMENACHER IodaRacing Project 44.344
14 Sandro CORTESE Dynavolt Intact GP 45.666
15 Hafizh SYAHRIN Petronas Raceline Malaysia 49.291
16 Sam LOWES Speed Up 51.154
17 Franco MORBIDELLI Italtrans Racing Team 51.331
18 Azlan SHAH IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia 51.683
19 Axel PONS AGR Team 52.113
20 Tetsuta NAGASHIMA Teluru Team JiR Webike +1'02.103
21 Roman RAMOS QMMF Racing Team +1'02.346
22 Thitipong WAROKORN APH PTT The Pizza SAG +1'03.495
23 Julian SIMON Italtrans Racing Team +1'04.944
24 Robin MULHAUSER Technomag carXpert +1'09.941
25 Gino REA AGT REA Racing +1'20.330
26 Jordi TORRES Mapfre Aspar Team Moto2 +1'33.781
Not Classified  
 Xavier SIMEON Federal Oil Gresini Moto2 2 Laps
 Nicolas TEROL Mapfre Aspar Team Moto2 3 Laps
 Louis ROSSI SAG Team 11 Laps
 Josh HERRIN AirAsia Caterham 14 Laps
 Jonas FOLGER AGR Team 15 Laps
 Lorenzo BALDASSARRI Gresini Moto2 16 Laps
 Johann ZARCO AirAsia Caterham 17 Laps
Not Finished 1st Lap  
 Luis SALOM Pons HP 40 0 Lap

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Race Result Austin Moto3

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1 Jack MILLER Red Bull KTM Ajo 41'06.659
2 Romano FENATI SKY Racing Team VR46 0.069
3 Efren VAZQUEZ SaxoPrint-RTG 0.172
4 Alex RINS Estrella Galicia 0,0 7.182
5 Jakub KORNFEIL Calvo Team 7.264
6 Alexis MASBOU Ongetta-Rivacold 20.107
7 Francesco BAGNAIA SKY Racing Team VR46 20.381
8 Danny KENT Red Bull Husqvarna Ajo 23.981
9 John MCPHEE SaxoPrint-RTG 24.032
10 Karel HANIKA Red Bull KTM Ajo 24.222
11 Juanfran GUEVARA Mapfre Aspar Team Moto3 24.817
12 Livio LOI Marc VDS Racing Team 34.634
13 Enea BASTIANINI Junior Team Go&FUN Moto3 34.955
14 Niklas AJO Avant Tecno Husqvarna Ajo 35.02
15 Miguel OLIVEIRA Mahindra Racing 35.436
16 Alessandro TONUCCI CIP 38.306
17 Zulfahmi KHAIRUDDIN Ongetta-AirAsia 38.536
18 Eric GRANADO Calvo Team 49.325
19 Scott DEROUE RW Racing GP +1'02.422
20 Philipp OETTL Interwetten Paddock Moto3 +1'02.609
21 Ana CARRASCO RW Racing GP +1'02.695
22 Jules DANILO Ambrogio Racing +1'08.860
23 Luca GRÜNWALD Kiefer Racing +1'18.905
24 Hafiq AZMI SIC-AJO +2'04.082
25 Andrea LOCATELLI San Carlo Team Italia 1 Lap
26 Bryan SCHOUTEN CIP 1 Lap
Not Classified  
 Alex MARQUEZ Estrella Galicia 0,0 1 Lap
 Gabriel RAMOS Kiefer Racing 3 Laps
 Niccolò ANTONELLI Junior Team GO&FUN Moto3 11 Laps
 Brad BINDER Ambrogio Racing 11 Laps
 Isaac VIÑALES Calvo Team 12 Laps
 Arthur SISSIS Mahindra Racing 0 Lap
 Matteo FERRARI San Carlo Team Italia 0 Lap

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Federal Oil Gresini Rreview Austin Moto2 day 2

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On the qualifying day of the Grand Prix of the Americas Xavier Siméon confirmed the serious speed shown during all the free practice sessions conquering the fourth place with a best time of 2’10”666.

Tomorrow, the Belgian rider will therefore start from the beginning of the second row aboard the Team Federal Oil Gresini Moto2 Suter, although it remains a bit of disappointment for having missed the first row, a goal within reach of the team, missed due to a gearbox problem that forced Xavier to a mistake in his last attempt.

After a fall in the third free practice session earlier this morning, and after making several set-up adjustments on the Team Gresini Moto2 Suter, looking for an improvement under tight corners areas, Lorenzo Baldassarri ended the qualifying session with the 24th fastest time, 2’12”363.

Xavier Simeon (4th - 2'10"666)

“I am very happy with the result, but also a bit disappointed because I really would like to be on the front row, a goal that today was within our reach. Unfortunately we had several problems with the gearbox: in this track we use a lot the first gear and in this situation often the gearbox engages the neutral. It happened also in qualifying, during my last attempt, in which I was lowering my best time: the gearbox engaged neutral and I did a mistake. Apart from this, we are happy because we are competitive and tomorrow we can fight for the top positions”.

Lorenzo Baldassarri (24th - 2'12"363)

“Today we wanted to try some set-up adjustments to the bike because we wanted to be faster: we are following the right direction, but I need to get used to the behaviour of the bike especially with regard to engine brake. It’s a pity, because in some parts of the track I’m actually really fast, but I lose a lot of ground in tight corners. In any case, we will continue to work in the warm-up to try to improve, and after that I will give my best in the race”.

Federal Oil Gresini Press Release

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Tech 3 Review Austin Moto2 Day 2

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Marcel Schrotter produced a spirited display today with the Mistral 610 around the Circuit of the Americas to climb to 10th position for tomorrow’s Moto2 Grand Prix.

The young German rider completed a highly successful qualifying campaign today at round two of the Moto2 World Championship by guiding his Mistral 610 inside the top ten, in the ferociously competitive intermediate class. Despite some early issues, Schrotter worked tirelessly with his Tech3 Racing Moto2 Team to complete the session with a best time of 2:10.857. The lap time was just over seven tenths from the leading Moto2 bike, and quicker than his best lap from FP1 by a massive two and a half seconds. Schrotter will now fight to finish inside the top ten and score his first points in tomorrow’s 19 lap race.

Ricky Cardus today rode to 22nd in the Moto2 Qualifying session around the 5.513 kilometre Texan circuit. Unfortunately a fall at the beginning of the session impacted upon his finishing time, as his Mistral 610 was damaged. After closing positively yesterday’s practice session in 9th position, Cardus, who continues to replace the recovering Alex Mariñelarena, produced a best time of 2:12.130. Although the young Spanish rider will start from the rear of the field, he remains hopeful of finishing in the top15 and scoring points.

Marcel Schrotter - 10th - 2:10.857:

“This weekend we managed to improve with every session. Unfortunately, we struggled a little to find a base setup in the early stages and also I needed some time to feel comfortable with myself on the bike. Afterwards we tried to find the best gear ratios for the tight corners on this track, as I wasn’t sure which would be the best configuration for the race. But finally this afternoon, I was really content with my Mistral 610. As in Qatar, we always improve in time for the qualifying session and I think we were better prepared today than 2 weeks ago. I managed to improve the time from this morning by 1.3 seconds and I felt really comfortable on the bike. Also, the fact that I did my quickest lap on my own makes me truly confident for tomorrow. With a good start we can have a strong race, as my pace on used tyres this morning was very promising”.

Ricky Cardus - 22nd - 2:12.130 :

Actually, the qualifying has been the worst session of the whole weekend. I made a silly mistake at the beginning of the practice and afterwards my dashboard was not working properly ; for example I had no lights indicating the gear shifting and it was hard to turn the bike. We still managed to do a 2:12.1min that I have to be happy with considering my mistake. So unfortunately we have to start from the back in 22nd position. We have been strong and competitive all weekend, and I feel very confident with the used tyres, so I’m sure that with a good start we can recover numerous positions and finish in the top 15. The race will be long, but also enjoyable and if the weather stays dry we will see some good battles and overtaking.

Tech 3 Racing Press Release

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Go&Fun Honda Gresini Review Austin MotoGP Day 2

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Alvaro Bautista will start from 12th on the grid on tomorrow’s Grand Prix of the Americas. The Team GO&FUN Honda Gresni rider ended the opening three practice sessions in 11th position, a result that meant he just missed being seeded straight through to QP2 by one place. A good lap during QP1 put him into QP2, but then the Spaniard continued to struggle, closing the 15-minute session which decides the top 12 grid positions with a lap time of 2’03”923, just over a second off the pace.

Scott Redding will start the race one place behind his team-mate, having set during QP1 an impressive best lap time of 2’04”617, over 0.4 seconds faster than Nicky Hayden, who rides a similar Open Class Honda RCV1000R.

Alvaro Bautista (12th - 2'03"923)

“Today, like yesterday, we had another difficult day: we worked a lot looking for a set-up that could give me a better feeling with the bike together with some more rear grip, but despite various attempts we have obtained nothing positive, and I continue to have the same feelings of yesterday. Tomorrow morning during the warm up we will try the hard tyre: it’s strange, but as soon as I tried it for the first time during QP1, I was immediately fast, so we want to understand whether it can be a good option for the race. If my feeling will improve, we can be more competitive, but we start from a bad position so it will be important to make a good start. I’m still confident, the race is always a story in itself, and of course we will give the maximum to take as many points as possible”.

Scott Redding (13th - 2'04"617)

“I knew that the qualifying lap was one thing I needed to work on, but today we did a really good job: I didn’t expect to make this lap time - I expected something like 2’05”0, but in the end I was feeling good and relaxed, so lap times came easily. I’m happy to be the fastest ‘Production Racer’ Honda again, but now we have to see how the race goes tomorrow, because maybe is going to be more difficult with the hard tyre. Maybe we could also use the softer tyre, but I’m going to try the hard one: if it’s not good, we will learn something. Now it’s the time to do these kind of things, because we are still early in the season”.

Go&Fun Honda Gresini Press Release

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Ducati Review Austin MotoGP Day 2

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Cal Crutchlow and Andrea Dovizioso qualified for the Grand Prix of the Americas, the second round of the MotoGP World Championship which will be held tomorrow at the Austin circuit in Texas, respectively in seventh and tenth place.

After encouraging form shown during the four sessions of free practice, both Ducati Team riders hoped to make further progress in qualifying, but unfortunately neither Crutchlow, who had a low-speed slide at Turn 11, nor Dovizioso, who is still suffering from the effects of flu, were able to improve their times and as a result the British rider and his Italian team-mate will start Sunday’s race respectively from rows 3 and 4.

Cal Crutchlow (Ducati Team #35) – 7th (2m03.780s)

“This weekend our back’s been up against the wall a bit and we’ve had some issues, but the team has worked hard to sort them out. We improved the bike for the qualifying but seventh was all we got. I also came off at turn 11, spinning round in a circle at 28 k per hour for some reason! I’m not going to make excuses because I was pushing for the lap time. Today I had a lot less rear grip, maybe because of the track conditions, but for sure we need to analyze everything tonight to change the bike set-up a bit and make it work better with the harder option race tyre.”

Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team #04) – 10th (2m03.846s)

“I am a bit disappointed with tenth place on the grid, which for sure will not help me much in tomorrow’s race, especially in the early laps. Today I struggled a lot: physically I’m very weak because I’m taking antibiotics for my flu and my muscles feel pretty bad. It’s not ideal at all to race with a high fever in MotoGP, especially at a track like Austin, because it drains you of all your energy. Tomorrow I’ll try and do a good race: I’d say that with our pace in the early laps we can be quite close to the front, but we’ll have to see if we can keep it up for the rest of the race.”

Ducati Press Release

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Repsol Honda Review Austin MotoGP Day 2

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Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez scored another record this afternoon with his pole position lap for tomorrow’s grand prix, at the track he celebrated his first pole position and victory in the premier class.

After leading every session so far in this weekend’s Red Bull GP of The Americas, Marc topped his pole time of 2013 (2'03.021) by 0.248s with a lap time of 2'02.773 on his final lap of 7 in this afternoon’s qualifying at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas.

Teammate Dani Pedrosa found an improvement in his setup from yesterday, and starts from second on the grid alongside his teammate, with a time of 2'03.062. LCR Honda rider, Stefan Bradl, completed an all-Honda front row for tomorrow’s 21 lap race which will start at 14h00 local time.

Marc Mrquez - 1st (2'02.773) 

“I’m very happy with how the weekend is going and with the qualifying session - especially taking pole position. I have a good feeling with the bike and have been setting a good pace ahead of tomorrow's race. We will try to get a good start and I'm sure we'll be fighting with Dani, as he is our strongest rival. I think that the beginning of the race will be the most important part, because with this heat the tyres suffer a lot. I will try to remain focused and have a good race!”

Dani Pedrosa - 2nd (2'03.062)

“We improved the bike a lot today and I was able to ride much better than yesterday. I managed to come very close in qualifying and hope to take advantage of all my chances to win tomorrow's race. Last year we came second so I will look to take one step further tomorrow!”

Repsol Honda Press Release

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