Go&Fun Honda Gresini Race Review Losail Moto3

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Niccolò Antonelli kicked off his 2014 Moto3 World Championship campaign with a ninth place finish in the floodlit Grand Prix of Qatar, resulting the first Italian under the chequered flag. 

After a good start, who saw him up to third place at the end of the first lap, the Junior Team GO&FUN Moto3 rider pushed hard to stay with the leading group in the early stages of the race, but had to back off in the following laps. Later, Niccolò fought with determination within the second group of riders, closing ninth on the finish line. Although the race didn’t go as Antonelli had hoped, the 18-year-old Italian managed to get his first points in the 18-race long Championship. 

His team-mate, debutant Enea Bastianini, delivered a determined ride aboard his KTM, closing his first Moto3 race in 17th, going very close to open his points account in the World Championship.

Niccolo Antonelli (9th) 

“I made a good start and in the early stages I was able to stay comfortably with the leading group, but unfortunately later I accused some engine problems, as has happened to us throughout all the weekend. This problem may be caused by the placement of the ballast on the bike: we will make all appropriate checks to try to overcome it. Apart from the race result, I'm happy because during the race I had a good feeling and I was able to keep a good pace, but it’s clear that in the next race we want to achieve more. If we can solve these problems, we have the right potential to succeed”. 

Enea Bastianini (16th) 

“I can’t find words to describe how I'm happy: I could not get points, but I went close to do it. I made a good start, but unfortunately considering that I was starting behind I knew that it would be difficult to stay with the leading group. During the race I enjoyed a good fought with Loi, winning the sprint to the finish line. In this first race I learned so many things, so I am convinced that the next Grand Prix will go even better”.

Go&Fun Honda Gresini Moto3 Press Release

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Go&Fun Honda Gresini Preview Losail Moto3

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After an intense winter testing period, including visits to Almeria, Valencia and Jerez, the Junior Team GO&FUN Moto3 is finally en-route to Qatar for the first round of the 2014 Moto3 World Championship. Niccolò Antonelli and Enea Bastianini head to the Losail International Circuit, on the outskirt of Doha, with a clear goal in their minds.

Antonelli has proved to be able to fight for race wins and the championship title, after topping often the timesheets during pre-season:  despite struggling to match his previous lap times at the final test in Jerez, the 18-year-old from Cattolica remains confident of opening his 2014 campaign with a good result.

Adding to the spectacle of the curtain raiser in Qatar will be the floodlit nature of the first race: an exciting atmosphere for Enea Bastianini, who will race his first World Championship Grand Prix. Aged only 16, the youngster from Rimini had had two positive outings at Almeria and Valencia, but then struggled to find a good rythm at Jerez. His goal at the moment is to try to enter in the top 15, in order to open his points account.

Niccolo Antonelli

“We arrive in Qatar with great confidence because we know that we have everything we need to be competitive and to stay on top: we have proved it during all the winter tests, although the last session in Jerez was a bit disappointing. Our rivals are very strong, so for sure it will not be an easy challenge, but if we work well we can be protagonists. During the winter we have reached a good chassis set-up, although we need to make some more adjustment in order to improve: we'll see how it goes day by day during the race weekend”.

Enea Bastianini 

“In a few days I will race my first Grand Prix and certainly it will be an exciting experience. During the race weekend I will face a completely new situation, with short practice sessions in which it will be important to work methodically, avoiding mistakes: definitely a different rhythm from that to which we are accustomed in testing. On paper, the first race is the more complicated for me: I have no experience, and I don’t even know the Losail Circuit, and above all, the level of the Championship is very high. My goal is to try to get into the points; it will not be easy, but we'll try”.

Go&Fun Gresini Moto3 Press Release

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Go&Fun Honda Gresini Review Jerez Moto3 Test Day 3

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After no less than twelve days of testing on Spanish soil, the preparations for the 2014 World Championship campaign came to a close today at Jerez for the Junior Team GO&FUN Moto3.

After having been a protagonist for the majority of the pre-season, Niccolò Antonelli today was not able to finish the last day of testing as he wanted, ending the session in 14th position in the combined standings with a best lap of 1’46”840. Although the gap from the top is not too high - under six tenths of a second - during the three-day official IRTA Test the 18-year-old Italian encountered some more difficulties than expected.

The pre-season testing today have come to a conclusion also for Enea Bastianini, who completed today 38 laps, the quickest of which in 1’48”032. The Italian rookie continued to gain experience in preparation for his world stage debut, solving some understeer issues, even though he declared himself still not entirely satisfied with the chassis set-up of his KTM.

Niccolo Antonelli (1'46"840 - 65 LAPS)

“Unfortunately, these three last days of testing were not exceptional; however, today was better than yesterday, although we were not able to improve our lap times and as a result the final position on the timesheet is clearly not what we expected. We have been competitive during all winter, so we remain confident ahead the Qatar Grand Prix, knowing that we are capable to fight for the top positions: after all, the chassis of the bike is fine, we only need to fix a few things to come back to the top”.

Enea Bastiannini (1'48"032 - 38 LAPS)

“To be honest, this final test was a bit disappointing, because we wanted to get more. At the beginning of the winter the situation was better than expected, while the latter part was more difficult, but I think that this is quite normal. Today, however, we did a good job, closing the gap to the other riders and continuing to fine-tune the bike set-up, although there is still a lot of work to do. The level here in the World Championship is very high and it’s definitely not easy, but I have great confidence because the team is working hard and the atmosphere is good”.

Go&Fun Gresini Moto3 Press Release

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Go&Fun Honda Gresini Review Jerez Moto3 Test Day 2

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The official Moto3 IRTA Test continued today at Jerez with some difficulties for the Junior Team GO&FUN Moto3: Niccolò Antonelli suffered a minor crash and he was stuck in 12th position with a best time of 1’47”231, unable for the moment to catch the good lap times achieved in the previous test carried out in Andalusia at the end of February. Slowed by the strong wind, the Italian struggled to find the right feeling with his KTM and tomorrow, in the last day of winter testing available, he will try to regain the competitiveness that has always distinguished him during all the pre-season.

His team-mate, Enea Bastianini , finished the day with a best lap of 1’48”586, thereby improving his yesterday’s performance by 0.8 of a second; the rookie from Rimini – which has a right hand still sore - has been hampered by understeer on his bike, a problem that he will try to solve tomorrow along with the team’s technicians.

Niccolo Antontelli (1'47"231 - 59 LAPS)

“Today we struggled a bit: the strong wind accentuated some of the problems that we had experienced previously here in Jerez so today I couldn’t ride as I wanted. The bike was a bit nervous, it was moving a lot, so we were not able to make the most of this day of testing. Tomorrow we will try to understand why, trying some chassis set-up changes. We hope to improve, however I’m not worried: we know what is our level, and we believe that soon we will return to show it”.

Enea Bastianini (1'48"586 - 45 LAPS)

“Today was not great, but we’re not complaining about it: as we did yesterday during the first day of testing, we continued to try different set-ups, but we have not yet identified the best solution. At the moment I'm struggling to follow the right lines on track, because the bike is understeering. Tomorrow we will try, above all, to overcome this problem”.

Go&Fun Gresini Moto3 Press Release

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Go&Fun Honda Gresini Review Jerez Moto3 Test Day 1

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The Junior Team GO&FUN Moto3 was back in action today at Jerez for the first of three final days of winter testing in preparation for the 2014 Moto3 season: Niccolò Antonelli and Enea Bastianini were back in the saddle of their KTM, resuming the work from the good base reached at the end of last February.

Niccolò Antonelli finished the day with the fifth fastest time, setting a good 1’47”549, just three tenths of a second from the top: the 18-year-old from Cattolica eighteen spent the three today’s sessions working on several adjustments to the chassis, in order to improve some aspects which were still not clear during the previous test. His teammate, Enea Bastianini, yet slightly slowed from the injury to his right hand, struggled to find the right feeling with the bike despite several adjustments to his bike. The youngster from Rimini completed a total of 38 laps, the quickest in 1’49”398.

Niccolo Antonelli (1'47"549 - 45 LAPS)

“Today we resumed testing with no pressure, therefore the lap times are not yet at the level of those signed in late February, but we are still close to the top and this is positive. We spent this first day focusing on clarifying some doubts  related to certain chassis set-up solutions that we have already tried at the previous test; now the right path to follow appears more clear, so tomorrow we will continue to work in the same direction”.

Enea Bastianini (1'49"398 - 38 LAPS)

“Apart from the injured hand, that is still annoying me a bit, today I had no feeling with my bike. Tomorrow we will try different chassis set-up solutions to try and overcome this problem, but for sure we still have a lot of work ahead. Obviously I'm still in a learning process, and therefore I have yet to adapt to this bike, but at Almeria and also at Valencia the situation was already pretty good. Here in Jerez instead I'm struggling, but that's normal: we are already happy with the level we reached this winter, but we want to improve more and I believe that soon we will succeed”.

Go&Fun Honda Gresini Press Release

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