Category: Moto3

Romano Fenati took his third victory of the season to slash Joan Mir’s points advantage from 80 to 55 at the Japanese GP. Fenati was the first of a trio of Italians to mount the podium in Moto3, whilst Mir finished outside of the points.

“The Championship is never lost until the arithmetic confirms it. Today I didn’t think about that. In these days we worked well and in the morning we did a modification which helped us to improve”, began the Italian, who heads to Australia needing to take more than five points off Mir to remain in the title race.

“I felt comfortable on the bike and everything went well. It was not easy, it was very cold and I was totally wet but staying ahead is easier! Why I am so strong on the wet? Probably I trust my team and my bike. I enjoy this victory now but I am also thinking about Australia and Phillip Island is a track I love”.

Fenati’s record in Australia is not amazing, as he has never scored higher than 6th place. On the other hand, Joan Mir has likewise had a poor set of results at Phillip Island, never finishing a race. Honda have never won a Moto3 race and their last win in the lightweight class was in 2005, with Tom Luthi.

Image by: HondaProRacing

Joan Mir has his first opportunity to clinch the 2017 Moto3 World Championship this weekend, as the Moto3 circus arrives at the Twin-Ring Motegi circuit, Japan.

The Spaniard leads his nearest rival, Italian, Romano Fenati by 80 points. Should Mir (Leopard Racing) win Sunday’s Grand Prix, then he will be crowned champion. Simple as that. Additionally, Mir can also seal the title even if Fenati (Marinelli Rivacold Snipers) should win the race, as long has he loses no more than 5 points of his lead. For example: should Fenati finish first (25 points) and Mir second (20 points), it will be enough for the Spaniard to claim the championship. His lead would be reduced to 75 points – the same maximum number of points which would remain for the final three rounds. However, even if the two should finish the season level on points, Mir would win the championship by virtue of number of race victories this season.

Although Mir heads into this weekend as bookies’ favourite, it would be unwise to underestimate anyone from the regular front-runners. Fenati will undoubtedly be going all out to win and keep his hopes of winning the championship alive, as will Aron Canet (Estrella Galicia 0,0). Whilst it is a long shot, Canet can still mathematically win this year’s championship. Admittedly he will be relying on both Mir and Fenati to suffer non-point-scoring finishes but this is Moto3, so it is still possible. Canet has to win every race between now and the end of the season in addition to bad luck befalling his rivals. In short he has nothing to lose, which could perhaps make him the sting in this season’s tail.

There will be close quarter racing right through the field, as always in Moto3 this weekend. The Del Conca Gresini team will once again be expected to be in the mix for rostrum honours with both their riders – Jorge Martin and Fabio di Giannantonio. The latter has grown in confidence throughout the season and produced a stunning ride to finish in second place last time out. Another podium finish on Sunday would cement his position as the field’s rising star – as well as provide a very welcome belated birthday present (he turned 19 on Wednesday).

As for Martin, well, if Grand Prix racing handed out a ‘Man of Steel’ award, he’d win it hands-down. His horrendous crash at the Sachsenring would have ended the season for the majority of riders but Martin has battled on remarkably, scoring podiums in Austria and Great Britain and a hard fought fourth place at Aragon. Whilst his injury ended any hopes he had for the championship this year, make no mistake, Jorge Martin has already put down his marker for next year.

The rider to watch out for this weekend is Canet’s teammate – the rejuvenated Enea Bastianini. The 19-year-old Italian has made a welcome return to form since the summer break, scoring podium finishes at Silverstone (2nd place) and at Aragon (3rd place) last time out. Winner last year at Motegi, the lightweight class veteran will be very keen to repeat that performance as he looks to secure his place in the Grand Prix paddock for next year.

For John McPhee however, it is truly make-or-break now for the remainder of the season. Despite a promising start to the season with the Dorna-backed British Talent Team, the Scot has struggled to put together a consistently competitive season. His best finishing position for this season remains the second place he acquired at the opening round in Qatar. McPhee has not yet been offered a new contract to stay with the team for 2018, so desperately needs a strong finish to the season, to prove his worth in the world of Moto3.

Image by: HondaProRacing

A delayed and shortened Moto3 race was controversially won by championship leader, Joan Mir, taking his 8th victory of the season. He beat Italians Fabio Di Giannantonio and Enea Bastianini, thwarting both of them of their first wins of the season. Mir now leads the championship by a staggering 80 points, meaning he could win the championship at Motegi if he finishes inside the top two, no matter what 2nd placed Romano Fenati does.

The race eventually got underway and it was Jorge Martin who hit the front from Bastianini and Dennis Foggia, the VR46 KTM wildcard – who displayed talent in bundles throughout the GP. Aron Canet took 4th. Bastianini passed Martin towards the end of the opening lap but Martin re-passed him, searching for his first ever GP win. Both riders had a gap over Aron Canet in third.

The battling continued at the front and due to the passes, the pace slowed. This brought Aron Canet, Joan Mir, Dennis Foggia and everyone else back into play as a typical Moto3 gaggle formed. A disaster soon ensued for Italian Romano Fenati, who languished dejectedly down in 15th for some time, costing him valuable championship points.

Slipstreaming was the word of the day and Joan Mir definitely perfected that particular art. He went from 4th to 2nd in one fell swoop on lap six, before taking the lead a lap later. Jorge Martin soon took the lead back but then the Estrella Galicia Marc VDS bikes hit the front; Enea Bastianini looking for his first victory of the season.

Going into the final lap, Mir went from 4th to 1st at turn one, passing Di Giannantonio, Jorge Martin and Bastianini. The champion elect held off the chasing pack, letting those behind scrap it out. Young Dennis Foggia was put back to 8th in the end but had learnt a lot by running with the leaders.

Going down the back straight to the final two corners for the last time, Mir weaved across the track a total of four times, almost causing a major accident with the chasing Di Giannantonio. Mir held on, beating Digia and The Beast, with just 0.051 covering the top 3. Pole-man Jorge Martin finished 4th, whilst Aron Canet pipped John McPhee to 5th. Ramirez and Foggia were 7th and 8th respectively, within three quarters of a second of victory.

After the race, it was announced that Joan Mir would be getting a 6-place grid penalty in Japan for his irresponsible riding.

Top 5 Championship Standings

1.) Joan Mir                                     271

2.) Romano Fenati                      191

3.) Aron Canet                             173

4.) Fabio Di Giannantonio      137

5.) Jorge Martin                         134

As the Moto3 youngsters descend on the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, two Spaniards head the top of the championship looking to carry on their fine 2017 form.

Leopard Racing’s Joan Mir is top of the tree and enjoys a very healthy 64 point advantage, consolidating his position as the title front runner with an important fifth at the British Grand Prix last time out. Despite the huge gap to the chasing pack, the margin is less than what Brad Binder had at this point last year (86 points) and what Danny Kent had in 2015 (70). No room for error then for the 20 year old, who is the only rider to have finished in the points at every round this season across all categories. Consistency is key for the champion elect. 

Second place man in the championship and fellow Spaniard, Aron Canet, took his third victory of the season under the sunny skies of Silverstone. Henceforth, leapfrogging home favourite for this weekend, Romano Fenati, in the overall standings. The race win for Canet, who turns 18 later this month, was also just his sixth podium in the Moto3 class and there is no reason why he can’t make that seven this weekend.

As for Fenati, he’s enjoyed a positive season so far after being shown the door out of the Sky racing team VR46 mid way through last season. The Moto3 veteran will look to take back second position in the championship with a strong display in front of the ever passionate crowd in Misano.

Del Conca Gresini Moto3 Italian rider Fabio Di Giannantonio will be hoping he can woo his home supporters, as he sits fifth in the world standings and will want to try and close to gap to team mate Jorge Martin, as well as the other three ahead of him.

We finally saw the Enea Bastianini of old at Silverstone, crossing the line in second position to grab his first podium since his race win at Motegi last year. He picked up a win here in 2015, so he’ll be looking to continue his momentum and finish the year strongly.

Other people to watch out for? I could name about 15 – that’s how close the racing has been this year! John McPhee and the British Talent Cup team will be fighting at the front, whilst Mugello winner Andrea Migno and his Italian comrade Nicolo Bulega will want to do Valentino Rossi proud in his absence aboard their VR46 machines.  

The Moto3 boys never fail to put on a spectacle, so what better way to start your Sunday off by watching over 30 lightweight machines go fairing to fairing.

By Elliott York

Britain’s John McPhee endured a disappointing home-land Grand Prix, as the former race winner battled to 13th place, despite starting from the front of row two. It is McPhee’s worst result on a Moto3 Honda at Silverstone.

“It was a difficult and frustrating race for me today. I’ve been strong all weekend and felt really good on the bike. In the race I was just lacking straight line speed which made moving forward almost impossible”, explained McPhee, who stayed 6th in the championship despite the poor result.

“I pushed as hard as possible but in the end I could only maintain my position. Thanks to all the home fans for a great atmosphere all weekend and to my team for all their hard work. I hope to be back fighting for the win at Misano”.

McPhee is five points off fellow Honda rider, Fabio Di Giannantonio on his Gresini Honda. The Scot is four points ahead of Spaniard, Marcos Ramirez – the first of the KTM riders. The British Talent Team rider now has a gargantuan gap of 130 points up to leader Joan Mir, who sits on 226 points with six races to go.

The Moto3 class has a reputation for intense, wheel-to-wheel, “do or die”, “win it or bin it” racing. The 2017 British Grand-Prix was no exception. From lights to flag it was frantic, pulsating, truly thrilling motor racing. Overtaking was to be had at every corner and on every straight. The layout of the Silverstone circuit is ready-made for lightweight motorcycle racing, with very few heavy braking areas enabling the field to stay closely compacted together.

Aaron Canet (Estrella Galicia 0,0) emerged triumphant, but he had to put in the performance of his life. A disastrous showing in Saturday’s qualifying session meant the Spaniard began the race from P16. As the lights went out, he got a super start, making up places with ease. It was not a reckless charge – rather a calculated progression – with every manoeuvre and overtake clean and decisive. Not once was there a moment when Canet looked out of control, or was ever taking unnecessary risks with his opponents or machine. It is true that his bike is one of the best in the field but that cannot take away from the display of exceptional race-craft that the 17-year-old produced.

The lead of the race changing hands more times than there were laps raced. The usual championship suspects came to the fore. Romano Fenati (Marinelli Snipers) bullied his way to the front during the opening laps, whilst series leader Joan Mir (Leopard Racing) and wounded warrior Jorge Martin (Del Conca Gresini) were constantly snapping at the heels of any rider who was ahead of them. The latter continues to amaze all and sundry – both in the paddock and those spectating from afar – as he can still barely walk following serious injury sustained during practice for the German Grand Prix back in July.

The race also provided a welcome return to form for Canet’s teammate and class veteran, Enea Bastianini. The Italian threw caution to the wind and produced a vintage display, reminding us all of his race-craft and why he was once tipped as the ‘next big thing’ in MotoGP. His second place finish behind his team-mate (his first podium of the season) was celebrated by his team as much as Canet’s victory.

Unfortunately, fans were denied a grandstand finish as, on the penultimate lap, Juanfran Guevara (RBA Boe Racing) suffered a heavy crash which left him lying unconscious at the side of the track. The red flag had to be shown, as an ambulance was required at the scene. The Spaniard was taken to hospital with concussion but it is believed that the rider sustained no serious injuries.

The red flag was a double-blow for the RBA team, as it had potentially cost their other rider, Gabriel Rodrigo a maiden Moto3 victory (who was demoted from 1st to 4th due to the lap-count-back rule). The Argentine has been the most improved rider this season, shaking off the unwanted title of ‘crash kid’ from last year. A regular at the sharp end during both qualifying and the races in 2017, there is no doubt that Rodrigo will start to win GPs sooner rather than later.

However, it was a truly wretched day for British Talent Team’s John McPhee. Despite qualifying on the second row in P4, a bad start off the line saw him consigned to scrap for the minor points places. The Scotsman has endured some terrible luck this season and after such a strong showing in the build up to the race, finishing in P13 will be a bitter pill to swallow.

Honorary mentions go to the two British wildcard riders – Tom Booth-Amos and Jake Archer (CityLifting RS Racing). Both riders have been running away with the Motostar series, which supports the British Superbike Championship, this year. Before Friday, neither had any first-hand Grand Prix experience, or ridden on Dunlop tyres. Across the weekend, both riders turned heads with immaculate displays. Unfortunately for Archer, his race was cut short with a technical problem 3 laps from the end. Booth-Amos however secured P21, finishing ahead of series stalwarts such as Jakub Kornfeil, Jules Danilo and Maria Herrera. It is hard to imagine that the British Grand Prix will be their last appearance in the class.

Race Result:

1: Aron Canet 35:53.028

2: Enea Bastianini + 0.063

3: Jorge Martin + 0.111

4: Gabriel Rodrigo + 0.232

5: Joan Mir + 0.455

The 2017 Moto3 World Championship resumes at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, September 8th-10th.

Report by Ed Hocknull – @EdHocknull

The historic Silverstone circuit plays host to the 12th round of a Moto3 championship that seems all but over, with Leopard Racing’s Joan Mir leading the rest of the field by 64 points. This is the highest leading margin in the lightweight class since Alvaro Bautista lead Mika Kallio by 69 points at this stage in 2006.

Barring a catastrophic final seven rounds, Mir looks to be well in control of this championship. His comfortable victory at the Red Bull Ring last time out was his seventh win in 11 races. The last rider to do something similar I hear you ask? None other than Valentino Rossi, who was victorious in nine of the first 11 rounds back in 1997.

Those stats alone shows just how impressive the 19 year-old has been this year and you’ll be kidding yourself if you think his fine form won’t continue on British soil. Last year, Mir crossed the line in ninth place at Silverstone after starting fifth. If normal service resumes, we can expect a result that consolidates his mammoth title lead this time round.

Realistically, despite a sizeable chunk of the season to go, the likes of Romano Fenati (Marinelli Rivacold Snipers Honda), Aron Canet (Estrella Galicia 0,0) and the walking wounded Jorge Martin (Del Conca Gresini Moto3) will battle it out to be best of the rest.

Second in the championship Fenati failed to keep the pressure on Mir in Austria as he came home in a disappointing 13th place, his equal worst finishing result of the season so far (his other coming at his home round, Mugello).

The Italian has a Spaniard close for company as Canet continues to impress, he crossed the line in a solid fifth position at the red Bull Ring. Canet will go well this weekend, having finished eighth last year and has since gained plenty of experience at the ripe old age of just 17. One of the paddock’s best upcoming talents, be sure to watch out for him.

The spotlight will be on Scotland’s finest John McPhee, as he and the British Talent Cup Team will look to entertain their home crowd for the first time together. The ever popular Brit will have the backing from pretty much every spectator all weekend and after a positive season, he’ll be right up there battling for the podium come race day.

Replicating his victory at Brno last season will be his aim, his only win in Moto3 to date. The experienced lightweight class rider will thrive on the home support as he goes in search of his fourth podium of the season.

A big shout out to City Lifting/RS Racing duo Thomas Booth-Amos and Jake Archer too, as they make their grand prix debuts this weekend as wildcards. Be sure to back them all weekend from the grandstands. They’ve so far dominated the British Motostar championship on their Ryan Saxelby prepared KTMs.

As usual, the Moto3 class never disappoints on race day. A gaggle of riders will be battling it out for the lead right up to Luffield and Woodcote. Will Mir extend his championship lead, or can the chasing pack claw something back? Do not miss a moment of action.

Elliott York – @journoyork