Category: Moto3

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Francesco Bagnaia (Pull&Bear Aspar Mahindra) took his second ever career win at Sepang International Circuit, as he escaped at the front ahead of a demolition derby through the field – with Jakub Kornfeil (Drive M7 SIC Racing Team) taking second for an amazing home result for the SIC team, ahead of another rookie podium for Dutchman Bo Bendsneyder (Red Bull KTM Ajo).

A largely dry track, high ambient temperatures and a full Moto3™ grid characterized the start of the race, before the drama began early and went on to claim almost half the field. There were high rates of attrition on Lap 1, with a first incident at Turn 2 seeing Andrea Migno (Sky Racing Team VR46) losing control of his KTM and making contact with RBA Racing’s Juanfran Guevara to take both out of the race. Ayumu Sasaki, replacing injured Enea Bastianini at Gresini Racing Moto3, was another early casualty as the 2015 SAATC winner and 2016 Red Bull Rookies Champion retired.

There was then a crash at Turn 6 on Lap 1, as Jorge Martin (Pull&Bear Aspar Mahindra) caused a domino effect crash through the racing line on the corner, with Nicolo Bulega (Sky Racing Team VR46), Aron Canet (Estrella Galicia 0,0) and Philipp Oettl (Schedl Racing GP) caught up in the incident.

The next drama saw the lead group suddenly shaken up at Turn 7 – after local hero Adam Norrodin (Drive M7 SIC Racing Team) also fell at the corner – when World Champion Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo), Joan Mir (Leopard Racing), Lorenzo Dalla Porta (Sky Racing Team) and Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing Moto3) all slid out in unbelievable unison – leaving Bagnaia free at the front to build an incredible lead of over three seconds. Binder and Dalla Porta rejoined, but out of the points and lapped.

Jorge Navarro (Estrella Galicia 0,0) then crashed at the final corner, losing out on the chance to haul in absent Bastianini for P2 in the title, as a missed gear at the end of the back straight put paid to his chances at points – leaving the top six in the Championship again unable to score in the Moto3™ race, after a similar situation in Phillip Island one week earlier.

Turn 9 then claimed two casualties as Ongetta-Rivacold teammates Niccolo Antonelli and Jules Danilo crashed out in separate but almost simultaneous incidents, with only Antonelli able to remount and remaining in the points.
At the front, Bagnaia was building his lead over four seconds with 12 laps to go, with Jakub Kornfeil, Bo Bendsneyder and RBA Racing’s Gabriel Rodrigo next on track in the second group. Fabio Quartararo (Leopard Racing) found himself in space on the chase, with World Champion Binder coming back out to rejoin the race after repairs and then sharing the track with the Frenchman.

The battle over sixth saw local hero Khairul Idham Pawi (Honda Team Asia), Andrea Locatelli (Leopard Racing), Maria Herrera (MH6 Team) and Marcos Ramirez (Platinum Bay Real Estate) locked together on track, with Livio Loi (RW Racing GP BV) in tenth but back from the group, fighting to catch up.

After a trip through pitlane, it was the South African World Champion on the move despite being down the order in terms of position, as he passed Quartararo and Rodrigo to unlap himself at least once – his superior pace allowing him the chance – as Frenchman Quartararo started to reel in the podium places.

Lapped Dalla Porta moved over to let the podium fight through, with Bendsneyder taking advantage to take Kornfeil for P2, as Binder did the same to allow Quartararo back past for the chance to continue his charge towards the podium.

A crash for Maria Herrera at Turn 15 in an incident with Livio Loi then prefaced a Red Flag, and with well over two thirds of race distance completed, the results would stand – with the positions determined by standings on Lap 13 as the last full lap completed by the whole field; a dramatic end for a melodrama of a race.

Bagnaia therefore took his second career victory by an incredible margin, free at the front in an impressive, concentrated ride, with Kornfeil taking P2 by virtue of his position on Lap 13, and rookie Bo Bendsneyder completing the podium.

Quartararo was fourth as he lost the laps needed to reel in the podium, with teammate Locatelli further back but completing the top five. Marcos Ramirez took another fantastic haul of points in sixth, with Rodrigo, home hero Pawi and Loi in P7, P8 and P9 respectively, despite an apparent problem for the Belgian by Lap 15 when the flag came out. Darryn Binder was tenth in another impressive ride after his P4 in Australia, completing a double top ten for the Platinum Bay Real Estate team.

The season finale now awaits, as the Circuit de Ricardo Tormo in Valencia gets ready for the Moto3™ grid for the last lights out of 2016.

Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

Shortened race of 10 laps after a Red Flag sees South African World Champion take the honours – ahead of a 16 rider fight for the podium

Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) took a stunning win from pole at Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, clear at the front as chaos reigned the Moto3™ class in a 16-rider battle for P3. Andrea Locatelli (Leopard Racing) followed the South African home in second, with Aron Canet (Estrella Galicia 0,0) taking his first career podium in third after winning the last lap group battle.

After a weekend of rain, wind and grey skies, Sunday finally dawned bright at Phillip Island, and Warm Up saw laptimes lower for the majority after a mixed Saturday – as the skies remained perfect blue above the Moto3™ grid lining up to race.

An original race saw crashes early on for some of the frontrunners – including key protagonists of the Rookie of the Year battle Joan Mir (Leopard Racing) and Nicolo Bulega (Sky Racing Team VR46) – with a crash at Lukey Heights then seeing John McPhee (Peugeot MC Saxoprint) crash out and collect a number of other riders – including Jorge Navarro (Estrella Galicia 0,0) and Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing Moto3). The red flag came out, with a re-started race set for a distance of ten laps.

Bastianini was unable to make the restart, but Navarro lined up once again for the new race – as did Fabio Quartararo, with the Frenchman once again starting form the back after having been disqualified from his P2 qualifying position due to a technical infringement. Having fought up into second before the red flag, the Leopard Racing rider then faced the prospect of doing the task all over again.

The restart saw Binder and Locatelli escaping at the front, before the South African 2016 Moto3™ World Champion began to pull away, leaving Locatelli in a lonely P2. Further back, the battle for third saw riders heading into Doohan Corner eight wide, with the classic Moto3™ freight train creating a 16 rider battle to complete the podium.

Quartararo was unable to repeat his heroics from before the race start, and there were further crashers who then were out of podium contention – including Jorge Navarro after a touch from Bo Bendsneyder (Red Bull KTM Ajo), and Turn 4 casualty Niccolo Antonelli (Ongetta-Rivacold). Brad Binder’s younger brother Darryn (Platinum Bay Real Estate) then saw the penultimate lap of the race become a duel for the podium with Aron Canet as the two broke free from the group slightly. Canet just took the honour with a slipstream over the line, with Darryn Binder nevertheless taking his career best finish in P4.

The top five was completed by Livio Loi (RW Racing BV GP), ahead of Jorge Martin (Pull&Bear Aspar Mahindra) and Darryn Binder’s teammate Marcos Ramirez. Hiroki Ono (Honda Team Asia) and Jules Danilo (Ongetta-Rivacold) were P8 and P9, with Bendsneyder locking out the top ten.

Third down to tenth was covered by just over seven tenths of a second in the incredible battle – with Fabio Quartararo in P12 still within a second of the podium.

With DNFs for so many of those in the top echelons of the points standings, Binder stretched his lead in the Championship – although already crowned Champion – with Bastianini and Navarro not scoring in the fight over P2, and all three riders locked in the battle for Rookie of the Year – Mir, Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing Moto3) and Bulega – were also all unable to see the flag.

Another incredible battle will see Moto3™ take over Sepang International Circuit next weekend, as the slipstream specialists take on the incredible final straight, Turn 15 and main straight combination – with a new track surface and some new cambers.

Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

A crazy race today for the Moto3 at Phillip Island circuit, signed by lots of crashes, incidents and a red flag, at the sixth lap, which obliged riders to a race interruption and a second start. Niccolò Antonelli, starting from the sixth row on the grid, avoided the crashes of the first part of the race but, at the first lap of the second start, lost the front at the corner 4 without any possibility to rejoin the race.Good performance of his teammate Jules Danilo who, after a series of races in the rear, came back to the the top ten. The French rider fought with the group ahead in the second race and crossed the finishing line in ninth position.

Niccolò Antonelli: The tyre was still cold

“The first race wasn’t so bad, I was recovering many positions and the feeling with the bike was good. Then, at the start of the second race, during my first lap, the front closed at corner 4 and I crashed, probably because the tyre was still cold and as I was too large in that corner. It’s a shame but we have to look ahead and think of Malaysia”.

Jules Danilo: Luckily I was not involved in any crashes

“It was a crazy race today, with lots of overtakes and lots of crashes. In the first race I managed to pass many riders in the first two corners and, luckily I was not involved in the crashes of the riders in front of me. In the second race I did a good start and I was trying to catch Rodrigo. Then there was a hard fight with the front group and I did only one mistake, I tried to go in the front of the group too early and I lost too many positions. Anyway, we are happy of the result, finally in the top ten again after some difficult races and the top fifteen of the World Standing is still possible. Thanks to all the team for the great job”.

Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

Gresini Racing Team Moto3 racers Enea Bastianini and Fabio Di Giannantonio were forced to retire in today’s Australian Grand Prix at the Phillip Island circuit: after a great start from the sixth and seventh row of the grid and both already in the leading group after just two laps, the two 18-year-old riders were faultlessly involved in race incidents in which they could not avoid the crash.

Fabio Di Giannantonio, who started down in 19th place and incredibly third at the beginning of the third lap, was touched by Gabriel Rodrigo on the fourth lap: a contact which caused him to lose the front end and led him to crash, involving also Francesco Bagnaia.

The incident that unfortunately took out of the race also Enea Bastianini occurred shortly after, on lap six: the rider from Rimini could not avoid the bike of John McPhee crashed in front of him and he fell, then being hit later by Jorge Navarro’s bike. Later Enea had a CT scan which revealed the presence of a fracture of the T9 vertebra and of one rib: a decision on his participation in the Malaysian Grand Prix will be made in the coming days, after further checks on his physical condition.

Bastianini: I have a crack vertebra

“In the first laps I was able to recover many positions and my the feeling with the bike was good: I felt I had the pace to stay in the leading group. Then, on the sixth lap, McPhee lost the front and fell in front of me and Migno. I could not avoid his bike, I crashed and while I was on the ground Navarro hit me. The checks showed that a vertebra was cracked, so now I just need to get some rest, then in the next days we will see if I can race in Malaysia”.

Di Giannantonio: I think I could get a good result

“It’s a real shame, because I had a perfect start and the first two laps of the race were probably the best of my career! I was able to recover many positions and I found myself in the leading group, then at some point I saw that Binder was starting to push hard, so I tried to overtake Bagnaia at the hairpin. Rodrigo, however, came very fast on the inside: I only saw him on the last moment and I couldn’t do anything to avoid a contact. He touched me, making me lose the front and I crashed, involving Bagnaia. I was doing a great race and I think I could get a good result: I’m very sorry because I really loved this track from the first moment and especially I could collect important points for the Rookie of the Year trophy”.

Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

The riders of the Ongetta Rivacold Racing team, Niccolò Antonelli and Jules Danilo, are ready to face the first of the three consecutive extra-european races, taking place at Twin Ring Motegi, theater of the fifteenth round of the season. The Japanese race will precede Phillip Island (Australia) and Sepang (Malaysia) rounds. The Twin Ring Motegi circuit, built by Honda, is 4.8 km long and has 14 corners, 6 left and 8 right. Last year, on a wet track, Niccolò Antonelli got his second win in career and, with his 25 points, gave Honda the constructor title, which was missing since 2001.

Niccolò Antonelli: I eally like Motegi

“The Twin Ring of Motegi is a track I really like, last year I got my second win here. It will be important to work well and turn a lot. In the first sessions I will do as many laps as possible alone in order to find a good pace and be ready for the race”.

Jules Danilo:I am sure we can do a good race

“After a couple of weeks of hard training with the bike I am looking forward to start turning here in Japan, on a track I really like. We know how to solve the problems we had in the last few races so, if we start working well at the beginning of the weekend, I am sure we can do a good race. In the last four rounds I didn’t get the results I hoped so I want to come back soon in the top fifteen in the Championship classification”.

Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

MotorLand Aragon hosts this weekend round 14 of the 2016 Moto3 World Championship: after having narrowly missed out on victory with Enea Bastianini and collecting another positive Top Ten finish with Fabio Di Giannantonio at Misano, the Gresini Racing Team Moto3 arrives in Spain confident to get another good result.

Bastianini, in particular, is going through a period of great form and he’s keen to attack Championship leader Brad Binder and try to get a win, which he missed out at Misano for just a few tenths under the checkered flag. The 18-year-old rider from Rimini, now second in the overall standings, enjoyed a great race at Aragon in 2015, setting the pole position with the new track record and fighting in the leading group until the final corners, when a contact with Binder led him to crash.

Aragon promises to be a favorable track also for Fabio Di Giannantonio: the 17-year-old rookie from Rome got the last of his three victories last year in the MotoGP Rookies Cup on the Spanish track. Always in the Top Ten in the last eight races, “Diggia” will try to bring home other important points in the fight for the “Rookie of the Year” trophy, in which he is opposed to Nicolò Bulega and Joan Mir.

Bastianini: I’ve always liked Aragon

“Aragon is a track I’ve always liked a lot and last year we have been very competitive: after starting from pole position, I was fighting for the win on the final lap, when unfortunately I made a mistake touching Binder and crashing. This year we will try to be fast right from the start of the weekend, as it’s happening lately, in order to work well and get prepared for the race. Binder has a great advantage in the standings, but we still try to attack and we won’t give up until the math keeps us in the game!”.

Di Giannantonio: I expected better in Misano

“Honestly I was expecting to get a better result at Misano, although all in all we again hit the target to enter the top ten. Aragon is a track that I quite like and I know very well, having raced there for two seasons in the MotoGP Rookies Cup. Therefore we head to Spain ready to have fun and to do our best to get a good result!”.

Kiko Giles

Only a Brad Binder in great shape prevented Enea Bastianini to claim the victory in today’s Grand Prix of San Marino and Riviera di Rimini at Misano: the Gresini Racing Team Moto3 rider fought till the very last lap to try to replicate the last year’s stunning victory on his home circuit, but the South African to defend well in the last corner, thus cross the finish line in front of Bastianini for 0.2 seconds.

Enea still rode a great race: after a good start, together with Binder he opened a gap over the other riders of the leading group and from lap nine onwards he followed closely from behind the South African rival. The 18-year-old rider from Rimini then passed Binder with five laps to go, taking the lead. Passed again by Binder just a few corners from the chequered flag, Enea launched his final attack on the last corner, but Binder was very good closing the inside line. With this second place Bastianini is now in second place in the overall standings with 123 points.

The other Gresini Racing Team Moto3 rider, Fabio Di Giannantonio, crossed the finish line in tenth position: the 17-year-old rookie from Rome therefore clinched another top ten finish in a still difficult race. After losing some ground in the early stages, “Diggia” had to push to catch the leading group, struggling with tyres from mid-race onwards.

Bastianini: The goal is to keep second in the championship

“Binder maintained a good pace throughout the race, and today he really made the difference. When I was following him closely, maybe it could appear that it was easy for me, but only because I didn’t want to pass him in the long straight to not break the rhythm: by doing so we were able to open a gap on the other riders. Later, in the final stages of the race, I passed Binder to take the lead, but then he was good to pass me again, winning the race. Too bad only for the final attack: I felt strong enough in the last corner, and after his pass I was already thinking to fight back on that corner. Brad was good to close the inside line though, and it was not possible to pass. Now I’m second in the championship: Binder is far away, so the goal is to keep the second position, but as long as we have a possibility, we will always try to attack, till the end!”

Di Giannantonio: The bike was moving a lot

“At the start of the race I immediately pushed hard to try to stay in the leading group, but another rider made me lose a bit of time and therefore I had to close the gap, pushing again. In a few laps I was able to catch the group, however, because of this effort midway through the race I started to struggle with tyres. The bike was moving a lot, especially at the rear, and in the last few laps it was really difficult to keep pushing. For this reason I had to settle for tenth position”.

Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

Fabio Di Giannantonio has quite honestly burst onto the scene from absolutely nowhere this season. Former Red Bull Rookies runner-up and CIV Champion, he was granted the opportunity of a lifetime to ride for such an established team like Gresini Racing. The young Italian first caught my attention however back at the end of last season, when he finished 23rd at the Valencian Grand Prix and most certainly hasn’t failed to deliver since.

His first points this season came at Mugello, in a race that had us all glued to the edge of our seats, as well as keeping our eyes glued on the 10 abreast battle in front. ‘Digia’ stormed his way through to finish just 0.038 behind winner Brad Binder. He hasn’t been out of the top 10 since and he has taken two further podiums! 2nd place at Assen, finishing just 0.039 behind winner Pecco Bagnaia and also a 3rd place in horrendously wet conditions at Brno, 10 seconds off winner, John McPhee.

However, it is Fabio’s British Grand Prix that I want to talk about. He proved he can battle in a group, put brave last lap-last corner passes on others and has proved that he can ride exceptionally well in the wet (5th in Germany), but at Silverstone he proved that he can also charge through the field from well down in qualifying. Starting from 25th on the grid in one of the most competitive fields in motorcycling is not ideal, but Fabio was up to 14th place by the end of the first lap! I said to someone on Twitter just before the race: “Keep your eyes on Di Giannantonio”. But I never expected him to be that rapid! The front 7 escaped the attentions of the rest, well, they thought they had. Di Giannantonio bridged nearly a 2 second gap to join the leading group, in the end to finish are hard earned 6th place!

The way he bridged the gap was sheer class. There are five possible slipstreaming areas at Silverstone on a Moto3 bike, so to bridge the gap all on his own is even more impressive, as it highlights that he doesn’t need anyone’s help as he has the outright pace on his own. It reminded me a little bit of Valentino Rossi in his dominant years – most of all, 2007 at Assen – when he just chipped away until he arrived on the back of the leaders. To come through from outside the top 20 is almost unheard of, but I suppose we better give a shout out to Stefano Manzi, who came through from 34th on the grid to finish 4th as a wildcard!

Mark my words; Fabio Di Giannantonio will be world champion. Not just in Moto3 but in Moto2 and MotoGP, because the kid has raw talent and raw speed. He’s not crashed too often, he’s kept a cool head in all situations and has already got his future confirmed with Gresini Racing for 2017. Will he be able to win at Misano this weekend? If he does, then I am taking all the credit! Just kidding, only most of it.

Follow @MotoGPKiko for more news on all things bikes and @PitCrew_Online for all things two and four wheeled!

After the British GP, he said this: “I’m very happy, it was a fantastic race and it’s a great feeling to finish sixth starting from the 25th position! At the beginning of the race I immediately recovered several positions thanks to a perfect start, then I was able to take the lead of the second group in order to try to close the gap to the leaders. Since I reached the leading group, we had an ardently battle till the end, so much that I have my leathers marked in several areas! In the end I did my best to try to get on the podium, but the fight was very close and when Manzi made Navarro crash in front of me, the first three were able to open a little gap. At that point I still didn’t lose heart and I continued to push hard, but in the end the podium was not possible. However that’s okay, now we look forward to Misano!”.

Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

 

Despite spots of rain punctuating morning Warm Up for the MotoGP™ grid, Moto3™ got out on a dry track as the weather held off – grey skies and cool temperatures, but dry asphalt for the first showdown of the day. Francesco Bagnaia (PULL&BEAR Aspar Mahindra) got a good start from his first ever pole position, with P2 on the grid Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing Moto3) dueling with his compatriot for the lead as the lights went out.

The large lead group headed away from the pack and was soon joined by the early superstar of the race, as Jorge Navarro (Estrella Galicia 0,0) sliced through the field from P18 on the grid to hit the lead after only a handful of laps. Navarro, who won in the Catalan GP and has since had a more difficult run of races after breaking his leg in a training accident, was seven tenths clear in FP3 before the rain hit qualifying, and showed his pace in the incredible comeback. Another incredible ride back from lower on the grid came from Mahindra Racing rider Stefano Manzi as the Italian moved up from far back on the grid to join the lead group. With Nicolo Bulega (Sky Racing Team VR46) in P11 the last man in the incredible train at the front, the group dueled it out with riders heading for apexes four or five wide – and no one able to escape.

The last few laps saw the chaos truly break free in a classic Moto3™ battle, before a move from Manzi took Navarro out, with Andrea Migno (Sky Racing Team VR46) unable to avoid the crashing Spaniard. Navarro remained down for a few moments as he recovered from the impact.

As the last lap dawned, it was a Red Bull KTM Ajo 1-2 with Binder leading rookie teammate Bo Bendsneyder ahead of polesitter Bagnaia, with the key mover on the last lap proving the Italian as he pushed his way past into P2 to take another podium on the Mahindra machine. With the lack of points score after Navarro’s fall, Binder increased his championship lead by another big chunk of points with his stunningly-judged win. The South African put the pedal to the metal on the last lap to break away from his teammate just behind, getting a gap that proved just enough for him to cross the line ahead and leave the chaos in the dust. After taking their first win in Assen earlier in the year and announcing his move to Moto2™ next season, Bagnaia is on good form as the paddock heads for his home round and Mahindra’s 100th race in the world championship. The Italian’s calm and well-executed move on Bendsneyder was another good example of his growing experience, like his pole lap in the difficult conditions of Saturday afternoon. Bendsneyder, in turn, took his first podium with a stunning performance to come home P3, despite losing out on the final lap to Bagnaia. Dueling in the front group throughout the race in the Dutchman’s most impressive performance to date, the rookie and former Red Bull Rookie had some incredible moves throughout, staying calm and crossing the line for the first Dutch podium since Assen in 1994.

As the lead three broke away from the chaos behind, Manzi shook off compatriot Bulega to come home in an impressive P4, despite the incident with Navarro, and Bulega completed the top five. Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing Moto3) put in another impressive rookie ride to P6, heading more experienced compatriots Niccolo Antonelli (Ongetta-Rivacold) and ‘Diggia”s teammate Bastianini. Aron Canet (Estrella Galicia 0,0) was the lead Spaniard in P9, ahead of fellow rookie and 2015 FIM CEV Repsol Moto3™ rival Joan Mir (Leopard Racing). Mir was subsequently demoted a position for exceeding track limits, promoting Jorge Martin (PULL&BEAR Aspar Mahindra) into the top ten. Later, Antonelli was then disqualified for a technical infringement and those behind moved one place up the order.

The next race sees Moto3™ lead the charge at Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, after the ‘Beast’ Enea Bastianini took the win – his first – in 2015, with Binder now a staggering 86 points clear at the head of the table.

Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko