BSB Assen Preview: Brookes and Byrne to Hunt Down Haslam Abroad

The penultimate round of the 2017 MCE British Superbike Championship beckons and this weekend, it comes from Assen, just outside of Groningen in the north of The Netherlands. The circuit – which was added to the championship back in 2012 – hosted two phenomenal races in 2016, both of which were won by former WSBK Superstar, Leon Haslam – who will be looking to do the same again this year, especially after a new deal was announced on Wednesday, to remain in his current team. Out to stop him in his tracks however are Josh Brookes and Shane Byrne. Both Brookes and Byrne have won around Assen and will use their own knowledge of racing at world level to combat Haslam in the races. You can’t discount the other showdown contenders either, with Jake Dixon having had podiums in the Supersport category in 2015. Peter Hickman and Jason O’Halloran need a strong showing here to be in with any realistic chance of championship glory at Brands Hatch.

Leon Haslam leads the championship coming into Assen. This is the first time he has led the championship since he last left Oulton Park, back in May. For the last three seasons, whoever has left the 11th round of the championship in the lead has gone on to win it at Brands Hatch. With Haslam boasting a 22-point advantage over Josh Brookes, that is a daunting statistic for the opposition. On top of that, Haslam won both races at Assen last season and has three World Superbike podiums to his name at the circuit. However, despite his success at the ‘Cathedral of Speed’, we shouldn’t write off anyone else from matching him or beating him, especially Josh Brookes.

Josh Brookes was a World Superbike race leader at Assen in 2016, showcasing his talents on an ill-handling Milwaukee BMW in wet weather. Brookes has three British Superbike wins at the circuit,  one other podium and has finished in the top four in every BSB race he has finished in at Assen. Brookes has however had three DNFs at the track but that won’t phase the Aussie, who is hunting for his 2nd British Superbike championship, looking to become the only Australian to be a double-BSB champion. Of all the riders on the grid, the 34-year-old has won the most races at the track (3), which sets the stage for a titanic head-to-head scrap with Haslam.

Shane Byrne currently sits in the bronze medallist position in the standings, with just one point separating him from arch-rival Josh Brookes. Byrne has had two wins at the circuit but has only had two podiums at Assen between his last win and 2017 – both of which were 2nd place finishes last season. A Ducati has never won at Assen in BSB, so that will be another record that ‘Shakey’ will want to set straight whilst in The Netherlands. Byrne has just five wins to his name – his lowest tally of wins prior to the 11th round of the championship since 2012 – which he eventually won. Could the 40-year-old turn statistics upside down?

Jake Dixon will be tackling the TT Circuit Assen for the first time on a Superbike. Having sustained hip injuries at Oulton Park last year, he missed this round, so he is effectively in the identical situation to Bradley Ray. Dixon has shone at Assen in the past, with two podiums in 2015. Dixon has already shown that this year, he can turn up to a circuit and re-invent himself as a rider and be competitive from the start. Kawasaki won both races as a manufacturer last season, so the bike is a proven winner. It all depends on how quickly young Dixon can adapt. Then again, that is not to say ‘discount him’. He is just 30 points off Leon Haslam’s series lead and that may well come down a few points if Jake can take on the established trio at the front of the field.

Peter Hickman hasn’t had a podium since race two at Cadwell Park but he has scored points in all but one race so far this season. The Smith’s BMW ace will be hoping that he extends his consistency on the other side of the North Sea, at Assen – a circuit where he has just two top-tens and a best finish of 7th, back in 2013. BMW have never won a race at Assen in BSB, although Hickman will be hoping to change that on Sunday. If results don’t go Hicky’s way, then it could be all over for him by the time we get to Brands Hatch, two weeks later.

Jason O’Halloran comes to Assen as the last rider in the Showdown, in sixth place. Back in 2013, O’Halloran scored two podiums for Honda in the British Supersport category and in 2016 – the next time he raced at Assen, he was 5th and 3rd, setting the fastest lap in race one and starting from pole in race two. Assen has to be treated as a turning point in the Showdown for O’Halloran, who trails series leader Haslam by 54 points. It could all be over by Brands if things don’t work out in Jason’s favour this weekend but to make it to the Showdown with a new bike is an achievement in itself – one that a lot of pundits did not expect.

Whatever happens this weekend at Assen, it is sure to set us up with a thrilling climax to the year at Brands Hatch two weeks later. Throw into the mix the likes of Christian Iddon, Luke Mossey, Bradley Ray and the McAMS Yamaha pairing of James Ellison and Michael Laverty and you have a big opportunity for potential upset – not to mention the in-form Dan Linfoot.

Thanks to Pete Backhurst for the image.

Brookes Talks Tough ahead of Assen

Josh Brookes has stated that he and his Anvil Hire Tag Racing Yamaha outfit “should be winning races” this weekend, ahead of Assen in the Netherlands. It is the penultimate round of the season, with Brands Hatch being the Grand Finale two weeks after.

The former BSB champion started by saying, “Every round of the Championship is equally as important, most people try to push you to say something different but it reality is, it’s the same environment that I’m going into”, seemingly not feeling pressure ahead of this weekend.

“How I felt about the Championship at round one is the same now. I want to win it, I want to do the best job I can and I hope the team can work perfectly together and make the results that we need, so we can at least feel satisfied that we gave it our best”.

The 34-year-old continued, saying, “At the last round, I felt I gave it all I could but the results didn’t reflect what we were all capable of. But looking forward, if we do everything the best we can, and I’m riding as good as I can, then we should be winning races”.

Josh is the most successful BSB rider at Assen, with three wins and a podium finish. He also led the World Superbike race in the wet last year.

“I like Assen, it’s special for the British Championship because we get to go overseas and although many British fans head over, you also get a lot of Dutch fans and they are passionate for their motorsport, and the people there create a good atmosphere for racing”.

“I can’t control the points gap to me and Leon, I can only control what I do. Of course, I want to make a great weekend and if I’m winning races that will make it special and memorable. The focus for me is to try and conduct myself the best way I can, ride every session as strong as I can to give the team the best feedback so we can improve the bike if it needs it.”

A double win for Brookes would take the gap down to a maximum of 12 points, depending where Haslam finishes in relation to that. Brookes, Haslam and Shane Byrne have the most wins at the track, meaning we could be in for a three-way scrap on Sunday.

Image by Peter Backhurst

Mossey and Haslam Retain Rides with Bournemouth Kawasaki in 2018

The JG Speedfit Bournemouth Kawasaki outfit will remain the same for 2018, with current championship leader Leon Haslam and BSB race-winner Luke Mossey staying for another season. Despite rumours that Leon Haslam would go to WSBK with Pucetti Kawasaki and that Jason O’Halloran was to replace him, the team will remain unchanged. This means it will be the 2nd consecutive season that ‘Pocket Rocket’ Leon Haslam will ride for the team and the fourth consecutive year that Luke Mossey rides for Pete Extance’s outfit.

Despite the initial goal being to have both Kawasaki riders in the Showdown in 2017, Pete Extance told ThePitCrewOnline that ‘Skywalker’ Mossey had “done enough” to retain a place in the team, saying that “he has demonstrated enough to show that he can get into the Showdown”. Haslam was speculated to return to World Superbikes with Pucetti Racing from May this season but that deal has reportedly already gone to Sylvain Guintoli.

Both riders have endured an injury hit 2017, with both suffering vertebrae injuries. Leon Haslam also picked up a fractured skull in his accident at Knockhill, Scotland.

Haslam and Mossey have just five wins between them in 2017 compared to the official team of GB Moto Kawasaki in 2016, who had achieved eight by the same point last year and had finished with a total of 10. However, the 2017 season is much closer and there has been a larger spread of winners – a total of nine prior to round 11.

The JG Speedfit Bournemouth Kawasaki will now head to Assen in The Netherlands, as Leon Haslam pursues a repeat performance of last season – as he achieved a double victory.

Images by Peter Backhurst

Pete Extance Q&A: Lets Focus on Winning the Championship

Pete Extance sat down with us at Oulton Park, to talk all things 2017 and his season thus far, as well as what is beyond the season’s end and his plans for next season. As well as that, we talk a lot about the bad luck of this year and the injuries that have seemingly plagued the team since Knockhill, in June.

Since we last sat down, things haven’t been stellar. Has it been difficult since Knockhill?

It’s been a very difficult season so far. It started last time we were at Oulton Park when Leon crashed into the back of James Ellison. Then, Leon came back to Knockhill and unfortunately, fractured his skull and the top of his vertebrae. This led to him being very stiff at Snetterton and whilst he did come back, it was a painful comeback for him. From then on in, it’s been very up and down. The momentum has seemingly stopped going – until we came here! He was full of confidence and our results have been really good this weekend.

For Luke, we actually think that he should’ve won at Knockhill – he was fastest by half a second. He came away with a 2nd and a 4th and whilst that wasn’t ideal, Luke led the championship when we left Knockhill. The momentum, again, has not been with us on Luke’s side either. He had a warm-up crash at Snetterton, which resulted in unfortunately having brake issues. It is difficult to test brakes and each time we thought we fixed them, we found out we hadn’t! This persisted for three races. Going to Thruxton, he was full of confidence. In FP3, he caught the back wheel on the grass going down the main straight and unfortunately, that resulted in him having a broken vertebrae – so both riders have had similar injuries. Luke is still struggling now and I think we maybe came back a fortnight too early. Luke really is in pain in the fast corners, which is why he pulled out of race one and opted not to run in race two.

Were you surprised that Luke’s crash in FP3 at Thruxton led to such bad injuries?

We were definitely surprised that it happened to us again but I guess it is the luck of the draw. That crash could’ve resulted in Luke not being collected by the bike and then walking away. I’m a firm believer that the Dainese suit does protect you and next year, Luke’s Spidi suit will have an airbag too. I think that will help a lot of riders.

Do you regret Luke coming back so soon?

I don’t we can in all honesty. It was a riders decision and his dad’s decision to come back. However, going into race three at Silverstone, he was tying on points with Jake Dixon, so on another day, it could’ve been Jake crashing and Luke finishing high enough to get in the Showdown. Of course, it is difficult with hindsight but I believe firmly that the right decision was made and again, last weeks decision was also down to the Mossey family.

Will team orders be employed – as we spoke about them last time?

Luke will definitely get involved and hopefully get on the podium and upset some other riders and their positions. Being realistic, we have to look at Brands Hatch and not Assen, as Luke is still in pain. It isn’t really about team orders, it’s about Luke showing that he is a team player and that if he was ahead of Leon, then he wouldn’t hold him up and he would help him as much as possible. I have never been in this position so we will just have to wait and see.

With you not being in this position before, does that make it even harder?

It does but I think the races will unfold. We aren’t going to be running riders out wide and slowing our race down to annoy them – you can’t mess about with 220BHP Superbikes. If Luke was leading and Leon had to win to take the title, we would be foolish not to allow Leon through because that is what teams are about. Luke’s contract for 2018 does not rely on helping Leon. Luke has shown us enough this season – his professionalism has been superb. He has demonstrated to me that he deserves a ride for next year with us and that he can make a Showdown place.

Does Luke not getting into the Showdown take pressure off you as far not having to worry about which rider wins?

It definitely does! It isn’t a stress that I want but you have to look at the championship this year, Luke hasn’t been out of the Showdown placings until Silverstone was over. Unfortunately, there has been too many crashes and DNFs and too many injuries. However, it has made him stronger, hungrier and more determined than ever to deliver a successful 2018.

On the subject of 2018, what are your plans going into next season?

We are in contact with both riders at the moment. Nothing is signed and sealed as there is a lot of movement in the paddock at the moment. Our ideal scenario is to keep continuity but it is a very tough part of the season. On Wednesday the 27th of September, we will be announcing our plans for 2018.

The fact that Leon was wanted by Pucetti didn’t bother us too much. We spoke about it as a team. Leon’s contract is with Kawasaki but also it is with the team. It had to take its course and I didn’t have any influence on Leon leaving or staying. I just hope that the guys we employ to look after Leon are doing a good enough job for Leon. If we can win it this year and Leon stays, I’d love to defend it next season. If Leon doesn’t stay with the team, then lets focus on winning it anyway!

There have been three or four riders out of the top nine in the championship that have been in touch. Whether that is a genuine enquiry about riding for us or using it as a leverage against their own teams, I’m not sure. It’s great for us that we are being looked at by riders but at the same time, we need to concentrate on the remainder of this season too!

Aside from riders, are there any changes in your team – e.g, machinery, re-entering a support class?

Not at all, everything stays the same. Our contract is with Kawasaki and that also stipulates that we can’t do a support class. The plan is to become championship winners with Leon and also manufacturers champions with Luke, Leon and Jake Dixon’s points too. Whilst we are the official team, it has been great that Jake has played his part too.

The Isle of Man TT and the North West 200 are still being spoken about. We have never missed the TT since we’ve been running a team but again, I can’t sit here and categorically say that we have or haven’’t signed a rider for the roads but we would like to shortly.

Would it be annoying for you if a more ‘privateer’ team in Lee Hardy’s outfit beat you to the title?

As a team owner, that would be annoying! However, the championship is so close and Jake is at the top of his game. The machinery is very similar and I believe we may even share the same engine tuners. When you have a rider like Jake, it is always going to be tough. We are looking to be the Kawasaki team that wins the championship but if we aren’t, then I will be the first to congratulate the crew at RAF Regular and Reserves!

Image by Peter Backhurst.

Aprilia and Espargaro Take Best Result Yet

Aprilia finished closer to a victory than ever before in the premier class, just under seven seconds away from Marc Marquez on Sunday at Aragon. Aleix Espargaro used a good qualifying position to give him an advantage late on in the race, with the Aprilia once again demonstrating how user-friendly its tyres are.

“I think everyone had fun today! It is not often that so many riders are so close all the way to the chequered flag in MotoGP”, began an elated Aleix Espargaro, picking up his second 6th place of the season.

“It was a hard race, but I liked it. At a certain point, I thought that I might be able to have a go at fourth place with Valentino and Maverick but when there were only a few laps left, they picked up their pace and I had to settle”, continued the Spaniard – who took his only premier class podium at Aragon in 2014.

Aleix Espargaro’s result means that he leaps to 14th in the championship, just three points behind 12th, occupied by Jack Miller.

“I any case, I am satisfied with the sixth place finish, but especially with the gap behind the winner. We are improving constantly and we demonstrate this basically every weekend. Unfortunately, we have been lacking consistent race results”, said Aleix, highlighting that top six positions need to be happening on a more regular basis.

“In any case, we still have four rounds to go on tracks that I really like, so I want to finish this season well”.

Image by: MotoGP

Jorge Navarro Impresses, Sunday was ‘Bittersweet’

Jorge Navarro had his joint best result of the season at Aragon on Sunday, as he finished sixth and top Spanish rider in the Moto2 race. The Federal Oil Gresini rider qualified sixth, just 0.186 off of a first ever intermediate class pole position. It was the strongest weekend the Spaniard has had so far in Moto2, showing much promise and potential from the get-go on Friday morning.

“It’s been a good race, although it left a bittersweet taste in my mouth. Yesterday, I had the pace to stay with the leaders, but today with different conditions my feeling changed”, said the former Moto3 race winner.

“It has been a positive weekend nevertheless, maybe the best of the season and surely the best race start of the year”, he continued. Navarro has had a solid debut season in the intermediate class, scoring points in every race that he has finished in.

“I enjoyed the battle with Corsi – one of the most expert riders in the class – and I’m sure it’ll help my learning curve”, he concluded.

Whilst not being able to reach the podiums of fellow rookie and Kalex rider, Francesco Bagnaia, Jorge has nonetheless been impressive. He is just seven points away from finishing in the top 10, with another rookie, Brad Binder, currently holding onto that position. He is only one point ahead of Italian, Luca Marini.

Image by: MotoGP

BREAKING: Buchan in at FS3 Kawasaki for Assen

Danny Buchan will ride the FS3 Kawasaki for the 11th round of the British Superbike Championship at Assen in The Netherlands. The 24-year-old currently rides for Steve Buckenham’s Morello Kawasaki team in the National Superstock 1000 championship, which he leads by 15 points.

The FS3 Kawasaki team have been without their main rider, Billy McConnell, since he crashed out spectacularly at Thruxton, back in August.

Former British Supersport champion Luke Stapleford filled in for the team at Silverstone, as he had no World Supersport commitments. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to deputise at Oulton Park.

Danny Buchan will be making a welcome return the British Superbike championship, where he last made an appearance on Dave Tyson’s Tsingtao Kawasaki last season, finishing a high of 11th at Cadwell Park, on an older Kawasaki compared to others on the grid. The ‘Basildon Bullet’ has 10 victories to his name so far this season in the National Superstock 1000 championship. Buchan has two podiums to his name in British Superbikes, with 3rd and 2nd in 2015 – also riding a Kawasaki.

It is no secret that the former National Superstock 1000 rider wants to return to British Superbike, with FS3 providing the ideal chance for him to showcase his ability on a Superbike. Some pundits have criticised Danny for supposedly ‘not being able to ride without traction control’.

The Assen round starts on the 29th of September, with main race day commencing on the 1st of October. Race one starts at 11:15 and race two from 15:30 British time. Both races are scheduled to be run over 18 laps.

Thanks to Peter Backhurst for the image.

Mir Takes Controversial Win in Moto3

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

Morbidelli takes on Pasini in Thrilling Moto2 Race

Franco Morbidelli took a scintillating victory in front of a capacity Aragon crowd during the Moto2 race, beating Mattia Pasini in one of the closest races of the season. Portuguese rider and pole-sitter, Miguel Oliveira completed the podium and had there been another lap, he may have even gone better. 2nd place man in the championship, Tom Luthi, took 4th ahead of a courageous Brad Binder, to keep his championship hopes alive.

The race got underway and initially, Oliveira took the lead but Morbidelli wasted no time in making his way to the front. Tom Luthi, who started 7th, was up to third by turn 5, whilst Mattia Pasini headed a returning Alex Marquez.

Morbidelli escaped as Oliveira and Pasini battled, with the Italian getting the upper-hand on this occasion. Alex Marquez also made his way passed the KTM rider, whilst Tom Luthi was only 5th, as he dropped back despite challenging early on. Luthi hadn’t looked like a serious front-runner all weekend.

Talking of dropping back, Alex Marquez was now in 8th place and involved in a tight scrap with German, Sandro Cortese and Japanese rider, Takaaki Nakagami. After Cortese negotiated his way passed the fading Marc VDS rider, Nakagami had a go. Takaaki and Alex clashed at the final corner, both very lucky to stay aboard their Kalex bikes.

Jorge Navarro was having a mega ride, as he duelled with Moto2 hard-man, Simone Corsi. On the ninth lap, he was promoted to top Spanish rider, as Marquez faded back. Alex retired a lap later, complaining of hip pains, stemming from his monster crash during Misano FP1.

At the front, the lead that Morbidelli had built up was being whittled away and soon, Pasini had savaged the 1.9s he had to make up. An audacious move at the end of the straight on lap 13 – after a two failed attempts previously – saw Morbidelli cut back under him but the elder statesman couldn’t fend off the young pretender, who gapped him within the first few corners.

Despite Pasini briefly getting away, Morbidelli reeled him back in and before long, the two Italians were scrapping once more. Championship leader Morbidelli retook the lead on lap 17 and led across the line for the remainder of the race – although Mattia Pasini made it a lot harder than it sounds!

On the final lap, Pasini dived up the inside at turn 5, holding onto the position as Morbidelli tried to cut back and get the drive up the short straight, through turn 6 and into the tight turn 7. Morbidelli set up a pass at the Corkscrew. He set the move up in turn 8 and executed it at turn 9, sitting Pasini up in the process. Despite Pasini’s best efforts, he couldn’t topple Morbidelli, who took his 8th victory of the season. Pasini was a sporting 2nd as the two shook hands – it was Pasini’s third podium of the year.

Miguel Oliveira closed in rapidly on the final lap but couldn’t quite reach the leading two, finishing third to take his sixth podium of the season. Luthi’s race was more damage limitation, as he took 4th ahead of a sensational Brad Binder, who came from 20th on the grid to finish 5th. This was the first time that KTM had both of their Moto2 bikes inside the top 5.

Jorge Navarro remained top Spaniard, taking his joint best finish of the season in 6th, ahead of Simone Corsi, who was again, top Speed Up. Nakagami finished 8th, with Sandro Cortese finishing 9th. Francesco Bagnaia completed the top 10 – the first time that he has finished inside the top 10 across all classes at Aragon.

Quartararo beat Aegerter and Baldassarri, with Vierge and Manzi completing the point scorers. Stefano Manzi finished in a point-scoring placing for a 3rd race in 2017. The Italian has started to come good, as he was 10th when he crashed out at Misano – although he won’t be riding at the VR46 outfit in 2018. Aegerter and Baldassarri could be considered disappointments of the day, as the Swiss won the previous race in Misano and Baldassarri was 7th in the event last year.

The championship now heads to Japan in the Far East and the Motegi circuit. Tom Luthi won the Moto2 race at Motegi in 2014 and 2016, so he has good form at the track, whereas Morbidelli has just the one podium from last season. Alex Marquez also won at the circuit – twice in Moto2, firstly in 2013 but also a year later, in 2014.

Top 5 Championship Standings

1.) Franco Morbidelli     248

2.) Thomas Luthi            227

3.) Miguel Oliveira          157

4.) Alex Marquez            155

5.) Francesco Bagnaia 130

Image by: MotoGP

Marquez Leads Repsol Honda 1-2 at Aragon

Marc Marquez took victory at Aragon for the MotoGP race, ahead of teammate Dani Pedrosa and Ducati’s Jorge Lorenzo, in an action packed race – which also saw the return of Valentino Rossi from injury.

The race got underway and immediately, Jorge Lorenzo took the lead, with Maverick Vinales and Valentino Rossi in behind. Quickly, Rossi got passed his teammate and set off after the Ducati rider, who had an 0.8s lead by the end of the first lap. Marc Marquez had a difficult start and was in 5th place, behind the second factory Ducati, Andrea Dovizioso.

Maverick Vinales dropped back in the early stages, becoming mired in a battle for 5th with Dani Pedrosa, Aleix Espargaro, Mika Kallio, Cal Crutchlow, Johann Zarco, Pol Espargaro and Andrea Iannone. The front four escaped and were all within a second of each other.

On lap nine, Marquez tried an outrageous manoeuvre on Valentino Rossi at the turn 12 bus-stop, however, he narrowly missed colliding with the Italian and had to let the brakes off, running up the inside of Jorge Lorenzo before going off track and rejoining back in fourth. It was a very close call!

Karel Abraham was the first crasher of the race, at turn eight – similar to his teammate Alvaro Bautista yesterday. Karel was up and OK. This marked the Czech’s first retirement since the French Grand Prix at Le Mans in May. It also highlighted that Karel and Aragon don’t get on, as he only has one points-scoring finish to his name, with 9th in 2012.

Marquez hit 2nd place on the 12th lap, taking Rossi in the final bend, keeping a tight inside line whereas Valentino opted for a fast, sweeping run up over the hill and down the start/finish straight. Marquez held on. It was at this point where we realised two things: Marquez’ pace wasn’t an issue after his 2nd row qualifying and that Valentino Rossi’s valiant effort was coming to an end, as he start to fatigue, now that the second half of the race was underway.

Cal Crutchlow crashed on lap 16, seven laps from home. He had just been passed by a struggling Johann Zarco. Crutchlow started fourth on the grid and was 10th when he crashed out of proceedings. It was Crutchlow’s fourth retirement of the year and also meant that he didn’t capitalise on taking Danilo Petrucci’s 7th in the championship, as the Italian failed to score a point.

On the same lap, we saw our first change of leader. Marquez dive-bombed Lorenzo into the turn 12 bus-stop, going wide initially but cutting back to retain the advantage. Going into turn 16, Lorenzo used the power of the Ducati and took the lead back momentarily, before Marquez cut underneath him and got the inside line through turn 17 and across the line. The cheers of the Spanish fans told us that Aragon really is Marc Marquez territory.

Also on the 16th lap, Dani Pedrosa passed Valentino Rossi, after passing Dovizioso and Vinales in previous laps. Pedrosa now had around a second of clear track ahead of him before he would be able to mount a challenge on 5-time champion, Jorge Lorenzo. Pedrosa had preserved his tyre and whilst Marquez was too far ahead he did catch Jorge, setting the fastest lap in the process.

Pedrosa passed Lorenzo at the bus-stop, replicating his teammate’s move on the Ducati ace a few laps previous. Pedrosa held his line and romped away from Lorenzo. It was now a Repsol Honda 1-2. That is how it remained until the end, with Marquez holding off Pedrosa’s late surge and Jorge Lorenzo’s Ducati. It was the first 1-2 for Honda at the Aragon Grand Prix since Casey Stoner and Dani Pedrosa in 2011, as well as Ducati’s first podium at Aragon since Cal Crutchlow in 2014.

Valentino Rossi, despite his most determined efforts, was pipped by teammate Maverick Vinales, as the two factory Yamahas finished 4th and 5th. Aleix Espargaro and Aprilia took 6th, highlighting once more that the Aprilia’s is very user-friendly with tyres. Andrea Dovizioso was pummelled back to 7th and now trails Marquez by 16 points in the championship going to Japan, whilst Alvaro Bautista was the best privateer Ducati, finishing in 8th. Johann Zarco salvaged 9th and Pol Espargaro emerged from the shadow of test-rider and wildcard, Mika Kallio, to complete the top 10.

Kallio in turn finished 11th, whilst Iannone struggled to 12th – although he finished as top Suzuki. Jack Miller was 13th and top independent Honda, with Britain’s Scott Redding behind him in 14th. Esteve Rabat made it a double point-scoring finish for the Marc VDS squad, taking 15th and the final point of the day.

The championship now takes a two weekend sabbatical before returning to the Land of the Rising Sun – Japan. Motegi beckons next on the calendar but unlike last year, Marc Marquez can’t wrap the series up at this meeting. The top five are the only riders that have a mathematical chance of the championship going into the closing stages of a phenomenal season of Grand Prix racing.

Top 5 Championship Standings

1.) Marc Marquez        224

2.) Andrea Dovizioso 208

3.) Maverick Vinales  196

4.) Dani Pedrosa          170

5.) Valentino Rossi     168

Image by: MotoGP

©2014-2024 ThePitCrewOnline