Many early two-way tussles ensued, including the Monster Yamaha Tech 3
duo of Cal Crutchlow and Andrea Dovizioso, as well as Ducati Team’s
Nicky Hayden and LCR Honda MotoGP’s Stefan Bradl. With 27 laps to go,
San Carlo Honda Gresini’s Michele Pirro retired with a mechanical issue,
while a lap later Spies ran wide and let Lorenzo into third, to chase
down the Repsol Hondas.
As Speed Master’s Mattia Pasini crashed out of the race with 25 laps
left, Spies’ mistake had let the tussling Monster Yamaha Tech 3 pair
catch up, with Dovizioso and Crutchlow switching places as they looked
for a way past Spies. The following group was joined by Ducati Team’s
Valentino Rossi and Pramac Racing Team’s Héctor Barberá, as they made it
another four-way scrap with Hayden and Bradl.
Two laps on, both Dovizioso and Crutchlow made it past Spies, who
looked to be slowing, as the Repsol Honda pair started to pull out a gap
at the front. Meanwhile, San Carlo’s Álvaro Bautista, who had started
at the back of the grid, had made his way up to 11th in front on the CRT
contingent.
With 17 laps remaining, with Crutchlow all over the back wheel of his
Italian teammate, Spies had caught back up to the pair, as the trio
fought a three-way Yamaha scrap. At the front, Stoner and Pedrosa were
engrossed in an inter-team battle, while Lorenzo was dropping off
slightly in third, though still with a significantly margin over the
following group.
And with 12 laps left Pedrosa made his move past Stoner into turn
one, shortly after which the Austrian had a big wobble on his bike
trying to keep up with the Spaniard. However, this was just momentary,
as Stoner continued to stick to Pedrosa’s rear wheel. With just seven
laps remaining the three-way Yamaha tussle was getting ever more fierce
as Crutchlow continued to look for a way past Dovizioso in fourth. It
was however not to be as the Brit out-braked himself going into turn one
and ran into the gravel. He managed to keep his bike upright yet
re-joined behind Bautista, leaving Spies and Dovizioso to fight it out
alone.
The last few laps were a thrilling affair as Stoner and Pedrosa were
neck and neck, but there was huge drama in the final turns as Stoner
crashed out chasing down the Spaniard. Pedrosa was setting a record pace
as he fought hard for his maiden win of the season, and crossed the
finish line first in front of Jorge Lorenzo and Andrea Dovizioso, who
recorded his third podium this season. This result puts Lorenzo 14
points clear in the championship with Pedrosa now in second, a further
four points ahead of Stoner in third. The first non-podium finisher was
Ben Spies in fourth, followed by Bradl and Rossi, whose sixth place was
his best dry result this season. Bautista, Crutchlow, Barberá and Hayden
complete the top ten, while Power Electronics Aspar’s Randy de Puniet
finished as top CRT bike in 11th.
At the start it was Márquez who took the
holeshot followed by Marc VDS Racing Team’s Mika Kallio and Blusens
Avintia’s Julián Simón. Kallio’s teammate Scott Redding crashed out in
the first set of bends as he made contact with Mapfre Aspar Team’s Toni
Elías. In the early laps, as Márquez and Kallio pulled out a small gap
from the followers, an entertaining tussle ensured behind for third with
Speed Master’s Andrea Iannone, Tech 3 Racing team duo Bradley Smith and
Xavier Siméon, as well as Simón.
With 26 laps remaining, Iannone had caught up to the front two and
made his move on Kallio to hunt down Márquez. Further down the group,
Simón had dropped off, with Technomag-CIP’s Dominique Aegerter and NGM
Mobile Forward Racing’s Alex de Angelis charging up the filed. Pons 40
HP Tuenti’s Pol Espargaró had in the meantime worked his way up to
eighth place after starting in 17th.
Two laps later, Elías crashed out of the race, while Iannone
continued to heap ever more pressure on Márquez. A lap later Espargaró
did tremendously well to save a near crash, though he did drop back some
positions. To add to the excitement, with 21 laps to go Iannone made
his pass on Márquez, with the Spaniard taking him back almost
immediately. On the same lap, JiR Moto2’s Brazilian youngster Eric
Granado crashed out after running off into the gravel.
Following this there was drama at the front as Iannone crashed out
pushing too hard into turn one, though was able to re-join the race in
26th. With 15 laps remaining De Angelis made a move on Kallio at turn
12, but the Finn got the better drive out of the corner and re-took
second. Espargaró made a near identical move on Corsi into fifth, before
the duo took Smith, who was pushed down to sixth. A few laps later De
Angelis had another go and made it stick that time, as Espargaró started
to hunt down the front three. GP Team Switzerland’s Randy Krummenacher
crashed out of the race on the same lap, yet was unhurt in the incident.
Interwetten-Paddock’s Tom Lüthi, who did not have a good start,
managed to pass Smith into sixth, as he began to pick up some pace.
Meanwhile Espargaró’s teammate Axel Pons’ miserable weekend continued as
he pulled into the pits with a problem. NGM’s Yuki Takahashi also
suffered an issue, whilst QMMF Racing Team’s Elena Rosell had to head
into the pits with a problem. Thai Honda PTT Gresini Moto2’s Ratthapark
Wilairot and S/Master Speed Up’s Alessandro Andreozzi also crashed out
of the race.
The race had settled down in the latter stages, however it was Kallio
who provided a last gasp of excitement two laps before the end as he
passed De Angelis into turn one to take second place. De Angelis tried
to retake him in the final corner yet ran wide, giving the Finn the
better drive out of the bend.
Ultimately it was Márquez who took the chequered flag for his fourth
win this year, with Kallio and De Angelis both taking their first podium
of the season. Márquez now leads the championship by 43 points ahead of
Espargaró, who finished fourth. They were followed by Lüthi, Corsi,
Smith, Siméon, Italtrans Racing Team’s Claudio Corti and Dominique
Aegerter.
Moto3: Cortese conquers tricky conditions for home victory in Germany
After the skies opened just before the Moto3™ race at the eni
Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland at the Sachsenring it was Red Bull KTM
Ajo’s Sandro Cortese who coped best with some difficult conditions to
take a first home win ahead of Alexis Masbou and Luis Salom.
JHK Laglisse’s Adrián Martín got the holeshot
ahead of Caretta Technology’s Jack Miller with Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Danny
Kent in tow. Most riders looked very tentative at the start, yet Racing
Team Germany’s Louis Rossi made his way through the field and soon came
up behind Miller and Martín, who had swapped positions at the front.
Rossi pushed into second with 25 laps left, as a group with RW Racing
GP’s Luis Salom, his teammate Brad Binder, IodaRacing Team’s Jonas
Folger and Redox-Ongetta-Centro Seta’s Jakub Kornfeil formed behind.
The start had not been ideal for Folger’s teammate Luigi Morciano,
who had to start from pit lane as he has already used up his engine
allocation for the year, while Mapfre Aspar Team Moto3’s Héctor Faubel
stalled his bike on the grid. As Miller looked comfortable at the front,
Kent’s teammate Cortese and AirAsia-SIC-Ajo’s Zulfahmi Khairuddin had
caught up to the back of Kornfeil, who had dropped off from his group
slightly.
With 17 laps remaining Salom made a mistake running into turn one
letting through Martín into third and Binder into fourth. Martín made
use of his new position as he put a bold move in on Rossi to charge
further up into second. In another twist to the race, the sun had come
out with all its force, creating a quick-drying line in some places.
Three laps on, Ambrogio Next Racing’s Giulian Pedone retired from the
race, while a lap later Salom went past Rossi in turn one to take
second spot. Miller’s teammate Alexis Masbou was a man on a mission as
he carved his way through the pack on the drying line. Miller was taken
by Salom for first shortly after, as more and more riders were learning
to cope with the changing conditions.
As the overtaking melee began at the front Masbou took the lead with
Cortese up into second, in front of Miller. With ten laps left there was
heartache for German fans as Folger’s race was ended with a bike issue,
as was Moto FGR’s Jasper Iwema. With seven laps to go Martín was caught
out as he crashed heading into turn seven, but walked away unscathed.
The latter stages of the race also saw Binder crash out at turn 11,
while a group of Masbou, Cortese and Salom had formed at the front. In
the meantime, Danny Kent had returned to the pits with a bike issue,
while Faubel’s teammate Alberto Moncayo also suffered a mechanical
problem. With two laps to go, Mahindra Racing’s Marcel Schrotter made it
the second German rider out of the race with a crash.
In the final two laps there was drama at the front as Rossi retired
with a mechanical issue from fifth, as Cortese diced with Masbou for the
win. And it was ultimately the local Cortese who kept his nerve to
become the first German to win at the newly-built Sachsenring and retake
the lead in the championship, with Masbou taking his first ever Grand
Prix podium and Salom completing the top three.
This result now puts Cortese at the top of the championship
standings, 18 points ahead of Blusens Avintia’s Maverick Viñales, who
finished in 17th. Behind the winning trio was Miller, JHK Laglisse’s
Efrén Vázquez, Khairuddin, Faubel, Freudenberg Racing Team’s wildcard
Luca Gruenwald, Red Bull’s Arthur Sissis and Jakub Kornfeil.
