WorldSSP300 to see new format in 2019

2019 FIM Supersport 300 World Championship

The FIM Supersport 300 World Championship is set for an overhaul in 2019, the exceedingly popular feeder class will be split into two groups next season, with a grid of 30 of the most competitive to make up the race grid on Sunday.

World Supersport 300
World Supersport 300

With the WorldSSP300 entry list increasing for 2019, participants will be separated into two groups of riders for both Free Practice and Qualifying. At the end of Qualifying, the top 30 on the combined timesheets will make up Sunday’s grid.

For all riders who qualify outside of the top 30, there will be one final opportunity to line up on the grid. Saturday afternoon will welcome a ‘last chance’ race, and the top six over the line will compete in Sunday’s main race.

WorldSBK 2018 - Misano Preview - Supersport 300
WorldSBK Supersport 300

These changes are aimed at providing close racing, with only the fastest and toughest riders battling their way through the entire weekend. The additional benefit is offering an even greater opportunity to young riders, who will get even more chance to gain experience out on track.

On top of the changes, 2019 will see WorldSSP300 fly out to Qatar to compete around the Losail International Circuit in the final round of the season. Adding the third category to the Qatar Round, WorldSSP300 will light up the end of the season.

World Supersport 300
World Supersport 300
Fabio Muner, FIM Sports Director

“We consider WorldSSP300 a very successful springboard to the WorldSBK series for our young athletes. The 2019 changes will provide even closer races than before, with only the fastest and toughest riders battling their way through the entire weekend. Offering an even greater opportunity to young riders, increasing the racing experiences and adding new international locations, there will be even more chance to gain experience out on track and will make for exciting viewing for the fans.”

World Supersport 300
World Supersport 300
Gregorio Lavilla, WorldSBK Sporting Director

“We have been delighted by the success of the WorldSSP300 series since the inaugural season back in 2017, and we are always looking for ways to offer greater experience for riders out on track. By bringing in this new format, we are giving young riders more track time, more opportunities to impress, and plenty more chances to entertain the fans. WorldSSP300 will be racing outside of the European Rounds in 2019, which we feel is a natural step in the expansion. Our long term goal is to see young talents grow, and to make this a true feeder class into WorldSSP and ultimately, WorldSBK.”

Coppola has closed in on the WSSP300 lead
WSSP300

Source: MCNews.com.au

Moto News | WESS | GNCC | Trials | Endurocross | Beach Racing

Moto News Weekly Wrap

October 30, 2018

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Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax

Proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax


What Went Down Last Weekend?

  • World Enduro Super Series (WESS) – Gotland Grand National – Sweden
  • GNCC – Ironman, Indianapolis
  • AMA EnduroCross Series – Everett, WA
  • French Beach Racing Championship – Loon-Plage
  • FIM Oceania Trial Championship – Christchurch, NZ
  • Dean Wilson Confirmed for AUS-X Open
  • Pauls Jonass Signs with Husqvarna
  • Seewer Second at Sugo
  • Young Returns for Wildwood Rock
  • S-X Open Auckland to host KTM Junior Supercross Challenge
  • What Racing is Left for 2018?

World Enduro Super Series (WESS) –
Gotland Grand National – Sweden

The wild and muddy Gotland Grand National saw Swedish riders fill the podium at round seven of the World Enduro Super Series but it was Albin Elowson (Husqvarna) who ultimately claimed victory while Billy Bolt recovered well to finish 13th overall and maintain his overall lead in the WESS championship standings with one round remaining.

WESS Gotland Rnd Atmos
2018 Gotland Grand National – WESS Round 7

With torrential rain on the Friday night coupled with over 3000 competitors the conditions turning incredibly muddy for the 35th edition of the iconic event so it was the local riders who faired best in the deteriorating conditions with Elowson securing his maiden GGN win over Robert Kvarnstrom and Ken Bengtson while Taddy Blazusiak, who was by far the best of the WESS stars, worked hard in the final stages of the race to claim fourth ahead of another local in Sebastian Martensson.

For WESS the title contenders, Spain’s Josep Garcia crossed the finish line in 12th to slightly close the gap to series leader Bolt, who finished 13th. Although holding 25th with one lap remaining, a crash in the closing stages of the race pushed Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM – Germany) back to 43rd overall.

WESS Gotland Rnd Joakim Ljunggren FM
2018 Gotland Grand National – WESS Round 7

With just the final round of the championship remaining, Bolt extends his advantage over Lettenbichler to 275 points. Garcia, in third, closes to within 445 points of the second placed Lettenbichler. Blazusiak’s fourth place result at GGN sees him move up to fourth overall, but more importantly he now sits just 25 points behind Garcia as the race to become this year’s ULTIMATE ENDURO CHAMPION soon moves to The Netherlands for Red Bull Knock Out.

The World Enduro Super Series concludes with the eighth and final round with the iconic Red Bull Knockout on November the 10th.

Albin Elowson

“I’m so happy to take the win here in Gotland. I knew I had the speed before the race, but you never know what can happen around here, especially in these conditions. I got a decent start and tried to make some passes in the early chaos. I had a good fight with Robert Kvarnstrom but after the first pit stop I was able to open up a small gap and managed to maintain that lead for the whole race. Overall, I felt good and was happy with my pace. I went through a lot of goggles – that’s one of the main things at this race, you have to keep your eyes clear in order to ride properly. Also, a big thanks to the team. They were great and both pit stops were excellent. Finally, it’s good to be able to show what I am capable of – especially with the GGN now part of WESS. I know I have the speed, I just have to build my confidence a little and hopefully I can get some more good results in the future.”

WESS Gotland Rnd Albin Elowson Podium
Albin Olowson – 2018 Gotland Grand National – WESS Round 7
Robert Kvarnstrom

“That was a really tough race. It was so wet and so muddy. I think it was one of the toughest editions of GGN that we’ve ever done. I got a good start and was running with Albin Elowson early on, but a few mistakes and some issues with the traffic cost me time and he gapped me. After that I just rode my own race. I found some more speed towards the end, but it wasn’t quite enough to pressure Albin for the lead. Congratulations to him for the win – I’ll have to come back next year and fight for the victory again.”

WESS Gotland Rnd Robert Kvarnstrom FM
Robert Kvarnstrom – 2018 Gotland Grand National – WESS Round 7
Taddy Blazusiak

“To finish fourth for my first time riding this race and in these conditions is a result I’m pleased with. GGN is a unique race and one the Swedish riders clearly excel at. With the weather turning bad, it was always going to be difficult to match their experience in this type of mud. But I feel we did a good job – we worked well as a team to adapt to the changes and challenges we faced, as they happened. In total I only had two small crashes, but I did struggle with keeping clear vision especially in traffic and that cost me some time. But like I said, fourth is a good day and I’m happy with that.”

WESS Gotland Rnd Atmos
2018 Gotland Grand National – WESS Round 7
Billy Bolt

“I had a tough first lap. Another rider crashed in front of me and I managed to stop, but then someone else crashed into me from behind and we were all stuck in a mud puddle. I got going again but got mixed up in another crash and went down again – that’s when I broke the throttle tube. I made the mistake of stopping to try and fix it and lost so many places as a result. After the first pit stop I was able to push on a bit more and regain some places. I’m a little bit disappointed not to have finished higher – I think without the problems I could have – but importantly I have stretched my lead at the top of the standings as we now look towards the final round in Holland.”

WESS Gotland Rnd Billy Bolt FM
Billy Bolt – 2018 Gotland Grand National – WESS Round 7
Graham Jarvis

“That was really tough, it was hard to learn the terrain and hard to get into it early on. It was difficult to know how much grip there was because there were a few slippery places but in other places it wasn’t too bad, just very muddy. It took a while to get a bit more confident but when I did I was faster on the last few laps. It was hard to get warmed up and get going early on, but that was the same for everybody.”

Alfredo Gomez

“It was so cold out there today – I don’t think any of us expected it to be so tough. The first half of the race went well, but after that my brake pads wore out and everything got a lot more challenging. I think my riding was good but as the race went on I started to get very cold and it was tricky to keep to a good pace.”

WESS Gotland Rnd alfredo gomez FM
Alfredo Gomez – 2018 Gotland Grand National – WESS Round 7

Results – Gotland Grand National, WESS Round 7

  1. Albin Elowson (Husqvarna) 6 laps, 2:59:02;
  2. Robert Kvarnstrom (Yamaha) 3:01:52;
  3. Ken Bengston (Husqvarna) 3:03:38;
  4. Taddy Blazusiak (KTM) 3:06:59;
  5. Sebastian Martensson (Husqvarna) 3:08:33;
  6. Johan Carlsson (Husqvarna) 3:08:42;
  7. Calle Bjerkert (Husqvarna) 3:10:10;
  8. Joakim Ljunggren (KTM) 3:10:44;
  9. Oskar Ljunstrom (Husqvarna) 3:11:08;
  10. Marcus Gothenberg (Husqvarna) 3:11:16
    …13. Billy Bolt (Husqvarna) 3:14:24
    …27. Graham Jarvis (Husqvarna) 3:22.54
    …32. Alfredo Gomez (Husqvarna) 3:26:05

World Enduro Super Series Standings (After Round 7)

  1. Billy Bolt (Husqvarna) 4420pts;
  2. Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM) 4145pts;
  3. Josep Garcia (KTM) 3700pts;
  4. Taddy Blazusiak (KTM) 3675pts;
  5. Wade Young 3220pts;
  6. Nathan Watson (KTM) 3103pts;
  7. Paul Bolton (KTM) 3092pts;
  8. Graham Jarvis (Husqvarna) 3010pts;
  9. Jonny Walker (KTM) 2900pts;
  10. Lars Enockl (Gas Gas) 2272pts

GNCC – Ironman, Indianapolis

Last weekend’s AMSOIL Ironman GNCC signified the end of the 2018 season with well over 1000 competitors taking to the woods in Crawfordsville, Indiana for the 24th annual event and it was Steward Baylor Jr. came away with his first overall win of the season while Ben Kelly wrapped up the XC2 championship.

XC1: As the race began it was Ryan Sipes grabbing the early lead however, after a crash on the first lap Sipes would come through timing and scoring in eleventh place. Ultimately Sipes would end his day early after pulling off during the second lap.

GNCC Ironman Indianapolis Steward Baylor Jr KH
Steward Baylor Jr. – Image by Ken Hill

Trevor Bollinger held the lead early in the race, battling with Baylor Jr. throughout the duration of the race, while Josh Strang made his way through the pack after starting in the sixth place position so as the white flag came out, Strang had his sights set on Bollinger and would make the pass stick before the chequered flag flew.

Baylor Jr. took the win and wrapped up third place in the series while Strang and Bollinger rounded out the podium with Ricky Russell, Grant Baylor, Layne Michael, Pascal Rauchenecker, Jordan Ashburn and Andrew Delong rounded out the top ten.

GNCC Ironman Indianapolis Josh Strang KH
Josh Strang – Image by Ken Hill

XC1 Open Pro Event Results

  1. Steward Baylor (KTM)
  2. Josh Strang (HQV)
  3. Trevor Bollinger (HON)
  4. Ricky Russell (YAM)
  5. Grant Baylor (KTM)
  6. Layne Michael (HQV)
  7. Pascal Rauchenecker (HQV)
  8. Jordan Ashburn (BET)
  9. Andrew Delong (GAS)
  10. Jesse Groemm (KTM)

Overall National Championship Standings

  1. Kailub Russell (297)
  2. Thad Duvall (262)
  3. Steward Baylor Jr. (219)
  4. Trevor Bollinger (208)
  5. Ben Kelley (192)
  6. Josh Strang (189)
  7. Josh Toth (177)
  8. Ricky Russell (142)
  9. Grant Baylor (115)
  10. Craig Delong (104)
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Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax

XC2: As the XC2 250 Pro class took off it was Josh Toth grabbing the holeshot and early lead but Ben Kelley was soon leading the way and the overall on adjusted time. Toth would come through in second and the battle for the XC2 National Championship was on. The two would swap positions multiple times before Kelley was forced to pit where the KTM crew performed a tire change. Kelley would return to the race in second-place, with Toth reclaiming the lead.

GNCC Ironman Indianapolis Ben Kelley XC KH
Ken Belly XC2 – Image by Ken Hill

Toth would continue his charge, finishing ahead of Kelley for his sixth win of the season and also earning the second overall position against the XC1 Open Pro competitors. Kelley was able to put his head down and push on the final lap to bring home his first-career XC2 250 Pro Championship.

Beta USA’s Mike Witkowski has been steadily improving throughout the season, and after finishing fourth two weeks ago in Ohio he made the move into third this weekend. This marks Witkowski’s first XC2 podium appearance of the season, and his best finish on his Beta motorcycle while Craig Delong finished in the fourth place position, while Husqvarna-backed rider Evan Smith rounded out the top five.

GNCC Ironman Indianapolis Ben Kelley Josh Toth Mike Witkowski XC KH
XC2 Podium, Kelly, Toth, Witkowski – Image by Ken Hill

XC2 250 Pro Event Results

  1. Josh Toth (KTM)
  2. Ben Kelley (KTM)
  3. Mike Witkowski (BET)
  4. Craig Delong (HQV)
  5. Evan Smith (HQV)
  6. Austin Lee (HON)
  7. Jonathan Johnson (YAM)
  8. Brendan Riordan (YAM)
  9. Alex Teagarden (HQV)
  10. Hunter Neuwirth (YAM)

XC2 250 Pro Series Standings

  1. Ben Kelley (323)
  2. Josh Toth (305)
  3. Craig Delong (199)
  4. Austin Lee (170)
  5. Evan Smith (158)
  6. Mike Witkowski (147)
  7. Pascal Rauchenecker (145)
  8. Jonathan Johnson (141)
  9. Liam Draper (131)
  10. Zack Hayes (99)

XC3: When the FMF XC3 125 Pro-Am class took off it was the Sherco rider, Daniel Mundell taking the holeshot but it was Jesse Ansley taking the last win of the season. Chris Bach and Jake Froman would round of the FMF XC3 125 Pro-Am podium.

GNCC Ironman Indianapolis Jesse Ansley KH
Jesse Ansley XC3 – Image by Ken Hill

WXC: With the 10 a.m. race consisting of 893 riders, it was Aussie hard charger Tayla Jones who came through in second overall and first in WXC class followed by Becca Sheets, Rachel Gutish and Mackenzie Tricker.

GNCC Ironman Indianapolis Becca Sheets Tayla Jones Rachel Gutish WXC KH
WXC Podium – Becca Sheets, Tayla Jones, Rachel Gutish – Image by Ken Hill

AMA EnduroCross Series – Everett, WA

The Wind Arena in Everett hosted the penultimate round of the AMA EnduroCross Series and it was Colton Haaker who came away with the main event win after a race long battle with championship rival Cody Webb while Kyle Redmond rode a strong race to take the final podium spot.

Colton Haaker IMGTannerYeager
Colton Haaker – AMA EnduroCross – Image by Tanner Yeager

Behind the top three the racing was just as intense and it was Ty Cullins, Noah Kepple, Geoff Aaron, Cooper Abbott, Max Gerston, Keith Sweeten and Mason Ottersberg who rounded out the top ten.

With just the Boise, Idaho race next weekend remaining, Haaker holds a six-point advantage over Webb. Redmond holds third with Tremaine fourth and Aaron fifth. Ty Cullins is sixth and leading the Junior Championship for riders twenty-one and under.

Colton Haaker

“I finally won Everett. I have never won here, and I felt that tonight was critical for the championship because I didn’t want next week to be a game seven win or lose in Boise. The championship is not done but it is a little easier now. I knew it was getting close to the finish and Cody made a mistake coming out of the rocks. It was now or never so I committed to the double and he came over on me a little, but he backed out and, from there, I just needed one more clean lap. I am bummed about Ty (Tremaine) getting hurt but, as we came to lap them, our lines just came together.”

Colton Haaker IMGTannerYeager
Colton Haaker – AMA EnduroCross – Image by Tanner Yeager
Cody Webb

“That was tough for me to battle back and forth with Colton like that and this EnduroCross is tough. It was a great race and a great show for the crowd. We got really close when he passed me on that double. I had to pull out of that and I pushed to the end but ended up crashing in the rocks. I am happy that I rode better than I did in Denver but, of course, I am not happy about giving up the win.”

Kyle Redmond

“It was a great race. The track was super technical and tough, which suited my style. Me and Ty were battling for third in the championship and the race. Unfortunately, I think he got landed on. We were in a tight battle and they (Haaker and Webb) were in a tight battle and there was not enough room. I have worked really hard this year and I’m happy to get a good result.”

Colton Haaker IMGTannerYeager
Colton Haaker topped the podium from Cody Webb and Kyle Redmond – AMA EnduroCross – Image by Tanner Yeager

Main Event Results

  1. Colton Haaker, Husqvarna
  2. Cody Webb, KTM
  3. Kyle Redmond, Husqvarna
  4. Ty Cullins, Beta
  5. Noah Kepple, GasGas
  6. Geoff Aaron, GasGas
  7. Cooper Abbott, KTM
  8. Max Gerston, Beta
  9. Keith Sweeten, KTM
  10. Mason Ottersberg, Beta
  11. Cory Graffunder, Husqvarna
  12. Kevin Dupuis, Husqvarna
  13. Quinn Wentzel, Husqvarna
  14. Ty Tremaine, Beta

Super EnduroCross Championship Points

  1. Colton Haaker – 126 points
  2. Cody Webb – 120 points
  3. Kyle Redmond – 81 points
  4. Ty Tremaine – 80 points
  5. Geoff Aaron – 75 points
  6. Ty Cullins – 73 points
  7. Noah Kepple – 71 points
  8. Cooper Abbott – 65 points
  9. Mason Ottersberg – 45 points
  10. Dustin McCarthy – 44 points

French Beach Racing Championship – Loon-Plage

The second round of the 2018/19 French Beach Race Series was hosted by the Moto Club du Littoral at Loon-Plage in northern France and it was Yamaha’s Milko Potisek who took the win after 24 gruelling laps ahead of Jeffrey Dewulf (KTM) and Yentel Martens (Husqvarna).

French Beach Racing Loon Plage Yentel Martens
Yentel Martens

Series leader entering the Loon-Plage event following his winning performance at the opening round of the championship, Martens was forced to push hard during the opening laps of the race following a disappointing start. Completing the first lap down in 14th position he made up five places during the second lap to break inside the top 10.

Quickly up to sixth, he moved to third by the end of the fourth lap before hitting the front on lap five but on lap 11 he dropped to third which is where he finished.

Yentel Martens

“That was a tough race. I didn’t get a great start, so I had to work hard to get back to the front. I felt good during the early stages of the race – I was able to push hard and had a good rhythm going. After my pit stop I had some problems with my stomach. It was tough after that, but I’m happy. Apart from my stomach things were good – I’m pleased with third and look forward to the next round of the series.”

French Beach Racing Loon Plage Yentel Martens
Yentel Martens

Digging deep during the final laps of the race, KTM’s Camille Chapeliere moved into fifth with two laps remaining and held the position to the finish. He ended the race as the fifth and final rider to complete 24 laps.

Camille Chapeliere

“Today was a good day, but I had a little crash in the second lap and dropped back to 18th. It was difficult to get back and pass the riders ahead of me. But I had a good rhythm and after my first refuelling I was ninth. My team told me that I was riding well and push hard. I kept pushing and I was fifth at my second fuel stop. I was riding kind of alone during the final stages of the race. The track was good, very physical but I feel like I am working in a good direction and I’m looking forward to the next round of the series.”

French Beach Racing Loon Plage Camille Chapeliere
Camille Chapeliere

The series continues with round three in St Léger de Balson on December 1/2.

Results – French Beach Racing Championship, Loon-Plage

  1. Milko Potisek (Yamaha) 24 laps 2:30:42.7;
  2. Jeffrey Dewulf (KTM) 2:31:32.2;
  3. Yentel Martens (Husqvarna) 2:33:44.7;
  4. Daymond Martens (Yamaha) 2:35:11.8;
  5. Camille Chapeliere (KTM) 2:37:49.6
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Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax

FIM Oceania Trial Championship – Christchurch, NZ

Christchurch hosted the FIM Oceania Trial Championship last weekend and despite the tough conditions and strong competition, it was the Australian team of Kevin Zarczynski, Sarah Chivers and Tom Woodhouse who proudly returned the Championship Cup and Shield to its rightful home. Made up of three members;, Team Australia displayed true grit and perseverance as they faced tough conditions and competition right to the end.

FIM Oceania Trial Championship
Team Australia

Day one saw Zarczynski dominate to win the solo class while Junior class rider, Tom Woodhouse earned second place overall before Sarah Chivers, who tackled challenges throughout the day that impacted her overall score, landing her in third position.

Kevin Zarczynski

“We overcame many challenges over the weekend, the first being that it was a three-day competition, which is unusual for Tom and Sarah who have never ridden a three-day trial before. Second, the event was held at three different locations which is very different for Trial, because normally the entire event is held at one location. Third, we were in streams all day. Everything was wet and a totally foreign environment for our team who are well practiced in drier conditions.”

Regardless of these difficulties, the team continued to bring the fire in Day two, with Woodhouse maintaining his position in second place overall. But eyes were on Chivers who overcame the terrain to move on up to second place in the Women’s class.

Coming into the third and final day of the Championship, Australia and New Zealand went toe to toe in a fight right to the finish for the Championship Cup and Shield. Zarczynski maintained a dominant lead throughout the day to score first place, but it was the perseverance of his two team mates, Woodhouse and Chivers that saw Team Australia bring the glory back home. Woodhouse claimed third position for the day in the Junior’s class, whilst Chivers fought her way right to the top to dominate her rivals and take out first place in the Women’s class.

It was a Cinderella story moment for Chivers and her team as she scored that top position and helped restore the confidence she may have lost on Day One!

Sarah Chivers

“I was a little bit worried coming into the Championship, because I haven’t been able to compete as much this year. And the first day was such a shock! But by the last day I was really pleased with my riding and it ended up helping us make it over the line.”

Zarczynski could not be happier with the team’s end result.

Kevin Zarczynski

“It was a chance to have a new group of young riders that were competing in their first International Trial. Each member contributed to our overall win thanks to their focus and perseverance. It was all to play for on the last day. Our team improved throughout the weekend, especially in the streams, and eventually progressed to be on par with the local New Zealand riders. This was in particular for Sarah, who lost the first two days, but progressed enough to succeed in winning the last day.”

Coming into the Championship with a long family history of motorcycle sport, Woodhouse was thrilled with their efforts throughout the weekend.

Tom Woodhouse

“I was really excited coming in the event but having to adapt to a different bike hindered my initial efforts. I also found the streams slippery and difficult to handle but eventually I found the right grip and the rest is history.”

FIM Oceania Trial Championship
2018 FIM Oceania Trial Championship – Christchurch, NZ

In what ended up being an epic International showdown, the comradery and hospitality displayed by our New Zealand counterparts was nothing short of excellent.


Dean Wilson Confirmed for AUS-X Open

The Monster Energy AUS-X Open Sydney is shaping up to be a grand slam of the world’s best superstars this year, with the flying Scotsman – Dean Wilson confirmed for the November 9 and 10 blockbuster inside Qudos Bank Arena.

Aus-X Open - Dean Wilson
Aus-X Open 2017 – Dean Wilson

Wilson raced to a career-best seventh overall during this year’s Monster Energy FIM World Supercross Championship despite missing rounds due to injury and included his first ever 450cc SX1 Supercross podium coming at the Indianapolis round inside Lucas Oil Stadium.

Wilson won the Saturday Main-Event SX1 Final at the 2017 AUS-X Open and believes the event provides a perfect platform to bounce back into the international spotlight, as he looks to secure a factory ride for the 2019 World Supercross Championship.

Dean Wilson

“I’m super excited to be returning to the AUS-X Open again in 2018, It’s perfect timing for me to come down and really put in a good performance; with the high calibre names that are competing this year, if I can beat them, then I’m back on the international radar, which is what I’m aiming for.”

Dean Wilson
Dean Wilson

During last year’s event, the 26-year-old took top honours during the Saturday night final, backing that up with a strong second place on Sunday.

Dean Wilson

“Obviously last year went really well – I won the first night and then backed it up with a second on the second night, which was awesome. But just the overall atmosphere and vibe – to come and see Australia and Sydney during the summer time was incredible, and I can’t wait to head back down under.”

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Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax

Pauls Jonass Signs with Husqvarna

Husqvarna Motorcycles have signed Pauls Jonass to the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing MXGP team, where the 21-year-old Latvian will compete on Husqvarna’s FC 450 machine throughout the 2019 and 2020 seasons.

Pauls was crowned the 2011 85cc Junior World Champion, winning the 125cc Junior Motocross World Championship two years later the the World MX2 Championship in 2017 so at just 21 years of age, Jonass is one of the most promising young riders on the circuit.

Pauls Jonass – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing

“I’m really excited to be part of the Rockstar Energy Husqvarna team. The switch to the MXGP category is a big move for me but I can’t wait to get started. Joining such an acclaimed team gives me a huge amount of motivation to continue working hard in order to achieve my goals. I’m looking ahead to a great future with the team. I’ve known Antti [Pyrhönen] and the rest of the team members for some years already and it feels good to start working with them. Following my knee surgery last month, my goal right now is to start riding my Husqvarna at the earliest possible time. I want to maximise my time on the bike, so I can be fully-fit and ready to enter this exciting new season in the MXGP category.”

Pauls Jonass Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
Pauls Jonass
Diego Clement – Head of Motorsport at Husqvarna Motorcycles

“We are extremely happy to have former MX2 World Champion Pauls Jonass join our team. We truly believe Pauls has the potential to become a frontrunner in the extremely competitive MXGP category. Pauls is one of the most experienced motocross racers of his generation and already a three-time World Champion. His speed is never in doubt, and he has impressed us, as he has the wider motocross community, with his ability to perform on varying track conditions. It’s going to be an exciting new season and we are all looking forward to seeing Pauls do battle against the MXGP class elite aboard our FC 450 machine.”

Kimi Räikkönen – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing (IceOne) Team Owner

“With Pauls joining our team the goal is to continue our success. The Motocross World Championship is the most competitive global motocross series and we’re pleased to be strengthening our team with a former World Champion. I am confident all members of our team will give their best to help Pauls achieve his goals in the MXGP class.”

Pauls Jonass Antti Pyrhönen Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing
Pauls Jonass & Antti Pyrhönen
Antti Pyrhönen – Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing MXGP Team Manager

“We are all looking forward to working with Pauls Jonass as he starts an exciting new chapter in his professional motocross career. Everyone knows Pauls is an extremely hard working rider, which we know will help him fit in perfectly with our team. Already being a world champion speaks volumes about his capabilities. He is both physically and mentally strong and has demonstrated time and again that he is able to excel even under the toughest conditions. We all can’t wait to start working with this young and extremely talented rider.”


Seewer Second at Sugo

Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP’s debutant Jeremy Seewer got the next chapter in his MXGP career off to a positive start in Sugo, Japan, with a silver medal performance at the final round of the 2018 All Japan Motocross Championship.

Jeremy Seewer

“It was a very special weekend from many points of view. It’s been different but a really nice experience, it was a nice track, very technical. I was second two times, but the result was not so important today, it was just about having fun and I had a lot of fun out there today. Now, I look forward to a few days of testing.”

Jeremy Seewer
Jeremy Seewer

Saturdays’ rainfall made for challenging conditions. Seewer’s versatility was highlighted as he took to the track for the first time on board his Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP YZ450F in the early hours of Sunday morning and after a few minor suspension adjustments, managed to set the second fastest lap time in the Qualifying Practice session.

The sun beat down on the Sugo circuit ahead of race one where Seewer chased Japan’s defending champion Kei Yamamoto and the former two-time World Champion Tim Gajser around the first corner before following Gajser past Yamamoto a few turns later. As the terrain improved, so did his lap times and after moving into second-place the 24 year-old focused on adapting to the track conditions but suffered from arm-pump almost instantly and had to ease off the pace and settle for second.

After making some more suspension changes ahead of race two, changes that would reduce the chance of arm-pump on the tight, compact, rough and rugged Sugo circuit, Seewer felt more comfortable in the final race where he pulled an outstanding holeshot on board the standard YZ450F that he was riding. Despite being on a standard bike, Seewer still looked fast and ‘at home’ for the full 17-Laps as he charged hard to another second place finish, and second overall for the weekend.

Following his first podium appearance with the Monster Energy Factory Yamaha MXGP Team, Seewer will remain in Japan for three days of testing before he returns home to Switzerland where he plans to rest for a few weeks before resuming his off-season preparation in December.

Smarty's Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax

Young Returns for Wildwood Rock

South African Wade Young has raced his Factory Sherco to victory at the 2018 running of the infamous Red Bull Romanics then backed that up with emphatic victories at the 111 Megawatt in Poland and again at the Sea to Sky event in Turkey and he is now focused on winning this weekend’s Wildwood Rock Extreme on the outskirts of Melbourne.

The 22 year-old Red Bull athlete arrived in Australia just in time for the Moto GP at Phillip Island last weekend where he was able to see the elite of road racing up close and personal for the very first time.

Wade Young

“I really enjoy Australia, it’s so different to everywhere else I race around the world yet it’s so similar to back home in South Africa. It was so cool to bet at the Moto GP. It was the first time I have seen Moto GP live and it was great to cheer on my countrymen Brad Binder and Darryn Binder. It was a cool way to start off this visit to Australia before I race Wildwood this weekend.”

Wade Young Sherco
Wade Young

Young and his Sherco Factory mechanic Franck Boulisset are now preparing for the Wildwood Rock Extreme at the Motul Pirelli Sherco Team workshop in Melbourne with Boulisset fine tuning a Sherco 300 SE-R supplied by Sherco Australia.

Despite winning the 2017 Wildwood Rock Extreme by a comfortable margin and currently enjoying career-best form, Young remains focused on the task ahead of him this Sunday.

Wade Young

“2018 has definitely seen some of my biggest results but I have also had some bad luck and not achieved all the results I was after, so I’m looking forward to Wildwood. It’s not super-hot and not a super long race but the rock garden section is tough going. It’s really hard and quite physical and high intensity and I expect the track to be a bit harder than last year.”

Wade Young Sherco
Wade Young

The four-hour race will test rider and machine but with Young in peak physical condition, it’s hard to look past the defending champion as a possible winner.

Stephen Tuff

“Wade is a beast of a competitor, he’s confident in what he does yet remains humble and never gets too far ahead of himself. It’s a pleasure to watch him in action because he can do things on a motorcycle most of will never be able to do. Watching him navigate seemingly impossible obstacles leaves me with pure admiration for his dedication to becoming the best extreme enduro rider in the world.”

The 2018 Wildwood Rock Extreme is on this Sunday at 227 Feehans Road, Wildwood, just 15-minutes-drive from Melbourne airport. On-track actions begins at 9.00am with the main race starting at 11.00am.


S-X Open Auckland to host KTM Junior Supercross Challenge

The KTM Junior Supercross Challenge will make its highly-anticipated New Zealand debut during the 2018 Monster Energy S-X Open Auckland next month, set to take centre-stage at Mt Smart Stadium on Saturday, 24 November.

Just two weeks following its second AUS-X Open Sydney appearance alongside the S-X Open International Supercross FIM Oceania Championship series opener, there will be a total of 10 aspiring supercross stars aged between seven and eight years old who will take to the track on supplied KTM 50 SX machinery at round two.

S X Open Auckland to host KTM Junior Supercross Challenge

Patrick Stafford – Manager, KTM New Zealand

“We’re very excited to introduce the KTM Junior Supercross Challenge (KJSC) in New Zealand. It’s been a long time coming, to have an international supercross event here in New Zealand, and it’s awesome to be a part of it. The KJSC has been extremely successful in the United States, as well as Australia, so we are looking forward to seeing the successful applicants take part in S-X Open Auckland at Mt Smart Stadium. This will be an incredible experience for KJSC riders and we are certain they will remember it for a lifetime to come!”


What Racing is Left for 2018?

There is still plenty of motocross, supercross and enduro events between now and the New Year with the most prominent being the AUS-X Open this coming weekend then the 2018 ISDE in Chile – see the list of the remaining events for 2018 below:

Australasia

  • Australian Supercross Championships – Nov. 9-10 – AUS-X Open – Sydney
  • New Zealand Supercross Championships
    • Nov. 24 – SX Open – Auckland
    • Dec. 1 – South Waikato
    • Dec. 15 – Southland

America

  • 2018 AMA EnduroCross Series – Nov. 3 – Boise, ID
  • 2018 World Vet Championships – Nov. 3-4 – Glen Helen, CA
  • THOR Mini Olympics – Gainesville, Florida – Nov. 18-24
  • 2018 Day In The Dirt – Nov. 24-26 – Glen Helen, CA
  • 2018 AMA World Off-Road Championships (WORCS) – Nov. 9-11 – Primm, NV
  • Canadian Triple Crown Supercross
    • Nov. 3 – Quebec
    • Nov. 17 – Hamilton

Europe

  • Stuttgart Supercross – Nov 10. Stuttgart, Germany
  • World Enduro Super Series (WESS) – Nov. 10 – Red Bull Knock Out Beach Race – The Netherlands
  • ISDE – Nov. 12-17 – Chile
  • 2018 Paris Supercross – Nov. 17-18 – Paris, France
  • French Sand Championship
    • Dec. 2 – Rd3 – Saint Leger de Balson
    • Dec. 9 – Rd4 – Hossegor
    • Jan. 6 – Rd5 – Grayan-et-L’Hopital
    • Jan. 27 – Rd6 – Le Touquet
Smarty's Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax
Smarty’s Weekly Moto News Wrap proudly brought to you by Dunlop Geomax

Source: MCNews.com.au

Riders & Team Managers reflect on Australian GP

Australian MotoGP 2018

Yamaha resurgent as Vinales from Iannone, Dovi wins

Riders and Team managers talk the Phillip Island GP


Maverick Vinales – P1

“This is the best feeling ever, honestly! We‘ve been in the dark all year, and suddenly we came into the light! I couldn‘t show my potential in the previous races, but today I could. Being first in Australia is always amazing! It‘s the best track ever, and I like to be at the front there. To win here and break this long none winning period of Yamaha is unbelievable! I was riding on the bike like I was in FP4. I got a really good feeling from the bike, so I knew I could maintain 1‘29s. That‘s what I did for most of the middle of the race. I tried to escape as far as I could, because I knew my tyre wasn‘t going to last until the end. I knew opening that gap would be difficult, I had some moments with some riders, and some shaking on the bike – I was struggling, but I still made it through anyway. It was amazing! I have to say ‘thank you’ to the team, because this weekend they worked for the win. We will try to be the best and we‘ll try to work in a good way. We don‘t want to lose the concentration, because we don‘t know what will happen in Malaysia, but for sure the level of motivation will be high after this weekend.”

MotoGP Australia Vinales
Maverick Vinales
Andrea Iannone – P2

“I’m really happy, especially as we were at the top almost all weekend long, and this gives us a lot of positivity. We worked together on improving my feeling with the bike and it meant I was able to finish really close to the top. I felt able to win but it was a hard fight with the others and I was losing ground with them. When I managed to overtake them and keep them behind I realised I couldn’t catch Viñales, so I just tried to defend and manage the tyres. At the end I pushed at 100% to make sure I could get 2nd place.”

MotoGP Australia Iannone Dovi Bautista Rins Rossi Miller
Andrea Iannone
Andrea Dovizioso – P3

“I’m really satisfied with the way the race went. Even though we knew we had good speed, managing to get a podium here is another thing. I’m pleased I got myself immediately into an ideal position in the race, because if you start from the third row here at Phillip Island anything can happen, as we saw. Instead with a bit of luck I immediately managed to make up some positions and after a few laps I was first: I never expected that! Then I had a chance to manage the tyres and reach the end of the race in a good state, even though we were all in trouble a bit. I’m very pleased with the work we’ve done here: Phillip Island was a fundamental test to understand our level of competitiveness and now we know we have made a good step forward over last year.”

MotoGP Australia Dovizioso UC
Andrea Dovizioso
Álvaro Bautista – P4

“At the end of a difficult weekend in which I crashed three times, this fourth place is a great reward for me. To come into a new team and step onto a new bike at a circuit like this was for sure not going to be easy, but I think we’ve worked well together, making steps forward in every session. I started the race really focussed and relaxed because I had no real targets to aim for, except for enjoying riding the Desmosedici GP18. After quite a complicated start, I was able to soon catch up with the leading group and fight for the front positions. In the last few laps I made a few small mistakes and lost contact with Dovizioso and Iannone, but in any case I’m very happy with my overall result, especially for the team and for Ducati, whom I would like to thank once again for the trust they have shown in me.”

MotoGP Australia Bautista UC
Álvaro Bautista
Alex Rins – P5

“It was an interesting race and I was able to learn a lot. During the first part, when I was inside the group, I was feeling good but then when I got the contact from Maverick I lost a lot of ground and it cost me a lot because the group got away, but this is racing. I also lost further time trying to overtake Miller. But we want to focus on the positive points, and there were many, for instance the way I was able to battle with Rossi and defend my 5th place. We’re going to Malaysia with good feelings and we are prepared, so we hope for another nice result there.”

MotoGP Australia QP Vinales Rossi Rins Dovi
Alex Rins chases down Vinales and Rossi
Valentino Rossi – P6

“Unfortunately from the first lap I already started to slide a bit too much on acceleration. I lost some grip compared to yesterday and this morning. It’s a shame because for sure we wanted to try to do better. I tried to ride smoothly and manage the tyres, but unfortunately after 15 laps I was in trouble, because when exiting left corners I had too much spin. We need to understand why this happened and then try to improve, but having Maverick win a race is good news for the team and Yamaha, because it gives great motivation.”

MotoGP Australia Rossi
Valentino Rossi
Jack Miller – P7

“If I have to be honest I was expecting a little more but I am still happy with this result and being the first Independent rider. I got off to a good start even though I honestly didn’t think I would be in the lead so early. In the middle of the race I tried to save my tyres but in the end I didn’t have any room to attack the podium group.”

MotoGP Australia QP Jack Miller
Jack Miller
Franco Morbidelli – P8

“I am very happy with this result, my personal best result in MotoGP. We did a god job to exported the situation with riders going out of the race. Our tyre choice was the right one and I had good pace especially from half-race and I was able to get into the tope ten. I want to thank my crew for a great job this weekend to sort out the set-up of the bike for the race.”

MotoGP Rnd Thailand Morbidelli GP AN
Franco Morbidelli
Aleix Espargaro’ – P9

“On the straight, I was in the slipstream of a lot of riders and at a certain point, a piece of Marc’s bike struck my left hand. I began to feel pain, but fortunately in MotoGP we only use the clutch for the start, so I was able to finish the race. We’ll assess the situation in view of Malaysia. After a less-than-easy weekend, in warm up we made a big step forward and in the race I was able to ride very incisively. This is demonstrated by the fact that we lapped faster than in qualifying, but unfortunately on the final laps, the soft rear tyre began to suffer and I was unable to hold onto eighth place. In any case, the result is good, considering the hard work done this weekend with two different bikes.”

MotoGP Aragon Espargaro Aleix GP AN
Aleix Espargaro – AJRN Image
Bradley Smith – P10

“We did a good job. We saw Phillip Island as an important weekend for KTM because we knew the bike would work quite well here. The team did a fantastically because the main aim of the weekend was to try and set up the bike as best as we could to look after the rear tyre. It meant we had to sacrifice qualification a little bit yesterday but it paid off today. I had a great first lap to come from sixteenth to eighth and then tried to hold the position for as long as possible. Unfortunately towards the end I just didn’t have anything left for Morbidelli or Aleix. Sepang now and it is a difficult track but I think we have some good confidence and the bike has a good setting and it working well for me. I’m optimistic we can keep the same level and take some good points.”

MotoGP Australia Bradley Smith
Bradley Smith
Karel Abraham – P11

“We have to be happy with this race, we have doubled our points score for the season in just round. I am happy to have had the chance to ride the Ducati GP17, I could see how much potential the bike has but you also have to consider that it is difficult for any rider or chief mechanic to find the perfect set-up for a new bike in just one weekend. In any case we have done a good job and you could see that at the start of the race, when I felt really good. After that the bike started to slide and pump, I changed the mapping and it helped for a couple of laps but then it started again. I didn’t want to use the last two maps because they are for emergency use and we still had a lot of laps to go. The riders behind me were closing in and I wanted to push harder but I couldn’t get any more out of the bike. In the end, luckily, I managed to stay ahead of them.”

MotoGP Australia Abraham
Karel Abraham
Danilo Petrucci – P12

“It’s really a shame. I felt like I had a great feeling right from the warm-up. I went on track very focused and made my best start in my career. Unfortunately at turn two I had a problem with the clutch. I am really sorry but these are the races: once it is the rider who makes a mistake, another time it is the bike that betrays you. We’ll try again in Sepang.”

MotoGP TBG Rnd Phillip Island Petrucci ALI
Danilo Petrucci
Scott Redding – P13

“I am happy with the way the race went. To be honest, I didn’t expect it. Even in warm up, I didn’t have any particularly good feeling. Apparently, staying in the slipstream of the other riders helped me warm up the front tyre better. Maybe in terms of pace I could have done a bit better too, but when I found myself leading the group, I began to have some difficulties. In any case, I battled, overtaking Nakagami on the final lap and bringing home important points. A few crashes helped, but we did a good job anyway turning a complicated situation around.”

MotoGP Silverstone Redding GP AN
Scott Redding
Takaaki Nakagami – P14

“It was a difficult weekend. The weather conditions were a little bit better than yesterday, they were less windy and the track temperature was getting higher and higher. We decided to go with a soft compound on the rear and I think that was the correct choice, but I really struggled in the last ten laps. The lap times were quite strong and I couldn’t find the race pace I wanted. In the end I got into the points which is very good, but I was expecting a better result here so now we have to think about the next one in Sepang and try to be more consistent over the weekend.”

MotoGP Australia Takaaki Nakagami AX
Takaaki Nakagami
Xavier Simeon – P15

“I have a lot of problems with the clutch and once again, my start was horrible. I was last again, but this time at least I was able to recover some positions on the first lap. The bike was very good and I had the pace to fight between eleventh and fifteenth position. Ten laps from the end though, the left flank of the rear tyre was destroyed and I had to slow down. Therefore I’m a little bit disappointed. The weekend has been very good and I always felt strong, but we depend too much on tyre wear. Apart from this, I’m super happy about achieving my first MotoGP point and I want to thank my team because they helped me a lot since I got on this bike. In Malaysia we have to improve the start and work more with the tyres for the race. I hope to have fun again like here and score more points.”

MotoGP Aragon Simeon GP AN
Xavier Simeon
Tom Luthi – P16

“I had a good rhythm for the first ten laps and could stay with the group I was in so I’m little disappointed for this result. But then I lost a lot of edge grip and could not keep corner speed in the fast left-hand corners and I was struggling with understeer and that’s where I lost too much time. I’m disappointed to be 16th again and just miss some championship points.”

MotoGP Misano Luthi GP AN
Tom Luthi
Jordi Torres – P17

“The race has left me with a bad taste in my mouth. This morning in the warm-up I felt pretty strong and we had a very promising pace. But it was more windy in the race and tyres maybe did not reach the right working temperature on the first laps because twice I was close to a crash when I tried to push. This affected my confidence and I wasn’t riding comfortably throughout the race. I know what I have to do to go fast, but I lacked the confidence to do it. At least I’m gaining experience in every race and I hope things will go better in Malaysia. Sepang is a very long circuit and I’ll have to learn many things in a short time, because the other riders have done lot of kilometres over there. The heat will also be a new challenge for me. I hope to my level of fitness is high enough.”

MotoGP Rnd Thailand Torres GP AN
Jordi Torres
Mike Jones – P18

“I just wanted to give my best and finish the race, and we achieved our objective. I am very happy and grateful to the Ángel Nieto Team for the opportunity to race in MotoGP in front of the Australian fans. It has been an incredible experience, the power of the bike is crazy and the braking force is unreal. It has been a physically demanding weekend because this is such a different bike to anything I have ridden before.”

MotoGP Australia Mike Jones
Mike Jones
Marc Marquez – DNF

“At first I didn’t understand exactly what had happened, but I was angry because I felt the contact from the rear. I couldn’t continue the race because my seat was broken and moving around. It was impossible to ride. When I arrived in the garage and saw the video, I understood. It was just a race incident because at that point of the track, we arrive really fast, over 300 km/h. I was behind Jack Miller when I braked even a bit later than usual, and then I felt the impact. Zarco had taken the slipstreams from the two of us. You may think he could have considered that, but for me it’s just a race incident and I already spoke with him. What I can say is that today I feel really lucky, and the most important thing for me is that both me and Johann are okay. Today I was really focused, and the race was going as expected. I led for a couple of laps, and then I decided to stay in the group and wait a bit. I had the pace and I felt I was able to fight for the win. It’s unlucky that we got a zero here at Phillip Island, but if next year I can win the title in Japan again and have another DNF here, I’ll sign up for that! Now let’s focus on the next race.”

MotoGP Australia Marquez Damage
Damage to Marc Marquez’s Honda
Dani Pedrosa – DNF

“It has been a difficult weekend. We never had a good feeling over the three days, and unfortunately I crashed out of the race. I wasn’t in a good position, and then I lost the front in the braking point after the straight—quite a big crash, as it’s a fast point. Anyway, we just have to move forward, hoping to have a better race next Sunday.”

MotoGP Australia Pedrosa AX
Dani Pedrosa
Hafizh Syahrin – DNF

“Until lap 19 I had a good race. I just lost the front because I tried to close again on Miller. In the straight it is just impossible, as the Ducati just passes very easily. The guys and myself, we are already working very hard with our package, which is a bit different to the rest of the Yamahas. I was fighting with the faster group in the front, but it was just technically impossible to keep up with them, although I was pushing very hard. It’s a great pity to crash on the 19th lap. Anyway, we keep pushing, working hard and believing in ourselves because my team and me work very hard to be strong in the race. We tried to use our speed for a good result, but in the end we didn’t have a chance to fight with the rest of the riders in front.”

MotoGP Rnd Thailand Syahrin GP AN
Hafizh Syahrin
Johann Zarco – DNF

“It was a bit cold today, but the sunshine made it a nice day. Starting from third position was a good advantage. I got a good start, but in the second corner I slide with the rear and a few guys had the same, I lost a few positions, but then I was really feeling quite ok to attack and try to overtake. I’m happy about the feeling that I was strong and did some good passes. After a few laps, I was still feeling pretty good, I got the slipstream of Jack Miller and Marc Marquez was also there. We were going so fast and when we were braking for corner one, I touched the rear wheel of Marc and totally flew away. I had a big crash, but I’m okay, which is the most important thing, as that crash was really fast It’s a shame about the race, because finish the race would have been important for the independent riders’ championship, but I didn’t. The crash was big and I am sorry that Marc could not finish the race. Thank you to my team, because the bike was competitive today! I did a mistake and I need to make up for it on the next two rounds.”

MotoGP Australia Zarco
Johann Zarco
Pol Espargaro – DNF

“I was super-angry because I think we worked well this weekend and did a lot of laps with the tyres front and rear and we put the Soft options for the race thinking it would be OK. For some reason after six-seven laps it started to drop and I couldn’t open the throttle. After a few more laps it was dangerous to ride the bike so I had to stop. I don’t know what else to say. We made all the processes and procedures to know the tyre 100% but it looks like it can be a lottery. We’ll talk to Michelin and try to learn from this.”

MotoGP Australia Pol Espargaro
Pol Espargaro

Davide Brivio – Suzuki ECSTAR Team Manager

“This has been another very good day for our team, we took another podium, the second in a row and the third in 4 races. Andrea had a great battle with many riders and was able to finish 2nd. Because of this big battle it was hard to catch the leader, but anyway, it was a good race and we scored our 7th podium of the season. Alex finishing 5th was also very positive, Top 5 is really important to us. I really hope we can continue like this for the last two rounds of the season and thanks again to everybody involved for always working hard, especially on difficult times.”

MotoGP Australia Iannone
Andrea Iannone
Massimo Meregalli – Yamaha MotoGP Team Director

“What a thrilling and dramatic race! Maverick is always strong at the Phillip Island circuit, and he once again outdid himself in Australia today. He really deserved the victory, because he had been strong the entire weekend. It‘s a great feeling for the team to secure a win again – we have all been working so hard for this. It‘s not just us who have been waiting, but also our fans, so this is as much for them as it is for us. It was a pity that Vale wasn‘t able to join the podium, because he was showing great potential for the majority of the race. It would have been great to have him up there too. He and his crew have also been pushing to the maximum, but sixth place was really the best he could do today due to tyre wear at the end of the race. Overall this weekend has been a great moral boost, because both riders were competitive, so we‘re all looking forward to the next round, the Grand Prix of Malaysia, in just a week‘s time.”

MotoGP Australia Vinales Forcada
Maverick Vinales with crew chief Roman Forcada
Hervé Poncharal – Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team Manager

“There are some days you wish what you see is a dream – or rather a nightmare. But unfortunately, what we saw today was reality. We had high hopes with a great Qualifying from both of our riders, Johann on the front row and Hafizh with his best ever Qualifying in 10th. The start was difficult as usual, it was a big pack as we saw in the other two classes and clearly, Johann was trying to find his way through the field after a bit hectic lap one. We could see that he was really fast and I think he wanted to use the advantage of the soft-soft choice he had made for front and rear and that was quite intense until that incident, which was unbelievable. When you see a rider going down at such a high speed – I think he touched the ground at 280 km/h – for the few seconds following the incident, you just hope nothing bad will happen. Johann had a really good reflex and although his bottom is quite sore, he was strong to walk back to the garage and be still fully fit and ready to race the next round. That was a big thing. Unfortunate for the fans and the racing overall, Marc and Johann were out of the race, which made it less exciting. So, our focus went on Hafizh, who was behind the leading group until he slowly los the contact. But he was still holding on a good eighth position and we were quite happy because although he was loosing ground he was still keeping a good pace and he crashed without any warning, without really understanding why. That was the end of our weekend. Both of our riders could have been really strong and both of them get no points, which is a big disappointment. I know you always have to keep up the ‘never-give-up-attitude’, but today it is hard, also with Remy in the Moto2 class. The only good thing is, our riders are fit, ok and we have a race next week.”

MotoGP Phillip Island Moto Wayne Remy Gardner GP AN
Remy Gardner
Mike Leitner – KTM Team Manager MotoGP

“Race conditions can be difficult here and so can tyre choice. It went quite well for Bradley and he ran where he we think we can be – between 8-10. We lost ninth position by four hundredths of a second: it was very close. A shame for Pol. He had a different tyre choice but then other riders also had that selection. In the middle of the race he had a very big drop which is not usual and he had to stop. So we need to analyse what happened. He should have also been able to fight for the top ten. We’ll go to Malaysia now and try to make it happen.”

MotoGP Australia Bradley Smith Pol Espargaro
Bradley Smith & Pol Espargaro
Piero Taramasso – Michelin Motorsport Two-Wheel Manager

“Phillip Island is always a big challenge and this year was certainly no different. The strong gusting winds and cold temperatures made it difficult for everyone, but the whole Michelin team worked in a very professional and methodical way with the riders to make sure the tyres which were best suited to the conditions and riding styles were used today. Despite the challenges, the race was very exciting and it is good for Michelin to have another winner, both rider and manufacturer, and it is also pleasing to see all six manufacturers in the top-ten and three different ones on the podium. We are constantly striving to give tyres to all that they can use to the best of their abilities, so having results such as this are very rewarding. The Michelin Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix is a very big occasion on the company’s calendar and this has been another great event. We have again learned a lot about the toughest track of the year and this will enable us to come back even stronger next year.”

MotoGP Australia Michelin
Michelin at the Australian MotoGP 2018
2018 Phillip Island MotoGP Results
Pos Rider Team Time
1. Vinales M. Movistar Yamaha 40:51.081
2. Iannone A. Team Suzuki Ecstar +1.543
3. Dovizioso A. Ducati Team +1.832
4. Bautista A. Ducati Team +4.072
5. Rins A. Team Suzuki Ecstar +5.017
6. Rossi V. Movistar Yamaha +5.132
7. Miller J. Alma Pramac Racing +6.756
8. Morbidelli F. Marc VDS Racing Team +21.805
9. Espargaro A. Aprilia Racing Team Gresini +22.904
10. Smith B. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing +22.940
11. Abraham K. Angel Nieto Team +34.386
12. Petrucci D. Alma Pramac Racing +35.025
13. Redding S. Aprilia Racing Team Gresini +36.348
14. Nakagami T. LCR Honda +36.389
15. Simeon X. Reale Avintia Racing +44.214
16. Luthi T. Marc VDS Racing Team +48.226
17. Torres J. Reale Avintia Racing +1:04.965
18. Jones M. Angel Nieto Team +1:19.817
DNF Espargaro P. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing DNF
DNF Syahrin H. Monster Tech 3 DNF
DNF Pedrosa D. Repsol Honda DNF
DNF Marquez M. Repsol Honda DNF
DNF Zarco J. Monster Tech 3 DNF
2018 MotoGP Championship Standings
Pos Rider Team Points
1. Marquez Marc Repsol Honda Team 296
2. Dovizioso Andrea Ducati Team 210
3. Rossi Valentino Movistar Yamaha MotoGP 195
4. Vinales Maverick Movistar Yamaha MotoGP 180
5. Crutchlow Cal LCR Honda 148
6. Petrucci Danilo Alma Pramac Racing 137
7. Zarco Johann Monster Yamaha Tech 3 133
8. Iannone Andrea Team Suzuki Ecstar 133
9. Lorenzo Jorge Ducati Team 130
10. Rins Alex Team Suzuki Ecstar 129
11. Bautista Alvaro Angel Nieto Team 96
12. Pedrosa Dani Repsol Honda Team 95
13. Miller Jack Alma Pramac Racing 83
14. Morbidelli Franco Marc VDS Racing Team 46
15. Espargaro Aleix Aprilia Racing Team Gresini 39
16. Rabat Tito Reale Avintia Racing 35
17. Espargaro Pol Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 35
18. Syahrin Hafizh Monster Yamaha Tech 3 34
19. Smith Bradley Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 29
20. Nakagami Takaaki LCR Honda 21
21. Redding Scott Aprilia Racing Team Gresini 15
22. Abraham Karel Angel Nieto Team 10
23. Kallio Mika Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 6
24. Nakasuga Katsuyuki Yamaha Factory Team 2
25. Simeon Xavier Reale Avintia Racing 1
26. Pirro Michele Ducati Team 1
27. Luthi Thomas Marc VDS Racing Team 0
28. Bradl Stefan Honda Racing Corporation 0
29. Torres Jordi MV Agusta Reparto Corse 0
30. Jones Mike Reale Avintia Racing 0
31. Guintoli Sylvain Pata Yamaha Official WSBK Team 0
32. Ponsson Christophe Ponsson C. 0
2018 MotoGP Team Points
Pos Team Points
1. Repsol Honda Team 391
2. Movistar Yamaha MotoGP 375
3. Ducati Team 353
4. Suzuki MotoGP 262
5. Alma Pramac Racing 220
6. LCR Honda 169
7. Monster Yamaha Tech 3 167
8. Angel Nieto Team 93
9. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 64
10. Aprilia Racing Team Gresini 54
11. Estrella Galicia 0,0 46
12. Reale Avintia Racing 36

Source: MCNews.com.au

Elowson wins Gotland WESS | Bolt retains standings lead

Albin Elowson wins 2018 Gotland Grand National

Billy Bolt retains overall WESS lead heading to final

Images by Future7Media

It was local Swedish riders who dominated the 2018 Gotland Grand National, comprising Round 7 of the World Enduro Super Series, with Albin Elowson topping the podium ahead of Robert Kvarnstrom and Ken Bengtson in the muddy conditions.

WESS Gotland Rnd Atmos
The 2018 Gotland Grand National proved one to remember as conditions deteriorated with heavy rain

Renowned as the world’s largest Enduro race, over 3000 riders competed in this year’s event, with Friday kickstarting the proceedings where up to 600 Hobby riders enjoyed near-perfect conditions. From Friday evening onwards however, the rain fell hard on the Scandinavian circuit, ensuring that the 35th GGN would be remembered as one of the wettest in history.

WESS Gotland Rnd Albin Elowson FM
Albin Elowson – 2018 Gotland Grand National – WESS Round 7

As the Elite, Senior and Junior class riders blasted off the start line on Saturday, thousands of riders jostled for position in the mud. Clearing the early carnage safely, Elowson moved into the race lead on lap one followed by Kvarnstrom.

WESS Gotland Rnd Atmos
2018 Gotland Grand National – WESS Round 7

The duo then went head-to-head, pushing a pace that quickly saw them distance themselves from the ensuing pack. By midway, Elowson showed no signs of slowing down and pulled clear of Kvarnstrom to claim a convincing win at the end of the sixth and final lap.

Despite a late push by Kvarnstrom, the Yamaha rider had to settle for the runner-up position, while Bengtson rounded out the podium in third. Apart from the local top three, Taddy Blazusiak worked hard in the final stages of the race to claim fourth, while Sebastian Martensson rounded out the top five.

WESS Gotland Rnd Manuel Lettenbichler FM
Manuel Lettenbichler – 2018 Gotland Grand National – WESS Round 7

When it came to WESS the title contenders, Spain’s Josep Garcia crossed the finish line in 12th to slightly close the gap to series leader Bolt, who finished 13th. Although holding 25th with one lap remaining, a crash in the closing stages of the race pushed Manuel Lettenbichler back to 43rd overall.

With just the final round of the championship remaining, Bolt extended his advantage over Lettenbichler to 275 points. Garcia, in third, closes to within 445 points of the second placed Lettenbichler. Blazusiak’s fourth place result at GGN sees him move up to fourth overall, but more importantly he now sits just 25 points behind Garcia as the race to become this year’s ‘Ultimate Enduro Champion’ moves to The Netherlands for Red Bull Knock Out.

WESS Gotland Rnd billy bolt FM
Billy Bolt – 2018 Gotland Grand National – WESS Round 7

Albin Elowson – P1

“I’m so happy to take the win here in Gotland. I knew I had the speed before the race, but you never know what can happen around here, especially in these conditions. I got a decent start and tried to make some passes in the early chaos. I had a good fight with Robert Kvarnstrom but after the first pit stop I was able to open up a small gap and managed to maintain that lead for the whole race. Overall, I felt good and was happy with my pace. I went through a lot of goggles – that’s one of the main things at this race, you have to keep your eyes clear in order to ride properly. Also, a big thanks to the team. They were great and both pit stops were excellent. Finally, it’s good to be able to show what I am capable of – especially with the GGN now part of WESS. I know I have the speed, I just have to build my confidence a little and hopefully I can get some more good results in the future.”

WESS Gotland Rnd Albin Elowson
Albin Elowson – 2018 Gotland Grand National – WESS Round 7
Robert Kvarnstrom – P2

“That was a really tough race. It was so wet and so muddy. I think it was one of the toughest editions of GGN that we’ve ever done. I got a good start and was running with Albin Elowson early on, but a few mistakes and some issues with the traffic cost me time and he gapped me. After that I just rode my own race. I found some more speed towards the end, but it wasn’t quite enough to pressure Albin for the lead. Congratulations to him for the win – I’ll have to come back next year and fight for the victory again.”

WESS Gotland Rnd Robert Kvarnstrom FM
Robert Kvarnstrom – 2018 Gotland Grand National – WESS Round 7
Taddy Blazusiak – P4

“I am happy with fourth place, especially as it’s my first time racing here and we had very little preparation for such a tough race. To finish as the top international rider feels really good, too. This is such a special event – you need the right set-up and without experience, it’s difficult to find that. We expected it to be wet and a little muddy, but nothing like what we had – it was next level out there. I had two small get-offs, which cost me some time and so it’s a little disappointing not to have finished on the podium. Fourth place has given me some good points for the championship though, especially as I finished a fair bit higher than the rest of the regulars.”

WESS Gotland Rnd Muddy
Taddy Blazusiak – 2018 Gotland Grand National – WESS Round 7
Billy Bolt – P13

“It’s been a really hard race, much harder than we initially expected when we first arrived in Gotland. The consistent rain from Friday onwards turned the entire track into a mud pit and from the very beginning it was a real tough battle. I had an ok start but then a really bad opening lap. A rider crashed in front of me and as I stopped to avoid him someone else crashed into me from behind and we all were stuck in a puddle. I got going again but got mixed up in another crash and went down again – that’s when I broke the throttle tube. I tried to fix it at the side of the track but lost so many places as a result and had to pit on lap one to repair the damage. When I got going again I had to push to recover. Although 13th is not the result I wanted, considering the issues it was a good result. With my championship rivals also not having the best of days I still managed to stretch my lead at the top of the standings as we now look towards to the final round of the championship at Knock Out.”

WESS Gotland Rnd Billy Bolt FM
Billy Bolt – 2018 Gotland Grand National – WESS Round 7
Josep Garcia – P12

“Overall, I am happy with how I rode but it would have been nicer to finish a little higher in the standings. I got a good start but crashed with another rider and a lot of the other competitors got past me – after that I had to overtake a lot of riders. Nathan and I rode together for a while and that was good, we were able to push and made up a lot of time. Unfortunately, I had another crash that damaged the bike a little so after that I just tried to make it safely to the finish. It was a tricky race for me – very cold and physically challenging racing in those conditions for three hours – but I earned some good points for the championship and now look forward to the last round in The Netherlands.”


The World Enduro Super Series concludes with the eighth and final round – Red Bull Knockout –on November 10.

WESS Gotland Rnd Albin Elowson Podium
Albin Elowson claimed top honours from Robert Kvarnstrom and Ken Bengston

WESS Round 7 – 2018 Gotland Grand National

  1. Albin Elowson (Husqvarna – SWE) 6 laps, 2:59:02
  2. Robert Kvarnstrom (Yamaha – SWE) 3:01:52
  3. Ken Bengston (Husqvarna – SWE) 3:03:38
  4. Taddy Blazusiak (KTM – POL) 3:06:59
  5. Sebastian Martensson (Husqvarna – SWE) 3:08:33
  6. Johan Carlsson (Husqvarna – SWE) 3:08:42
  7. Calle Bjerkert (Husqvarna – SWE) 3:10:10
  8. Joakim Ljunggren (KTM – SWE) 3:10:44
  9. Oskar Ljunstrom (Husqvarna – SWE) 3:11:08
  10. Marcus Gothenberg (Husqvarna – SWE) 3:11:16
  11. Oskar Olsson (KTM – SWE) 3:11:17
  12. Josep Garcia (KTM – ESP) 3:12:54
  13. Billy Bolt (Husqvarna – GB) 3:14:24
  14. Paul Bolton (KTM – GB) 3:15:42
  15. Nathan Watson (KTM – GB) 3:16:16

2018 WESS Standings – After Round 7

  1. Billy Bolt (Husqvarna – GB) 4420pts
  2. Manuel Lettenbichler (KTM – GER) 4145pts
  3. Josep Garcia (KTM – ESP) 3700pts
  4. Taddy Blazusiak (KTM – POL) 3675pts
  5. Wade Young 3220pts
  6. Nathan Watson (KTM – GB) 3103pts
  7. Paul Bolton (KTM – GB) 3092pts
  8. Graham Jarvis (Husqvarna – GB) 3010pts
  9. Jonny Walker (KTM – GB) 2900pts
  10. Lars Enockl (Gas Gas – AUT) 2272pts

World Enduro Super Series – 2018 remaining rounds

  • Rnd 8. Red Bull Knock Out (The Netherlands) November 10

Source: MCNews.com.au

Cortese claims WSSP title | Mahias 2018 runner-up

Sandro Cortese claims 2018 World Supersport title

Lucas Mahias wins Qatar WSSP race for 2018 runner up

GRT Yamaha claims WSSP Teams Title


GRT Yamaha’s Lucas Mahias continued his domination in Qatar today, taking the win in difficult conditions and securing second place in the final championship standings to sign off from his 2018 campaign. Federico Caricasulo joined his teammate on the podium, after a remarkable recovery from what was a difficult weekend saw him claim a superb third place at the chequered flag, with the GRT Yamaha team claiming the Team Title.

WSBK Losail WSSP Mahias
Lucas Mahias claimed the final race win and runner up for 2018

Torrential rain at the Losail International Circuit ahead of warm up forced a delay to today’s race program, with the WorldSSP riders taking to the track for a 15-minute warm-up more than 90 minutes later than scheduled. Following the session both the riders raised concerns about the track conditions, which resulted in a delay to the race start as circuit staff worked to disperse the water running across the track at turns four, seven and 15.

WSBK Losail WSSP WorldSSP group action
Tricky conditions due to weather had the race in doubt with the title on the line

The race, shortened from 15 to 12 laps, eventually got underway at 16.45 and the lights went out and a wild opening lap began. Polesitter Lucas Mahias went horribly wide at turn 1, falling to fourth, while Corentin Perolari slotted himself between the two title contenders, Cluzel taking the lead. Cortese moved past the GM94 rider on the main straight and bridged the gap with Cluzel up to the final sector, sticking an unbelievable move through 12.

WSBK Losail WSSP Sandro Cortese Jules Cluzel Lucas Mahias
Sandro Cortese leads Jules Cluzel and Lucas Mahias

But Cluzel returned the favour through the main straight, and Perolari found his way past Cortese again. The German was determined not to fall at the final hurdle: he moved past the 20-year-old Frenchman on the main straight in lap 4 and set out to put pressure on the NRT rider; Cluzel went wide at turn 13, Cortese moved swiftly back into the lead.

A ceasefire seemed to be agreed for the next few laps, but with Mahias edging closer to the pair Cluzel came back all guns blazing in lap 9, sticking in a pass at turn 4. The slipstream through the start of lap 10 moved Cortese momentarily ahead but his French rival was back in front through 2.

WSBK Losail WSSP Lucas Mahias
Lucas Mahias

Then came the moment that, with hindsight, would decide the championship. Smelling blood and with both riders bickering at every corner, Mahias seized his opportunity and passed both riders at turn 6 and into the race lead. Cluzel left Cortese back in third, but beating his rival was no longer enough: he needed the race win to overcome the five-point gap separating them.

WSBK Losail WSSP Jules Cluzel Cortese
Jules Cluzel looked to be closing in on the title

Knowing that he now held the advantage, even in a losing situation, the German kept his cool and remained with Cluzel, fighting his way through while trying to force mistakes out of his desperate rival. And the mistake did come: Cluzel tried to put in a last lap pass over Cortese through turn 7, with the championship all but slipping through his fingers; he lost the front end, crashing out and officially handing the title to Cortese, whose incredible consistency was finally the winning factor over Cluzel’s five race wins.

WSBK Losail WSSP Sandro Cortese
Sandro Cortese kept the pressure on Cluzel in a move that paid dividends

Mahias crossed the line in first, taking his third win of the season and the runner-up spot in the standings. Cortese’s second place is enough to clinch the championship by 23 points in his rookie season.

Federico Caricasulo finished third after a fantastic climb through from seventh on the grid, with Thomas Gradinger in fourth position. Randy Krummenacher was fifth, with Perolari finally down in sixth. Héctor Barberà finished his season on a high with seventh position, ahead of Raffaele De Rosa in eighth, Hans Soomer in ninth, and Peter Sebestyen closing the top ten.

WSBK Losail WSSP Cortese
Sandro Cortese didn’t win the race but second was enough with Cluzel crashing to take the title

That’s a wrap on the 2018 World Supersport season! It’s been a long ride, full of twists and turns at every stop along the way, and we can’t wait to get going again.

Sandro Cortese – P2 – 2018 Champion

“I am so speechless! I am so happy and I can enjoy this moment. I have to say thank you to my team, they picked me up after such a difficult winter, I had no ride and they believed in me. I think we did the maximum we could this year, we gave everything all year, and the people in my team are great. And a final thank you to my family, they helped me in hard times and I cant wait to get back home!”

WSBK Losail WSSP Sandro Cortese Ilaria Casarini Pirelli
Sandro Cortese with Pirelli’s Ilaria Casarini

The success enjoyed by Mahias and Caricasulo this season was more than enough to secure GRT Yamaha the coveted team’s championship title for the second year in succession, with an advantage of 59 points over their closest rival. Yamaha also took the Manufacturer’s Title with a 162 point lead to second placed MV Agusta.

Lucas Mahias – P1

“What a crazy weekend for me; I won two races in one weekend, which I think is a first for the World Supersport Championship! Also I arrived here fifth in the championship but I head home having finished second. Pole position, a new circuit record and the race win; pretty much a perfect way to end the season, so I’m really happy. Congratulations to Sandro on winning the World Championship and commiserations to Jules, who had no option but to push for the win today if he was to claim the title. Thanks to Yamaha and to my team for helping me realise my dream during the past two years. Now it’s back home to start training over the winter, ready for next season.”

WSBK Losail WSSP WorldSSP race podium
Lucas Mahias was understandably stoked to top the season final’s podium with Cortese and Caricasulo
Federico Caricasulo – P3

“It was a difficult weekend because from the first session I was missing around one second to the frontrunners. In the race I felt much better in sector three where I’d been losing all my time previously and I was much faster as a result. My start wasn’t great and I was 11th in the first corner, but then I managed to push to get back towards the front. The three guys ahead of me towards the end had a little bit too much of a gap for me to catch them, but I’m happy to have finished the last race of the season on the podium, after what started as a very difficult weekend for me. Congratulations to Sandro on the championship and thanks to my team for their hard work and dedication this season.”

WSBK Losail WSSP GRT Yamaha
GRT Yamaha celebrate the team title
Filippo Conti – GRT Yamaha Official WorldSSP Team Manager

“We made some promises ahead of this weekend. We said we’d win the race, and we did that. We said we’d wrap up the team’s championship and we did that too. Lucas did an incredible job this weekend and had a fantastic race this evening. He was faster than the two guys fighting for the championship from the start, but waited until he could pass cleanly before making his move for the lead, so as not to affect the outcome. That’s true sportsmanship. Federico made an incredible recovery after difficult practice and qualifying sessions. We know he always finds a little bit more in the race and he certainly did that today, fighting his way through from 11th position in the first corner to finish on the podium in third. Thank you to everyone in the team, as they have made an incredible job for the second year in succession and shown once again with the team’s championship title that we are the strongest in the WorldSSP paddock. Thank you also to Yamaha for their support and congratulations to Sandro on the championship title. Commiserations to Jules, who animated the race incredibly today, but was unfortunate to crash on the final lap. We wish him a speedy recovery. Now we look forward to the challenges the future may bring.”

WSBK Losail WSSP WSSP Podium
World Supersport Podium at Qatar – Cortese, Mahias, Caricasulo

WSBK Losail WSSP Race Result
World Supersport Race Result – Qatar 2018


Cortese’s 2018 journey to victory

Making the switch over into the FIM Supersport World Championship from prototype machines can always be a risk, but Sandro Cortese made it look effortless in 2018 to be crowned World Champion.

WSBK Losail WSSP Sandro Cortese celebrating the title
Sandro Cortese celebrates the 2018 title

Heading over the Phillip Island for his WorldSSP debut in February, Cortese was charged and ready for the fight after a difficult winter. Taking to his YZF-R6 for only the second time in the official test, he finished top four overall ahead of the start of the season. And what followed in the Yamaha Finance Australian Round was sensational from Cortese, fighting with the experienced front runners for the podium which boiled down to a breath-taking final lap as he took a podium position, and the fastest lap of the race from Federico Caricasulo. Cortese had already arrived in round one.

Heading west to Thailand for round two, this was a new track for the 28 year old so a true test of his skills with his new bike. Facing the heat as well as the circuit, he took home a fourth position finish from a fourth place grid start. MotorLand Aragon marked the start of the European season, and for Cortese this marked the start of his championship charge.

Sandro Cortese
Sandro Cortese – Aragon 2018

Coming out and dominating the field in northern Spain, he took pole position and the race win in only his third race, crossing the line 1.4s ahead of his rivals. But as the championship headed straight to TT Circuit Assen, Cortese struggled to match his pace around a track he is so familiar with. Starting from pole position, he couldn’t emulate this into a podium, after a slow start off the line meant he suffered in the 18 lap battle.

Dusting himself off heading to the historic Imola circuit, the rookie was only seven points off the top of the standings and the battle in WorldSSP was as tense as ever. A new track for the German, Imola is notoriously tight, twisty and technical and it was set to be a hard task for a newbie. But Cortese fought to secure a top four finish around a circuit which is difficult to overtake.

Sandro Cortese - Assen 2018
Sandro Cortese – Assen 2018

Sunny skies welcomed the paddock at Donington Park, with Cortese securing third on the grid as he continued to get used to the Superpole format of a 15 minute ‘dash’, he was a man determined out on track. Crossing the line 1.3s ahead of his main title rival Jules Cluzel, it was clear that when it all came together, Cortese was unstoppable. His grand performance in Great Britain meant he now led the world championship standings for the first time, with an advantage of seven points over Cluzel.

Sandro Cortese
Sandro Cortese – Donington 2018

There were now two new tracks ahead of him, putting him in a strong position to extend his championship lead. In the humid conditions at Automotodrom Brno, the German was unable to convert his pole position into a win; but secured second as he was unable to catch Cluzel to the line. In the final race before the summer break, Misano proved a tough track for Cortese and his Yamaha but he could convert a fifth on the grid to third in the race, taking home another trophy and as a result a five point championship lead into the break.

WorldSBK 2018 - Round 7 Brno - SSP - Sandro Cortese
WorldSBK 2018 – Round 7 Brno – SSP – Sandro Cortese

Returning ready to fight in Portugal, tests throughout the summer helped him to understand the rollercoaster nature of the track. But drama struck in the opening laps as a hot-headed Cortese was unable to make a move up the inside of Cluzel stick, and the pair crashed out as a result. Not giving up, the German put on a sensational fightback as he was able to get back on his bike and take a fifth position finish, salvaging 11 points and keeping a hold of his lead in the standings.

WSBK Magny Cours Cortese
Sandro Cortese – WorldSBK 2018 Magny-Cours

Another new track of Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours followed, and for Cortese it was time to start thinking of the title. Unable to catch Cluzel on his home turf, he secured a second position finish meaning he now had the first opportunity to take the title in Argentina, heading with an 11 point advantage.

WSBK Argentina Cortese
Sandro Cortese – WorldSBK 2018 Argentina

With all riders on even ground at Circuito San Juan Villicum, it was a welcomed change for the Yamaha rider. But despite putting his all into the race, he was unable to stop Cluzel and the fight went down to Qatar. All the German had to do in Qatar was finish in the top two to take the title, which was done with his usual tenacious battling out on track, to crown him 2018 FIM Supersport World Champion.

WSBK Losail WSSP Cortese
Sandro Cortese

Only the second German to ever win the WorldSSP title, the story of Cortese’s sensational season has been consistency and will go down in history as the first man to win the Moto3 and WorldSSP crown.

WSBK Losail WSSP Sandro Cortese helmet
Sandro Cortese

World Supersport 2018 Final Standings

  1. Sandro Cortese 208 Yamaha
  2. Lucas Mahias 185 Yamaha
  3. Jules Cluzel 183 Yamaha
  4. Randy Krummenacher 159 Yamaha
  5. Federico Caricasulo 143 Yamaha
  6. Raffaele De Rosa 133 MV Agusta
  7. Thomas Gradinger 86 Yamaha
  8. Kyle Smith 72 Honda
  9. Luke Stapleford 56 Yamaha
  10. Anthony West 51 Kawasaki
  11. Ayrton Badovini 49 MV Agusta
  12. Loris Cresson 40 Yamaha
  13. Hikari Okubo 39 Kawasaki
  14. Niki Tuuli 38 Honda
  15. Corentin Perolari 36 Yamaha
  16. Hannes Soomer 36 Honda
  17. Hector Barbera 27 Kawasaki
  18. Rob Hartog 27 Kawasaki
  19. Sheridan Morais 16 Kawasaki
  20. Thitipong Warokorn 11 Kawasaki
  21. …40. Tom Toparis 1 Kawasaki

Source: MCNews.com.au

Sorry to the fans that turned up to see us race. Difficult decision from Race Direction and the…

Sorry to the fans that turned up to see us race. Difficult decision from Race Direction and the safety commission but one we stand together and support! Although I had something to gain tonight, there was so much to loose! See you in 2019 x
Source: Jonathan Rea On Facebook

Yamaha celebrate MotoGP resurgence with Vinales victory

Maverick Vinales breaks win drought for Yamaha
MotoGP Australia Vinales
Maverick Vinales
Movistar Yamaha close in on Repsol Honda in Teams Title

The drought is over. 25 races since their last win – taken by Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) at the TT Circuit Assen last season – Yamaha were back on the top step at the Michelin Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix as Maverick Viñales (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) brought an end to their losing streak in imperious style.

MotoGP Australia Vinales
Maverick Vinales with Lin Jarvis

Massimo Meregalli – Yamaha MotoGP Team Director

“What a thrilling and dramatic race! Maverick is always strong at the Phillip Island circuit, and he once again outdid himself in Australia today. He really deserved the victory, because he had been strong the entire weekend. It‘s a great feeling for the team to secure a win again – we have all been working so hard for this. It‘s not just us who have been waiting, but also our fans, so this is as much for them as it is for us. It was a pity that Vale wasn‘t able to join the podium, because he was showing great potential for the majority of the race. It would have been great to have him up there too. He and his crew have also been pushing to the maximum, but sixth place was really the best he could do today due to tyre wear at the end of the race. Overall this weekend has been a great moral boost, because both riders were competitive, so we‘re all looking forward to the next round, the Grand Prix of Malaysia, in just a week‘s time.”

MotoGP Australia Vinales Forcada
Maverick Vinales with crew chief Roman Forcada, the pair will split at the end of this season as Vinales had wanted a new crew chief after being frustrated by his lack of results in season 2018

The Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team are celebrating at Phillip Island as they returned to the top step of the podium with Maverick Viñales taking a stunning win. Valentino Rossi was also a strong contender in today‘s Michelin Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix, eventually crossing the line in sixth place as he struggled with tyre wear. 

MotoGP Australia Vinales
Maverick Vinales

VIñales didn‘t have the start he had hoped for from second on the front row and slotted into tenth position after the first corners. At the end of the first lap he started to climb his way back up the ranking order, and on lap 3 he moved into eighth position. He remained there for a while, but was looking comfortable.

MotoGP Australia Vinales
Maverick Vinales

Drama happened with 21 laps to go, when Johann Zarco and Marc Márquez collided. Unaffected by the incident, the Factory Yamaha rider used the moment to launch his attack. He smoothly fought his way through the rider field to take the lead on lap 8. From that moment on he did exactly as he predicted yesterday: he put his head down, lapping 1‘29s laps, to break away at the front.

MotoGP Australia Vinales
Maverick Vinales

Towards the end of the race the Spaniard had a comfortable advantage of over four-seconds, allowing him to have a bit of a breather over the last five laps. He didn‘t put a foot wrong and secured a fantastic victory, with a 1.543s margin over his closest rival.

MotoGP Australia Vinales
Maverick Vinales

Maverick Vinales

“This is the best feeling ever, honestly! We‘ve been in the dark all year, and suddenly we came into the light! I couldn‘t show my potential in the previous races, but today I could. Being first in Australia is always amazing! It‘s the best track ever, and I like to be at the front there. To win here and break this long none winning period of Yamaha is unbelievable! I was riding on the bike like I was in FP4. I got a really good feeling from the bike, so I knew I could maintain 1‘29s. That‘s what I did for most of the middle of the race. I tried to escape as far as I could, because I knew my tyre wasn‘t going to last until the end. I knew opening that gap would be difficult, I had some moments with some riders, and some shaking on the bike – I was struggling, but I still made it through anyway. It was amazing! I have to say ‘thank you’ to the team, because this weekend they worked for the win. We will try to be the best and we‘ll try to work in a good way. We don‘t want to lose the concentration, because we don‘t know what will happen in Malaysia, but for sure the level of motivation will be high after this weekend.”

MotoGP Australia Vinales
Maverick Vinales

Rossi was in the fight but faded to sixth

Rossi had a good start from seventh on the grid, gaining a spot on the first lap. He continued to fight in the bunched-up leading group and soon found a way past Álex Rins to take fifth. He was looking to hit the front of the pack early but got involved in a scrap with Zarco and Jack Miller, which moved him back to sixth.

MotoGP Australia Rossi Iannone Dovi
Valentino Rossi

As Zarco and Márquez touched going into turn 1 on lap 6, the fight for the lead heated up. Viñales took the number one spot on lap 8 and the Doctor was keen on following him. He wrestled for a bit with Andrea Dovizioso and initially came out victorious, so he could attempt to follow his teammate in first place, but he couldn‘t quite keep up the challenge.

A fight with Andrea Iannone cost him some valuable time, and with 12 laps to go he got swept up again in a battle consisting of five riders fighting for second place. Rossi was pushed back to fifth but wasn‘t about to give up. With 8 laps to go he made another charge, briefly reclaiming second place, only to find himself in sixth again shortly after. The Italian pushed hard and had another try in the final three laps, but still finished the race in sixth place, 5.132s from his teammate.

MotoGP Australia Rossi
Valentino Rossi

Today’s results see Rossi hold third position in the championship standings with a 15-point gap to second. Viñales remains in fourth place, and thanks to his splendid win he currently has a 15-point gap to his teammate.

Valentino Rossi

“Unfortunately from the first lap I already started to slide a bit too much on acceleration. I lost some grip compared to yesterday and this morning. It’s a shame because for sure we wanted to try to do better. I tried to ride smoothly and manage the tyres, but unfortunately after 15 laps I was in trouble, because when exiting left corners I had too much spin. We need to understand why this happened and then try to improve, but having Maverick win a race is good news for the team and Yamaha, because it gives great motivation.”

MotoGP Australia Rossi
Valentino Rossi

Yamaha holds third place in the Constructor Championship after the race in Australia, with a 44-point margin to second, while the Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team remain in second position in the team standings, with now a 16-point gap to first.

The Movistar Yamaha MotoGP Team will be back in action at the Sepang International Circuit next weekend for the Shell Malaysia Motorcycle Grand Prix, held from November 2nd – 4th.

MotoGP Australia Vinales
Maverick Vinales
2018 Phillip Island MotoGP Results
Pos Rider Team Time
1. Vinales M. Movistar Yamaha 40:51.081
2. Iannone A. Team Suzuki Ecstar +1.543
3. Dovizioso A. Ducati Team +1.832
4. Bautista A. Ducati Team +4.072
5. Rins A. Team Suzuki Ecstar +5.017
6. Rossi V. Movistar Yamaha +5.132
7. Miller J. Alma Pramac Racing +6.756
8. Morbidelli F. Marc VDS Racing Team +21.805
9. Espargaro A. Aprilia Racing Team Gresini +22.904
10. Smith B. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing +22.940
11. Abraham K. Angel Nieto Team +34.386
12. Petrucci D. Alma Pramac Racing +35.025
13. Redding S. Aprilia Racing Team Gresini +36.348
14. Nakagami T. LCR Honda +36.389
15. Simeon X. Reale Avintia Racing +44.214
16. Luthi T. Marc VDS Racing Team +48.226
17. Torres J. Reale Avintia Racing +1:04.965
18. Jones M. Angel Nieto Team +1:19.817
DNF Espargaro P. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing DNF
DNF Syahrin H. Monster Tech 3 DNF
DNF Pedrosa D. Repsol Honda DNF
DNF Marquez M. Repsol Honda DNF
DNF Zarco J. Monster Tech 3 DNF
MotoGP Australia MotoGP Vinales Iannone Dovi
MotoGP Race Results
Maverick Viñales (SPA) YAMAHA 40’51.081
Andrea Iannone (ITA) SUZUKI +1.543
Andrea Dovizioso (ITA) DUCATI +1.832

MotoGP Championship Points

2018 MotoGP Championship Standings
Pos Rider Team Points
1. Marquez Marc Repsol Honda Team 296
2. Dovizioso Andrea Ducati Team 210
3. Rossi Valentino Movistar Yamaha MotoGP 195
4. Vinales Maverick Movistar Yamaha MotoGP 180
5. Crutchlow Cal LCR Honda 148
6. Petrucci Danilo Alma Pramac Racing 137
7. Zarco Johann Monster Yamaha Tech 3 133
8. Iannone Andrea Team Suzuki Ecstar 133
9. Lorenzo Jorge Ducati Team 130
10. Rins Alex Team Suzuki Ecstar 129
11. Bautista Alvaro Angel Nieto Team 96
12. Pedrosa Dani Repsol Honda Team 95
13. Miller Jack Alma Pramac Racing 83
14. Morbidelli Franco Marc VDS Racing Team 46
15. Espargaro Aleix Aprilia Racing Team Gresini 39
16. Rabat Tito Reale Avintia Racing 35
17. Espargaro Pol Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 35
18. Syahrin Hafizh Monster Yamaha Tech 3 34
19. Smith Bradley Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 29
20. Nakagami Takaaki LCR Honda 21
21. Redding Scott Aprilia Racing Team Gresini 15
22. Abraham Karel Angel Nieto Team 10
23. Kallio Mika Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 6
24. Nakasuga Katsuyuki Yamaha Factory Team 2
25. Simeon Xavier Reale Avintia Racing 1
26. Pirro Michele Ducati Team 1
27. Luthi Thomas Marc VDS Racing Team 0
28. Bradl Stefan Honda Racing Corporation 0
29. Torres Jordi MV Agusta Reparto Corse 0
30. Jones Mike Reale Avintia Racing 0
31. Guintoli Sylvain Pata Yamaha Official WSBK Team 0
32. Ponsson Christophe Ponsson C. 0
2018 MotoGP Team Points
Pos Team Points
1. Repsol Honda Team 391
2. Movistar Yamaha MotoGP 375
3. Ducati Team 353
4. Suzuki MotoGP 262
5. Alma Pramac Racing 220
6. LCR Honda 169
7. Monster Yamaha Tech 3 167
8. Angel Nieto Team 93
9. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 64
10. Aprilia Racing Team Gresini 54
11. Estrella Galicia 0,0 46
12. Reale Avintia Racing 36
2018 MotoGP Constructors Championship
Pos Manufacturer Points
1 Honda 339
2 Ducati 300
3 Yamaha 256
4 Suzuki 193
5 KTM 55
6 Aprilia 49

Source: MCNews.com.au

#AusMotoGP Race Reports | Results | Points | MotoGP | Moto2 | Moto3

Maverick Vinales breaks win drought for Yamaha
Marquez and Zarco clash

Movistar Yamaha close in on Repsol Honda in Teams Title


Maverick Vinales’ first win since Le Mans 2017 saw him take the flag 1.5 seconds clear of second place Andrea Iannone (Team Suzuki Ecstar), with Ducati Team’s Andrea Dovizioso taking his first podium for the Borgo Panigale factory at Phillip Island.

MotoGP Australia Start
#AusMotoGP

#AusMotoGP Race Report

As the lights went out it was Danilo Petrucci (Alma Pramac Racing) who got a lightning launch from P8 to head around the outside and lead into Turn 1, but the Italian then ran off at Turn 2 to end his charge. However, fellow Alma Pramac Racing rider Jack Miller took advantage to take the lead of his home Grand Prix at Turn 4 – a rinse and repeat of 2017 for the Aussie.

MotoGP Australia Jack Miller
Jack Miller

Pole man Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) slotted in behind Miller with Iannone third, but heading into Turn 1 on Lap 2 it was all change: Marquez took over the reins of the freight train, with Dovi slotting into second, Iannone third and Miller pushed back to fourth. The swapping and changing at the front begun with the fast and sweeping Phillip Island circuit keeping the riders in close pursuit of each other. The racing was hard but fair under glorious clear skies.

Close then became too close for Marquez and Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3), however, as the duo headed into the braking zone at Turn 1 on Lap 6 and Zarco hit the back of the number 93, causing the Frenchman to lose control and crash at roughly 300kph. Zarco’s bike also severely damaged the back of Marquez’ Honda and subsequently, the 2018 Champion retired from the race. Thankfully, Zarco walked away from the incident uninjured.

MotoGP Australia Marquez Damage
#AusMotoGP – Damage to Marquez Honda

This left Dovi leading from Miller and Iannone but then Viñales began to make his move. Starting P2, the Spaniard didn’t get a good getaway and was as low as tenth at one stage, but on Lap 8 he made what would turn out to be his race-winning overtake at Turn 4. Maverick then took off in true Top Gun style and within a lap had created a 0.8 second lead.

MotoGP Australia Iannone Dovizioso
Iannone and Dovizioso

The number 25 was in the groove and looked like he was on rails around the Island. Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) was leading the chase before Iannone then took the baton, but the Suzuki man ran wide at Turn 4 and dropped to the back of the quartet.

MotoGP Australia Dovizioso Bautista
Alvaro Bautista starred in his ride on the Factory Ducati

Alvaro Bautista (Ducati Team) was taking no prisoners on his one-off Ducati factory ride, with he and teammate Dovi also taking it in turns to try and reel in Viñales. But no matter who it was out of the four, no one could match the Spaniard’s superior pace – the gap was 1.9 seconds on Lap 13, and grew to four seconds by Lap 21.

Rins got the better of Rossi on the final lap to claim a fourth consecutive top five finish; ‘The Doctor’ forced to settle for P6 after heading wide on the last lap. Miller would bring his Ducati home in a solid P7 and as the leading Independent Team rider – the Australian just 6.7 seconds from the win – with Franco Morbidelli (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) earning his best result in the premier class so far in P8 to take charge in the Rookie of the Year Championship.

Hafizh Syahrin (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) crashed out of the top on Lap 19 at Turn 4. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) was able to beat Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Bradley Smith by a whisker in two great results – with 0.036 separating the duo at the line in P9 and P10 respectively – despite the Spaniard getting hit in the hand by some debris following the Zarco-Marquez incident.

11th was Karel Abraham (Angel Nieto Team) in the Czech rider’s best result of the season, with Petrucci recovering to P12 at the flag. Scott Redding (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini), Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) and Xavier Simeon (Reale Avintia Racing) completed to points in P13, P14 and P15 respectively – the latter earning his first point-scoring finish of the season.

A fantastic and faultless ride from Viñales means Yamaha have won their first Grand Prix race in 490 days. Can this launch the Spaniard into an end of season onslaught for second in the Championship? Or will Rossi and Dovizioso hold him off? Next up is Malaysia and the last of the flyaway races to give us the penultimate piece of the 2018 puzzle.

2018 Phillip Island MotoGP Results
Pos Rider Team Time
1. Vinales M. Movistar Yamaha 40:51.081
2. Iannone A. Team Suzuki Ecstar +1.543
3. Dovizioso A. Ducati Team +1.832
4. Bautista A. Ducati Team +4.072
5. Rins A. Team Suzuki Ecstar +5.017
6. Rossi V. Movistar Yamaha +5.132
7. Miller J. Alma Pramac Racing +6.756
8. Morbidelli F. Marc VDS Racing Team +21.805
9. Espargaro A. Aprilia Racing Team Gresini +22.904
10. Smith B. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing +22.940
11. Abraham K. Angel Nieto Team +34.386
12. Petrucci D. Alma Pramac Racing +35.025
13. Redding S. Aprilia Racing Team Gresini +36.348
14. Nakagami T. LCR Honda +36.389
15. Simeon X. Reale Avintia Racing +44.214
16. Luthi T. Marc VDS Racing Team +48.226
17. Torres J. Reale Avintia Racing +1:04.965
18. Jones M. Angel Nieto Team +1:19.817
DNF Espargaro P. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing DNF
DNF Syahrin H. Monster Tech 3 DNF
DNF Pedrosa D. Repsol Honda DNF
DNF Marquez M. Repsol Honda DNF
DNF Zarco J. Monster Tech 3 DNF

MotoGP Australia MotoGP Vinales Iannone Dovi

2018 MotoGP Championship Standings
Pos Rider Team Points
1. Marquez Marc Repsol Honda Team 296
2. Dovizioso Andrea Ducati Team 210
3. Rossi Valentino Movistar Yamaha MotoGP 195
4. Vinales Maverick Movistar Yamaha MotoGP 180
5. Crutchlow Cal LCR Honda 148
6. Petrucci Danilo Alma Pramac Racing 137
7. Zarco Johann Monster Yamaha Tech 3 133
8. Iannone Andrea Team Suzuki Ecstar 133
9. Lorenzo Jorge Ducati Team 130
10. Rins Alex Team Suzuki Ecstar 129
11. Bautista Alvaro Angel Nieto Team 96
12. Pedrosa Dani Repsol Honda Team 95
13. Miller Jack Alma Pramac Racing 83
14. Morbidelli Franco Marc VDS Racing Team 46
15. Espargaro Aleix Aprilia Racing Team Gresini 39
16. Rabat Tito Reale Avintia Racing 35
17. Espargaro Pol Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 35
18. Syahrin Hafizh Monster Yamaha Tech 3 34
19. Smith Bradley Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 29
20. Nakagami Takaaki LCR Honda 21
21. Redding Scott Aprilia Racing Team Gresini 15
22. Abraham Karel Angel Nieto Team 10
23. Kallio Mika Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 6
24. Nakasuga Katsuyuki Yamaha Factory Team 2
25. Simeon Xavier Reale Avintia Racing 1
26. Pirro Michele Ducati Team 1
27. Luthi Thomas Marc VDS Racing Team 0
28. Bradl Stefan Honda Racing Corporation 0
29. Torres Jordi MV Agusta Reparto Corse 0
30. Jones Mike Reale Avintia Racing 0
31. Guintoli Sylvain Pata Yamaha Official WSBK Team 0
32. Ponsson Christophe Ponsson C. 0
2018 MotoGP Team Points
Pos Team Points
1. Repsol Honda Team 391
2. Movistar Yamaha MotoGP 375
3. Ducati Team 353
4. Suzuki MotoGP 262
5. Alma Pramac Racing 220
6. LCR Honda 169
7. Monster Yamaha Tech 3 167
8. Angel Nieto Team 93
9. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 64
10. Aprilia Racing Team Gresini 54
11. Estrella Galicia 0,0 46
12. Reale Avintia Racing 36

Moto2

Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) claimed his third win of the season as he took the chequered flag by just 0.036 from second place Joan Mir (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) at the Michelin® Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix, with Xavi Vierge (Dynavolt Intact GP) snatching a podium away from Augusto Fernandez (Pons HP 40) at the line by an even smaller 0.008. The brilliant battle on the Island in the intermediate class saw neither Francesco Bagnaia (Sky Racing Team VR46) or Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo) challenge at the front, and the Championship rolls on to Malaysia.

MotoGP Australia Moto Binder Mir
Nothing in it! But Binder takes win number 3

There was drama before the race had even begun as P2 on the grid Marcel Schrötter (Dynavolt Intact GP) encountered a problem with his bike and although he eventually got it going, the German had to line up at the back of the grid. As the lights went out it was pole man Mattia Pasini (Italtrans Racing Team) who launched well to grab the holeshot, but Vierge soon cut his way through to the lead from P3 on the grid, with Binder, Iker Lecuona (Swiss Innovative Investors) and Dominique Aegerter (Kiefer Racing) slotting in behind.

Pasini’s race wouldn’t last long though, a crash at Turn 4 on Lap 2 for the Italian ended his hopes of a second podium of the year. Meanwhile, Bagnaia had initially made significant progress from P16 on the grid to get as high as P6, but the Championship leader soon dropped back to outside the top ten, along with title rival Oliveira.

Back at the front, a lead group of eight had formed. Lecuona was looking strong but the young Spaniard then crashed out at Turn 2 on lap 7 and then, looking good for a home round rostrum challenge, Remy Gardner (Tech 3 Racing) lost the front at Turn 10 lap 13 – heartache for the Australian.

The lead was chopping and changing lap by lap, particularly between Lorenzo Baldassarri (Pons HP 40) and Vierge. With five to go, it was a group of six at the front, all of which looked menacing. However, Baldassarri’s race would end prematurely at Turn 10 after the Italian got his Kalex machine out of shape under braking and went down and out of contention. And so, heading onto the last lap, there were five riders in contention. Luca Marini (Sky Racing Team VR46) made a sweeping move to go from fifth to third at Turn 1 as Binder led the way from Mir, and Turn 4 then saw Marini run wide and out of podium contention, with Fernandez and Vierge also getting out of sorts on the exit to leave the battle for the win between Binder and Mir.

Mir wasn’t close enough at his particular strong point: Turn 10, but on the exit of Turn 11 Binder lit up the rear of his KTM. A run to the line then followed but the South African had just enough edge out the Spaniard – the 2016 and 2017 Moto3™ Champions going head-to-head and Binder coming out on top. Vierge won the race to the line with Fernandez to complete the podium, with Marini taking P5. Aegerter would eventually finish 2.4s from the win in sixth after being in the leading group throughout, with Alex Marquez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) P7 after being unable to cling on to the front runners. 2018 European Moto2™ Champion Jesko Raffin (SAG Team) earned a top P8 at Phillip Island – a very solid ride from the Swiss rider at a track at which he’s got a good record.

Schrötter produced a phenomenal comeback ride to end the Australian GP in ninth, with Fabio Quartararo (MB Conveyors – Speed Up) rounding out the top ten. Then came the two title protagonists: Oliveira P11, Bagnaia in P12. A strange race for both as neither could penetrate the top ten, and the Championship moves onto Malaysia with Bagnaia holding a 36-point advantage.

Tetsuta Nagashima (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia), Sam Lowes (Swiss Innovative Investors) and Edgar Pons (MB Conveyors – Speed Up) complete the points in a top 15 that was separated by 14.076 seconds – the fifth closest top 15 in Moto2/250 history.

So the Moto2 riders Championship continues for another race, but Kalex claimed a sixth constructors title. A second match point for Bagnaia now awaits, can he and Oliveira challenge at the front again in at Sepang?

2018 Phillip Island Moto2 Results
Pos Rider Team Time
1. Binder B. Red Bull KTM Ajo 39:23.427
2. Mir J. Estrella Galicia Marc VDS +0.036
3. Vierge X. Dynavolt Intact GP +0.949
4. Fernandez A. Pons HP40 +0.957
5. Marini L. Sky Racing Team VR46 +1.767
6. Aegerter D. Kiefer Racing +2.482
7. Marquez A. Estrella Galicia Marc VDS +3.759
8. Raffin J. SAG Team +4.850
9. Schrotter M. Dynavolt Intact GP +6.250
10. Quartararo F. Beta Tools-Speed Up Racing +7.453
11. Oliveira M. Red Bull KTM Ajo +8.675
12. Bagnaia F. Sky Racing Team VR46 +9.725
13. Nagashima T. Idemitsu Honda Team Asia +9.787
14. Lowes S. SWI +11.209
15. Pons E. Beta Tools-Speed Up Racing +14.076
16. Pawi K. I. Idemitsu Honda Team Asia +15.350
17. Odendaal S. NTS RW Racing GP +15.396
18. Roberts J. NTS RW Racing GP +23.230
19. Corsi S. Tasca Racing Scuderia Moto2 +33.736
20. Locatelli A. Italtrans Racing Team +42.324
21. Staring B. Tech 3 Racing +52.297
22. Baldassarri L. Pons HP40 +1:03.888
DNF Cardelus X. Marinelli Snipers Team DNF
DNF Gardner R. Tech 3 Racing DNF
DNF Navarro J. Federal Oil Gresini DNF
DNF Lecuona I. SWI DNF
DNF Fuligni F. Tasca Racing Scuderia Moto2 DNF
DNF Danilo J. SAG Team DNF
DNF Vinales I. Forward Racing Team DNF
DNF Pasini M. Italtrans Racing Team DNF
MotoGP Australia Moto Podium Binder
Moto2 Race Results
1 – Brad Binder (RSA) KTM 39’23.427
2 – Joan Mir (SPA) KALEX +0.036
3 – Xavi Vierge (SPA) KALEX +0.949
2018 Moto2 Championship Standings
Pos Rider Team Points
1. Bagnaia Francesco Sky Racing Team VR46 288
2. Oliveira Miguel Red Bull KTM Ajo 252
3. Binder Brad Red Bull KTM Ajo 193
4. Baldassarri Lorenzo Pons HP40 152
5. Mir Joan Estrella Galicia Marc VDS Team Moto2 149
6. Marquez Alex Estrella Galicia Marc VDS Team Moto2 148
7. Schrotter Marcel Dynavolt Intact GP 131
8. Vierge Xavi Dynavolt Intact GP 126
9. Marini Luca Sky Racing Team VR46 122
10. Quartararo Fabio Beta Tools-Speed Up Racing 117
11. Pasini Mattia Italtrans Racing Team 115
12. Lecuona Iker Swiss Innovative Investors 60
13. Navarro Jorge Federal Oil Gresini Moto2 55
14. Lowes Sam Swiss Innovative Investors 48
15. Corsi Simone Tasca Racing Scuderia Moto2 47
16. Locatelli Andrea Italtrans Racing Team 41
17. Aegerter Dominique Kiefer Racing 40
18. Fernandez Augusto Pons HP40 37
19. Gardner Remy Tech 3 Racing 29
20. Nagashima Tetsuta Idemitsu Honda Team Asia 23
21. Fenati Romano Marinelli Snipers Team 14
22. Barbera Hector Pons HP40 10
23. Raffin Jesko Garage Plus Interwetten 9
24. Manzi Stefano Forward Racing Team 8
25. Kent Danny Beta Tools-Speed Up Racing 8
26. Vinales Isaac Forward Racing Team 7
27. Roberts Joe NTS RW Racing GP 5
28. Bendsneyder Bo Tech 3 Racing 2
29. Pawi Khairul Idham Idemitsu Honda Team Asia 1
30. Pons Edgar Pons HP40 1
31. Odendaal Steven NTS RW Racing GP 1
32. Tuuli Niki SIC Racing Team 1
33. Warokorn Thitipong APH PTT The Pizza SAG 0
34. Granado Eric Forward Racing Team 0
35. Danilo Jules SAG Team 0
36. Garzo Hector Garzo H. 0
37. Tulovic Lukas Kiefer Racing 0
38. Fuligni Federico Tasca Racing Scuderia Moto2 0
39. Staring Bryan Go & Fun Honda Gresini 0
40. Cardelus Xavi Team Stylobike 0
41. Medina Alejandro SAG Team 0
42. Morais Sheridan Willirace Racing Team 0
43. Pratama Dimas Ekky Federal Oil Gresini Moto2 0
44. Perolari Corentin Promoto Sport 0
45. Khairuddin Zulfahmi SIC Racing Team 0
46. Tangre Cedric Yohan Moto Sport 0

Moto3

Albert Arenas (Angel Nieto Team Moto3) has taken his second Grand Prix win in stunning style in the Michelin® Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix, timing it to perfection to stay ahead over the line in one of the closest top fifteen finishes of all time. Fabio Di Giannantonio (Del Conca Gresini Moto3) took an impressive second after fighting back from outside the top fifteen on the grid and kept his title hopes alive, with Celestino Vietti (Sky Racing Team VR46) completing the podium in only his second ever Grand Prix as he replaces the injured Nicolo Bulega. If you’re looking for the names of key title contenders Jorge Martin (Del Conca Gresini Moto3) and Marco Bezzecchi (Redox PruestelGP), they were off the podium – Martin in fifth and Bezzecchi not finishing after another dose of huge bad luck for the Italian as he got collected in a crash.

MotoGP Australia Moto Albert Arenas
Arenas took his second victory of the season in another Moto3 stunner at the Island

As the lights went out under the Phillip Island sun, it was Gabriel Rodrigo (RBA BOE Skull Rider) who got the perfect launch from the second row to take the holeshot, but he didn’t hold the lead long as Philipp Oettl (Südmetall Schedl GP Racing) pounced at Stoner Corner and Martin then repaid the favour not long after. First time down the Gardner Straight, however, the power of the KTM fought back and Rodrigo was back in the lead.

Meanwhile Marco Bezzecchi had made up a few places from his more difficult P15 starting position, and the front group remained a long freight train so the Italian was still in the fight. But it was Martin in the lead, the main he trailed by a single point coming into the race, and there was work left to do for the Italian. Slowly making his way forward, he was soon within striking distance of Martin and with 16 to go Bezzecchi went from seventh over the line to the lead within a handful of corners.

Five or six wide through Stoner Corner – somehow – it was a true classic in the lightweight class with the top 17 covered by just over a second and a half. That always brings some drama and, in yet another twist, that drama then hit one of the Championship protagonsts: Bezzecchi.

As Gabriel Rodrigo ran out of space between the Italian and Aron Canet (Estrella Galicia 0,0), he lost the front. The Italian rider was on the outside and was a pure passenger in the Argentinean’s crash, sending another shockwave through the title fight as he slid out onto the grass and was unable to get back in the race.

That left Martin with a big opportunity to try and extend the gap, but the battle still raged. The freight train remained despite a very brief breakaway for Martin, and there was nothing between those fighting for points and those fighting for the win. Canet had emerged into the lead after some more drama – a huge highside for Marcos Ramirez (Bester Capital Dubai) that then collected his teammate Jaume Masia, and then a crash between Dennis Foggia (Sky Racing Team VR46) and Tony Arbolino (Marinelli Snipers team) – and the final laps were dawning.

Martin seemed to roll out of it on the final time down the Gardner Straight and a gaggle of riders headed abreast into Turn 1 to start the last lap in style, but it was Albert Arenas who took over on the final lap. That was as Vietti held onto P2 and got attacked by Martin, but the Spaniard couldn’t get through and he headed wide as Fabio Di Giannantonio then capitalised – setting up a drag to the line. As they tucked in and bombed out of the final corner for the last time, Arenas was able to just stay clear as the field snapped at his heels, taking his second Grand Prix win of the season.

Vietti just lost out on second as ‘Diggia’ was able to get past him at the line, and for the Del Conca Gresini rider it’s a big result as he puts himself squarely back into the title fight with those 20 points. Vietti held on to third to take his first podium on only his second ever start, with Martin losing out another place over the line as Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Squadra Corse) struck to take fourth. That, at least, was some consolation for Marco Bezzecchi as the gap didn’t grow by a full 25 points.

Canet took P6 ahead of Enea Bastianini (Leopard Racing), with Jakub Kornfeil (Redox PruestelGP) and Ayumu Sasaki (Petronas Sprinta Racing) completing the top ten. Alonso Lopez (Estrella Galicia 0,0) was back on song in P11, with Darryn Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) one to lose out in the latter stages and taking twelfth after leading early on. Andrea Migno (Angel Nieto Team), John McPhee (CIP – Green Power) and Philipp Oettl completed the points, the latter after some contact with points leader Martin.

More drama than ever once again ripped through the Moto3 race in Australia, and it’s left us with another shake up in the points. What will happen in Malaysia? Martin arrives on top by 12 points ahead of Bezzecchi, with Di Giannantonio within 20 of the top. Those are the three men who remain in it, and the conclusion could be decided for one or all of them next time out.

2018 Phillip Island Moto3 Results
Pos Rider Team Time
1. Arenas A. Angel Nieto Team Moto3 37:48.073
2. Di Giannantonio F. Del Conca Gresini Racing +0.052
3. Vietti C. Sky Racing Team VR46 +0.059
4. Suzuki T. SIC58 Squadra Corse +0.081
5. Martin J. Del Conca Gresini Racing +0.099
6. Canet A. Estrella Galicia 0,0 +0.154
7. Norrodin A. Petronas Sprinta Racing +0.188
8. Bastianini E. Leopard Racing +0.235
9. Kornfeil J. PruestlGP +0.328
10. Sasaki A. Petronas Sprinta Racing +0.406
11. Lopez A. Estrella Galicia 0,0 +0.575
12. Binder D. Red Bull KTM Ajo +0.889
13. Migno A. Angel Nieto Team Moto3 +0.987
14. Mcphee J. CIP Green Power +0.989
15. Oettl P. Sudmetall Schedl GP Racing +2.148
16. Montella Y. SIC58 Squadra Corse +34.700
17. Nepa S. CIP Green Power +34.969
18. Atiratphuvapat N. Idemitsu Honda Team Asia +39.367
19. Toba K. Idemitsu Honda Team Asia +48.054
20. Perez V. Reale Avintia Racing +48.970
DNF Arbolino T. Marinelli Snipers Team DNF
DNF Foggia D. Sky Racing Team VR46 DNF
DNF Ramirez M. Bester Capital Dubai DNF
DNF Masia J. Bester Capital Dubai DNF
DNF Dalla Porta L. Leopard Racing DNF
DNF Rodrigo G. RBA BOE Skull Rider DNF
DNF Bezzecchi M. PruestlGP DNF
MotoGP Australia Moto Albert Arenas Podium
Moto3 Race Results
1 – Albert Arenas (SPA) KTM 37’48.073
2 – Fabio Di Giannantonio (ITA) HONDA +0.052
3 – Celestino Vietti (ITA) KTM +0.059
2018 Moto3 Championship Standings
Pos Rider Team Points
1. Martin Jorge Del Conca Gresini Racing Moto3 215
2. Bezzecchi Marco Pruestel GP 203
3. Di Giannantonio Fabio Del Conca Gresini Racing Moto3 195
4. Bastianini Enea Leopard Racing 150
5. Dalla Porta Lorenzo Leopard Racing 131
6. Canet Aron Estrella Galicia 0,0 128
7. Rodrigo Gabriel RBA BOE Skull Rider 116
8. Kornfeil Jakub Pruestel GP 115
9. Arenas Albert Angel Nieto Team Moto3 94
10. Ramirez Marcos Bester Capital Dubai 90
11. Migno Andrea Angel Nieto Team Moto3 82
12. Masia Jaume Bester Capital Dubai 66
13. Suzuki Tatsuki SIC58 Squadra Corse 64
14. Mcphee John CIP Green Power 62
15. Oettl Philipp Sudmetall Schedl GP Racing 58
16. Antonelli Niccolo SIC58 Squadra Corse 56
17. Foggia Dennis Sky Racing Team VR46 55
18. Arbolino Tony Marinelli Snipers Team 49
19. Binder Darryn Red Bull KTM Ajo 48
20. Norrodin Adam Petronas Sprinta Racing 46
21. Sasaki Ayumu Petronas Sprinta Racing 45
22. Lopez Alonso Estrella Galicia 0,0 36
23. Toba Kaito Idemitsu Honda Team Asia 33
24. Vietti Celestino Vietti C. 18
25. Bulega Nicolo Sky Racing Team VR46 18
26. Perez Vicente Reale Avintia Academy 13
27. Fernandez Raul MRW Mahindra Aspar Team 13
28. Yurchenko Makar CIP Green Power 9
29. Loi Livio Reale Avintia Racing 8
30. Masaki Kazuki RBA BOE Skull Rider 8
31. Chantra Somkiat Honda Racing Corporation 7
32. Pagliani Manuel SIC Racing Team 6
33. Atiratphuvapat Nakarin Idemitsu Honda Team Asia 2
34. Ogura Ai Asia Talent Team 1
35. Montella Yari Montella Y. 0
36. Wongthananon Apiwat Wongthananon A. 0
37. Nepa Stefano CIP Green Power 0
38. Alcoba Jeremy Junior Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 0
39. Zannoni Kevin Althea Racing 0
40. Grunwald Luca Kiefer Racing 0
41. Okazaki Shizuka Teluru & Kohara 0
42. Fukushima Yuto Fukushima Y. 0
43. Salac Filip Czech Talent Team Cuna de Campeones 0
44. Van de Lagemaat Ryan Van de Lagemaat R. 0
45. Kofler Maximilian Motorsport Kofler E.U. 0

Source: MCNews.com.au