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Author: INDIAinF1 Desk
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Rally Italia Sardegna: Gaurav Gill shows his pace in shakedown for 11th in RC2 category
Gaurav Gill. Photo: Anand Philar Bengaluru, 07 June 2018: Indian ace Gaurav Gill (co-driver Glenn Macneall) of Team MRF Tyres, marked his debut in WRC 2 with a best of two minutes, 07.3 seconds in Thursday’s shakedown at the 3.51 Kms Olmeda test in damp conditions ahead of Rally Italia Sardegna which commences tonight with the Super Special Stages before the competitors negotiate the Special Stages over the next three days.
He finished the shakedown session overall 24th out of 41 starters and 11th in the RC2 category (WRC 2, R5 cars), missing the top-10 by a mere 10th of a second.
Gill, the 36-year old Delhi-based triple Asia Pacific Rally Championship winner, started his shakedown with a timing of 02:16.4 in his M-Sport Ford Fiesta R5 and dramatically improved his pace by clocking 02:09.2 in his second run before going even quicker in his third attempt with a 02:07.3.
His best timing put him just outside the top-10 in the RC2 category where his former APRC team-mate Ole Christian Veiby in a Skoda Fabia R5 was among the quickest in 02:03.08. Incidentally, Gill was way quicker than European champion Kajetan Kajetanowicz, the 39-year old from Poland, also in a Ford Fiesta R5 and in his first WRC 2 participation.
The Rally Italia Sardegna will officially start at 5 pm (8.30 pm IST) from the Alghero seafront. Then, SS1 “Ittiri Arena Show” will follow at 6 pm (9.30 pm IST) on live TV on FOX Sports and the national channel RAI Sport.
Over the weekend, the competitors will tackle 20 stages totalling 314.36 Kms of competitive action with 36.51 Kms of the route new for this year.
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Latvala warms up nicely for Rally Italia Sardegna, quickest in shakedown
Jari-Matti Latvala who topped the shakedown on Thursday. Photo: WRC Alghero, 07 June 2018: Jari-Matti Latvala was fastest through an unusually damp shakedown at Rally Italia Sardegna on Thursday morning. He topped the times in the 3.51km Olmeda test in his Toyota Yaris, 0.8sec clear of Hayden Paddon’s Hyundai i20. Thierry Neuville, Esapekka Lappi and Ott Tänak were tied in third, a further tenth behind.
It was the third successive rally in which Latvala has won shakedown, but broken suspension sidelined him early at the last two rounds in Argentina and Portugal after hitting rocks. The Finn has changed his preparations in a bid to avoid an unwanted hat-trick.
“In the recce, I used more time than previously. I stopped at some places to throw the stones away and I walked around and looked at the stones,” he told wrc.com. “I also tried to mark more carefully the bad places or where there was a stone on the ground and rather than going over it, I will go round it.
“We’ll run the car higher which should help with the impacts and I won’t turn so aggressively into corners. There was no time to do any suspension work between Portugal and this rally, but the reality is that I’ve been driving too aggressively.”
Team-mate Lappi set the pace during the first pass of the gravel stage. Paddon was fastest on the next two runs before Latvala moved top of the standings on his fourth and final attempt.
Persistent rain fell in the Alghero service park and while the stage was drier, the obligatory hard compound Michelin rubber was not ideal for the conditions.
Sébastien Ogier and Andreas Mikkelsen were both caught out, swiping a rock during their first runs which caused bodywork damage to the co-driver’s side of their cars.
Leading positions were:
POSITION DRIVER CAR TIME 1 Jari-Matti Latvala Toyota Yaris 1min 53.9sec 2 Hayden Paddon Hyundai i20 +0.8sec 3= Thierry Neuville Hyundai i20 +0.9sec 3= Esapekka Lappi Toyota Yaris +0.9sec 3= Ott Tänak Toyota Yaris +0.9sec 6 Sébastien Ogier Ford Fiesta +1.4sec 7 Elfyn Evans Ford Fiesta +2.2sec 8 Teemu Suninen Ford Fiesta +2.8sec 9 Andreas Mikkelsen Hyundai i20 +3.2sec 10 Craig Breen Citroën C3 +3.6sec -
CONFIRMED: Jorge Lorenzo to ride for Repsol Honda in 2019 and 2020
Jorge Lorenzo. Photo: Ducati Mugello, 06 June 2018: It’s official: Jorge Lorenzo is to join Repsol Honda in 2019, with the five-time World Champion having signed up for two seasons to partner reigning World Champion Marc Marquez at HRC. The announcement comes in the wake of Lorenzo’s first win for Ducati, taken at Mugello, when the Mallorcan became only the sixth man in the MotoGP™ era to win races on more than one bike, following 44 wins for Yamaha.
The statistics of the superstar line-up of Marquez and Lorenzo at Repsol Honda make for incredible reading: the two men share a total of 11 Championships, 130 victories and 255 podiums between them – many of which have been fought against each other. The two are also the only riders to have been crowned MotoGP™ World Champion since 2011 – Lorenzo in 2012 and 2015, adding to his first premier class crown taken in 2010, and Marquez in 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2017.
DANI PEDROSA TO QUIT HONDA AFTER 18 YEARS
Dani Pedrosa. Photo: Honda Racing Lorenzo’s move to Honda follows the exit of Dani Pedrosa who is to part ways with HRC after 18 years together across three classes in the MotoGP™ World Championship, at the end of the 2018 season, by mutual agreement. The two have enjoyed an incredibly successful relationship and since 2006, when the Spaniard joined the Repsol Honda Team, he has earned 31 victories and was runner-up in the MotoGP™ Championship on three occasions – becoming the rider with the third most podiums in the premier class, behind only Valentino Rossi and Giacomo Agostini.
Over the years, Pedrosa has provided very useful information and feedback to Honda for the development of its machines, and at the same time, HRC has given him the best technology and full support on the track.
“I want to thank HRC for all these years of great success,” saïd Pedrosa. “I have grown not only as a rider but also as a person with them. I will always have HRC in my memories and in my heart. In life we all need new challenges and I feel it’s time for a change. Thanks, HRC.”
“Today is a sad day for me,” said Yoshishige Nomura, HRC President. “On behalf of HRC, I want to thank Dani for all his hard and successful work, and to express our gratitude for these two decades together. We also wish him the very best of luck and success. Thanks, Dani.”
Pedrosa later confirmed that more information about his future will be known during the next race weekend, set to take place at his home Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
“After announcing that my relationship with HRC will be over at the end of the season, I’d like to affirm that I will be providing more information about my future at the Catalan GP,” said Pedrosa. “Once again I’d like to express my deep thanks to HRC for all these years of personal and professional success with them, and for having always respected my priorities and decisions. We have both gained a lot from one of the most fruitful working relationships in the MotoGP paddock.”
Pedrosa, who moved up to the premier class and the Repsol Honda Team in 2006 as reigning 250 Champion, has won 31 races with the outfit so far and has the third most premier class podiums of all-time.
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Rally Italia Sardegna: 45 verified drivers make the cut to start on Thursday
A view of the waterfront Alghero, 06 June 2018: A total of 45 drivers were admitted to the start after pre-event scrutineering here ahead of the Rally Italia Sardegna. The five failures were the Kris Meeke, as already announced by Citroen, the Italian gravel Trophy winner Andrea Dalmazzini (Ford Fiesta R5), the Russian Shaymiev, the Romanian Casuneanu and Sebastiano Ciato. All the other crews reached Sardinia and the rally will therefore enjoy the presence of 11 WRC Plus, 4 WRC 2016, 12 WRC 2 and 4 WRC 3 cars besides the non-priority drivers, including India’s Gaurav Gill who, along with co-driver Glenn Macneall of Australia (MRF Tyres), will be in the M-Sport Ford Fiesta R5.
Meanwhile, drivers have started recce this morning which will continue until tomorrow afternoon. Max Rendina also reached Alghero. The 44 year-old driver from Rome and co-driver Emanuele Inglesi will be on the 0 car.
LIVE COVERAGE OF THE RALLYRegarding TV coverage, edition 2018 of the Rally Italia Sardegna will be covered live in Italy as usual by FOX Sports (SKY 204) with commentary by Lucio Rizzica and Gabriele Cogni, and by Rai Sport Sat (Freview 57) with commentary by Lorenzo Leonarduzzi and
Andrea Nicoli. Both networks will cover the Super Special Stage Ittiri Arena from 19 on Thursday June 7, the two Coiluna-Loelle stages on Saturday at local 8.30 am and 4 pm, and the two Sassari-Argentiera tests (the second of which will be the power stage) on Sunday at 9.30 am and 12 Noon.CITROEN AXE KRIS MEEKE
French manufacturer Citroen recently announced that Ulsterman Meeke and co-driver Paul Nagle will not start Rally Italia Sardegna or any of the remaining WRC rounds due to ‘an excessively high number of crashes’.
Team principal Pierre Budar said the decision to axe Meeke was based on safety considerations. “This wasn’t an easy decision to make because it effects a driver and a co-driver, but it is largely founded on safety issues which come under my preoccupations as team principal. We have consequently chosen to make this decision as a preventive measure,” he said.
A statement from Citroën Racing said: “Due to an excessively high number of crashes, some of which were particularly heavy and could have had serious consequences with regard to the crew’s safety, and given that the risks involved were unjustified by the sporting stakes at play, Citroën Racing WRT has decided to terminate the participation of Kris Meeke and Paul Nagle in the 2018 WRC.”
HIGH TEMPERATURES AND TOUGH CONDITIONS
Rally Italia Sardegna is one of the toughest events on the WRC calendar and this week’s rally will be no exception as high in-car temperatures and narrow, rugged gravel roads push the crews to the limit. One of the events which formed part of the inaugural WRC calendar in 1973, the rally moved to the island in 2004 and the picturesque seaside town of Alghero will once again be the host.After leaving the waterfront service park, teams will tackle 20 Stages totalling 314.36 kms of competitive action with 36.51 kms of the route new for this year. The action starts on Thursday night with the ‘Ittiri Arena Show’ – a 2 kms Super Special Stage that is held at the former Ittiri motocross track.
Crews will then head north-east on Friday to tackle two loops of four stages made up of Tula (22.12 Kms), the Castelsardo (14.37 Kms) test, Tergu-Osilo (14.14 Kms) and the Monte Baranta (11.46 Kms) stage, which was last year’s shakedown.
Saturday is the longest day of the rally, with 146.14 Kms of stages broken into two loops of three tests – Coiluna-Loelle (14.95 Kms), Monti Di Ala’ (28.52 Kms) and Monte Lerno (28.89 Kms). The 1.42 Kms Citta Di Ittiri-Coros stage splits the day and gets the action back underway after a mid-day service halt in Alghero.
Crews will head north of Alghero along the coast on Sunday to tackle the Cala Flumini (14.06 Kms) and Sassari-Argentiera (6.96 Kms) tests. Both stages, which were used in 2017, are run twice on Sunday, with the latter being the venue for the Live TV Power Stage which gets underway at 12.18 pm local time.
TOP HIGHLIGHTS
One of the WRC’s best-known locations – Micky’s Jump – will draw large crowds on Saturday as the crews drive the Monte Lerno stage twice. Cars will fly high and long as the road literally drops away beneath them.
The podium ceremony in Alghero is on the of the event’s most spectacular features, as teams dive into the harbour en masse to cool off after receiving their trophies.
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MRF Tyres and Gaurav Gill set for historic WRC debut in Rally Italia Sardegna
Gaurav Gill (right) and co-driver Glenn Macneall with the M-Sport Ford Fiesta R5 By Anand Philar
Bengaluru, 05 June 2018: Come this weekend, India will be marking her presence on one of motorsport’s biggest stages, the FIA World Rally Championship as MRF Tyres and Gaurav Gill will take the start in Rally Italia Sardegna, albeit in the non-priority WRC2 category.
MRF Tyres have linked up with WRC’s top team, UK-based M-Sport who also manage the reigning World champion Frenchman Sebastien Ogier, to run four gravel rounds this season which will serve as a platform to do some R & D on their tyres before participating in the full season next year.
Gill, along with his long-time co-driver Glenn Macneall with whom he won two of the three FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship titles, will be piloting the M-Sport R5 Ford Fiesta. The 36-year old Delhi-based Indian did two days of testing in the forests of Cumbria, UK, last week before heading to the island of Sardegna.
MRF, after having won nine APRC titles since their debut in 2002 and as such, the move to WRC was to be expected with Gill as their driver mascot, though it meant loads of preparatory work by way of making tyres to WRC standards and competing against established global brands such as Michelin and D-Mack. Participation in four gravel rounds mean generating data on tyres over 1,200 Kms of Special Stages.
Besides Sardegna, MRF and Gill plan to take part in Rally of Finland (July 26-29), Wales Rally GB (October 4-7) and Rally Australia (November 15-18).
So, what is in store for Gill in Sardegna? First, being a non-priority entry, Gill will start the rally from the last group, behind WRC (priority 1), WRC2 (priority 2) and WRC3 (priority 3), and this could be a disadvantage since the surface would have been chewed up by the cars that preceded him. As per the official list published, Rally Italia has 50 entries of which 28 enjoy “priority” status as mentioned above. The non-priority category has four WRC-spec entries, nine R5 cars and nine more in the RC2/3/4/5, NR4/R3T/R2/R1 class.
Rally Italia Sardegna service park. Photo: Rally Italia website Second, Gill faces another disadvantage of not having sufficient seat time in the Ford Fiesta R5, but he was in similar situation in the APRC too, driving the Skoda Fabia R5. Third, the ecosystem of the WRC takes some getting used to though Gill had taken part in three WRC rounds in the Production (now WRC2) class, back in 2008 and 2009, courtesy Bengaluru-based Sidvin Core-Tech.
Yet, you can’t put anything past Gill who over the years has, like good wine, matured into a World-class rally driver. “It is not just about raw speed for me today. I have evolved over the years along with the sport itself which I think is the key to where I am now. Moving on to WRC2 will no doubt present fresh challenges, but I take comfort in the fact that I have raced against some of the current top drivers in APRC and also beaten them. However, I do not entertain any high expectations for this season as the focus will also be on tyre R & D. Yes, it will be a steep learning curve for me and also MRF, but I am looking forward to the challenge,” Gill told me during a recent conversation.
To say the obvious, it will be a tough going in Rally Italia Sardegna, but, given the circumstances, if you can bet on one driver to deliver a strong performance, then my man is Gaurav Gill. WRC has been a long time coming, but as Gill agreed, better late than never.
RALLY ITALIA SARDEGNA DETAILS
Rally Italia Sardegna comprises 20 Special Stages totalling over 313 Kms on gravel roads and the temperatures will be high. After the Super Special Stage on Thursday at the rally cross circuit of Ittiri, Friday features four Stages, each run twice. On Saturday, the competitors will do seven Special Stages covering over 146 Kms while Sunday will see four Stages.
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Sebastien Ogier hoping to bounce back in Rally Italia Sardegna this weekend
Sebastien Ogier…..keen to make up for Portugal debacle. Photo: WRC Alghero, 05 June 2018: Reigning champion Sebastien Ogier is looking to put the disappointment at the Vodafone Rally de Portugal behind him as he looks to claim a fourth victory at this weekend’s Rally Italia Sardegna.
The M-Sport Ford driver was forced to retire on the opening day in Portugal after a pace note error caused him to hit a tree stump and break the suspension on his Fiesta, sending him sliding into the trees on the following corner.
His first no-score of the season meant he forfeited his lead in the championship to rally winner Thierry Neuville. Ogier now trails the Hyundai i20 driver by 19 points in the drivers’ standings thanks to the Belgian also claiming four bonus points on the Live TV Power Stage.
“Portugal was a shame as we had the speed to challenge for the win,” Ogier explained. “It was a small mistake with big consequences, but we put it behind us and are now fully focused on giving it everything we’ve got in Sardinia.”
The one silver-lining for the Frenchman is that he won’t be tasked with opening the road on Friday, but he conceded starting second won’t be much of an advantage.
“We won’t be opening the road this year, but we’ll still have something of an uphill battle with many fast drivers benefitting from a cleaner road behind,” Ogier said. “Even so, I’m confident that we can challenge for a good result. If we can keep the lead in sight on Friday night, then we’ll be in with a good chance – and will push for the best possible result.”
The five-time World champion has good form on the Mediterranean island rally, with three previous wins – most recently with VW in 2015 – from seven World Rally Car starts.
Ogier added: “I’ve learned to really enjoy these demanding stages, it’s a beautiful island but not the easiest of rallies with some very rough and abrasive terrain. You need to keep a margin and stay focused from start to finish – which is exactly what we intend to do.”
Sardinia’s beautiful beaches and luscious landscapes attract visitors in their droves, but the island is also prime rally territory – its rugged mountains, ancient forests and unspoilt rural terrain providing some of the year’s most demanding stages.
Lined with car-breaking obstacles, these stages leave no room for error. Fast and narrow, they demand precision driving and note calling from the drivers and co-drivers who must maintain their focus in temperatures as high as 30C.
More than a third of this year’s route is new – countless sections within each of the demanding speed tests offering a different challenge to last year’s encounter.
But the service park remains a familiar affair, hosted by the coastal town of Alghero. The town hosts the ceremonial start as well as the podium ceremony, and its idyllic cafes and mouth-watering selection of Italian gelateria are a must for teams and spectators alike.
Rally Italia Sardegna offers 20 Special Stages totalling more than 313 Kms on rugged and sun-baked gravel roads. Not only the tough gravel roads, but as well the temperatures are a challenge for the crews. While it has 28 Centigrade outside, the temperatures inside the rally cars can easily raise up to 68 degrees.
After the Super Special Stage on Thursday at the rally cross circuit of Ittiri, Friday features four stages in the north of the island, each run twice. Saturday is again the longest day of the rally with seven special stages covering over 146 kilometres. Sunday will bring the final decision with four stages close to the coast north of the host town of Alghero. The event first took place in 1928 as the “Rally of Flowers” and has been a round of the WRC since 1973.
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Another top-10 finish for Ruhaan Alva in Easykart Italia Championship
Ruhaan Alva Castelletto (Italy), June 4: India’s Ruhaan Alva delivered his second consecutive top-10 finish as he came in eighth in the 100cc category in the fourth round of the Easykart Italia championship here on Sunday.
The 12-year old schoolboy from Bengaluru, supported by Play Factory and Birel Art India, and who had finished ninth in the previous round last month, promised much ahead of the race when he was the quickest in the last practice session that saw 15 drivers separated by just 0.5 seconds.
Starting the pre-final race in sixth spot, just two-tenths off pole position, he qualified seventh on the grid for Sunday’s final. Ruhaan started the final hoping to make places, but lost two positions in the very first lap, but recovered to move back to seventh.
Picking up the pace, Ruhaan managed to join the front-running bunch and was lining up to make few more places when an incident damaged his chassis that slowed him down considerably. As the race progressed, a struggling Ruhaan dropped a couple of spots to eventually finish ninth but was elevated to eighth following a penalty to a driver who was ahead of him.
Ruhaan’s next engagement is the fifth round of the championship to be held at the Pomposa circuit on June 23-24.
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Amittrajit Ghosh and Ashwin Naik chalk up ERC3 debut win in EKO Rally Acropolis
Amittrajit Ghosh and co-driver Ashwin Naik celebrate their ERC3 win in the EKO Rally Acropolis. Photo: ERC Athens, 03 June 2018: Amittrajit Ghosh and co-driver Ashwin Naik from India scored a fairy-tale underdog victory in the FIA European Rally Championship’s ERC3 category of the EKO Rally Acropolis, winning on their debut in an older-specification Ford Fiesta R2 on Sunday.
Leading his class heading into Sunday, Ghosh simply had to bring his Prospeed-prepared car home in one piece to complete his first ERC appearance – his third outside native India – in first place. He did exactly that, continuing a deliberate approach to prioritise survival over speed in Acropolis’ rough, rock-strewn stages he had taken since Friday.
“Coming here with an older generation R2, the goal was to finish. In the back of my mind, I knew that if we got to the finish we’d be on the podium, but yesterday morning, when I was only two seconds behind [Artur] Muradian in the Peugeot I knew I could do it,” he told ERC Radio at the finish line.
Amittrajit Ghosh on the charge. Photo: ERC TBRacing’s Muradian had been ERC3’s quickest driver throughout all three days, but his PEUGEOT 208 R2 was appropriate battle-scarred from his fast approach. He was fastest in all but one stage he completed, but sheared wheel bolts in SS5 on Saturday morning forced him to retire from the lead.
“[The wheel bolts] sheared, like somebody cut them off. It’s funny because it was the first turn of the stage, 90 metres, sharp right and you can see the wheel flying in front of you! We lifted the car and when we decided to put the tyre back on, we noticed there were no bolts. We found all four of them in the corner later on!” he said.
Despite his speed, Muradian’s Saturday retirement meant he would settle for third place, well behind ERC Ladies’ Trophy frontrunner Emma Falcón in second. She bravely fought through all four of Leg Three’s stages with no brakes, her middle pedal going down to the floor and forcing Falcón to use her handbrake instead.
Chrysostomos Karellis had hoped to return for Leg Three after his retirement in Drossohori on Saturday but did not make it out of service come Sunday morning.
Amittrajit Ghosh….sensational win. Photo: ERC The Indian pair’s victory that saw them finish over 12 minutes ahead of their nearest rivals, was a foregone conclusion at the end of Saturday’s stages when they enjoyed a commanding lead despite treacherous conditions as Ghosh rightly opted for safety-first approach which put him ahead of class rivals.
Ghosh was taking part in only his third rally event outside of his native India, piloting a Baltic Motorsport Promotion-prepared Ford Fiesta R2. Much of the foundation for his victory was laid on Saturday when after Leg Two’s morning loop, he led in ERC3, taking a steady approach as others were caught out by tricky conditions.
“The whole plan for the event was not to take any risks but drive at a decent pace, so we were surprised to see that we were only two seconds off the fastest [in SS3],” said Ghosh. “For the first 7-8 km [in SS4] we took it almost at recce speed as I knew if you go hot there, you’re not going to finish that stage. When I saw our competitor [Chrysostomos Karellis] unfortunately parked, I knew the call was right.”
Though he lost 17 seconds to previous leader Artur Muradian in SS4, he then moved to the front when a wheel bolt failure ended Muradian’s day in the following stage. “In the next stage at the first corner he was parked,” said Ghosh “I immediately backed off because it doesn’t make any sense to push, and this car can’t take it. If you drive anything more than 70%, I don’t think any car is going to finish.”
His nearest competitor Emma Falcón suffered a puncture in SS5, allowing him to extend his gap and potentially set him up for a sensational debut ERC3 win.
Source: ERC
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Lorenzo back to winning ways and leads Ducati 1-2 finish; Dovi, Rossi complete podium
Jorge Lorenzo celebrates win at Mugello. Photo: Twitter Mugello, 03 June 2018: Jorge Lorenzo (Ducati Team) took his first win in red as he led a 1-2 for the Ducati Team here today in the Gran Premio d’Italia Oakley, uncatchable and untouchable to cross the line over six seconds clear for his first victory since Valencia 2016 and his seventh Italian GP win. Andrea Dovizioso made it double podium glory for the Borgo Panigale factory as he took second, fending off a late charge from polesitter and crowd favourite Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP).
Andrea Dovizioso. Photo: Ducati The ‘Doctor’’s podium finish was another history maker in a milestone day at Mugello as the rider from Tavullia became the first to get more than 5000 premier class points, while Championship leader and reigning Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team), crashed and remounted but failed to score.
Lorenzo took the holeshot from second on the grid as Marquez shot through from the second row of the grid to blast into Turn 1 fighting for second, but Rossi held onto it until the reigning Champion then struck a lap later into San Donato, tucking in behind Lorenzo followed by Rossi, Iannone and Dovizioso.
Valentino Ross. Photo: Yamaha Racing The number 99 was keeping the pace hot at the front and the first bolt of drama suddenly then hit just behind, as Marquez slid out into the gravel at Turn 10. He was able to remount, but points looking like a pipe dream. That left Rossi trailing Lorenzo, as Dovi struck to take third from Iannone. The Italian then picked his way past another compatriot as he sliced past Rossi soon after, then left with only his teammate ahead of him. Rossi then went wide into Turn 1, letting Iannone past.
Meanwhile, Danilo Petrucci (Alma Pramac Racing), after getting blocked wide by Marquez at the start, was on a charge back, up to fight and on Rossi’s tail with 16 laps to go. As Iannone began to suffer and the ‘Doctor’ too, ‘Petrux’ passed and moved through, but it was soon a five-rider fight for the podium as Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) joined the battle.
At the front, however, the story was red. Dovizioso had been holding the gap at just over a second, but Lorenzo just kept pulling the pin. Lap after lap, the ‘Spartan’ got the hammer down and simply pulled away into the distance, six seconds clear over the line, collapsing on the tank to take in the emotions.
As the laps ticked down, Rossi and Iannone had emerged at the head of the group fighting for third, with a fantastic battle between the two home heroes before the rider from Tavullia was able to escape. He was then even able to hone in on Dovizioso on the final lap but it wasn’t quite enough, taking third to take his premier class points total over 5000 as the grandstands erupted in yellow smoke.
Iannone took fourth just 0.022 ahead of his teammate Alex Rins, with Crutchlow able to get the better of Petrucci to take P6 from the initial hard charger. Maverick Viñales dropped back from his front row start to take eighth but was on Petrucci’s tail by the flag, and both had Alvaro Bautista (Angel Nieto Team) for close company as the number 19 took his second top ten of the year. Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) completed the top ten after a more difficult weekend.
There were a number of high-profile crashers including Jack Miller (Alma Pramac Racing), ending his run of eight consecutive top ten, and Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team), who went down in a tangle with Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) at Turn 2 near the start.
Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), meanwhile, turned around a difficult weekend to take P11, ahead of another impressive performance from Hafizh Syahrin, who was top rookie for Monster Yamaha Tech 3 in P12. Marquez crossed the line in P16, taking no points home from Mugello.
From a difficult weekend behind enemy lines at Mugello, Marquez still leads the title fight as MotoGP™ returns onto his home turf. Next is the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya where Lorenzo, Pedrosa and Rossi have some very good memories, and Dovizioso won last year.
Oliveira wins spectacular Moto2™ race
Miguel Oliviera. Photo: Red Bull KTM Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo) won a phenomenal Moto2™ race at the Gran Premio d’Italia Oakley to close the Championship lead to just 13 points behind Francesco Bagnaia (SKY Racing Team VR46), who crossed the line fourth. Lorenzo Baldassarri (Pons HP40) fought ferociously to get a home Grand Prix win, he finished second with Joan Mir (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) brilliantly taking his second consecutive podium in third.
Oliveira made a fantastic start, coming from P11 on the grid to make up six places going into the first corner, as race leader Marcel Schroetter (Dynavolt Intact GP) crashed at Turn 2. The Portuguese rider climbed his way up to third by the end of the first lap, then hit the front on lap three, with Bagnaia, Mattia Pasini (Italtrans Racing Team), Alex Marquez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS), Mir, Romano Fenati (Marinelli Snipers Team) and Baldassarri chasing behind.
The Jerez winner then started to carve his way forward, passing Marquez into Turn 1 and taking the second EG 0,0 Marc VDS bike of Mir soon after. By this point, Oliveira was keeping tabs on leader Pasini, before the Italian tucked the front into Turn 1 – heartbreak for the pole sitter. This was the start of a half-race battle between the number 44 and number 7, interchanging positions lap by lap, with the gap to Bagnaia and Mir stretching to over a second by lap 15.
It looked like it would be a two-horse race to the checkered flag between the two, however the ‘Jaws’ music then started to sound. With Baldassarri and Oliveira chopping and changing, Bagnaia and Mir smelt blood and the battle for the win soon became a four-way fight with three laps to go.
Going into a fantastic final lap, Baldassarri had a slight buffer. However, the 21-year-old then had a huge moment on the exit of Turn 5 pushing for an illustrious second home win, which allowed Oliveira to close in and pass the Italian into Turn 6. Bagnaia was third before running slightly wide at Savelli, allowing Mir to move into the final podium position. Despite Baldassarri’s best efforts, the KTM rider held firm and took the checkered flag, with rookie Mir fending off Championship leader Bagnaia.
Moto3™: Martin beats Bezzecchi and ‘Diggia’
Jorge Martin. Photo – jorgemartin88.net Jorge Martin (Del Conca Gresini Moto3) scored a a stunning win at the Autodromo del Mugello to claw back some momentum in the title fight after two consecutive DNFs, taking the flag by thousandths ahead of home heroes Marco Bezzecchi (Redox Prüstel GP) and Fabio Di Giannantonio (Del Conca Gresini Moto3) in a classic three-way photo finish.
The fifth closest podium of all time in the class didn’t disappoint, and it leaves Bezzecchi just three points ahead of Martin at the top of the Championship, with ‘Diggia’ only five points further in arrears. It also means KTM are just a single point ahead of Honda in the constructors Championship as Moto3™ stays as close as ever
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Team Honda Racing India’s Hada scores 9 points in Japan, ARRC; Anish Shetty and Rajiv finish in Top 25
Anish Shetty…a tough debut at Suzuka Suzuka, 03 June 2018: The Sunday finale race of round 3 of Asia Road Racing Championship 2018 (ARRC) at Japan’s legendary Suzuka circuit was a mixed bag for IDEMITSU Honda Racing India team by T.Pro Ten 10 Racing. The team’s solo entry in Supersport 600cc class, Taiga Hada won nine points in the two races of Japan round. Meanwhile, the Indian duo of Rajiv Sethu and Anish Shetty maintained their rhythm and closed in the top 25 for race 2 as well.
Honda 2Wheeler India team’s third rider, 19-year old Japanese rider Taiga Hada finished 11th which is one improvement over his 12th finish yesterday. Overall, Hada gained nine points in the Suzuka round, taking his total points tally to 29 in three rounds.
In the Race 2 of Asia Production 250cc class, Indonesia’s Honda rider Rheza Danica Ahrens starting from the pole position continued to build on his lead. The race, which saw as many as five crashes, turned out to be a highly competitive one with as many as seven riders having less than one second gap.
Rajiv Sethu…..picking up pace Still learning the ropes of international racing as part of the debutant Honda Racing India team, rookie Anish Shetty and Rajiv Sethu consistently picked up pace and completed the 8-lap race in top 25 of 33 riders. Still recovering from his wrist injury and less lap practice due to crash in practice 1, Rajiv Sethu gained seven positions to finish at 24th. Anish, despite experiencing the Suzuka track for the first time ever, worked his way up to 25th, gaining five positions.
Sharing overview of the Indian team’s performance in Japan round, Prabhu Nagaraj, Vice President – Brand & Communication, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt. Ltd said: “After the warm up today morning, our boys had entered the race with a positive frame of mind. Despite riding a completely new machine for him (CBR 250RR) and first time riding in the tough Suzuka track, Anish has consistently improved his time daily. We have high hopes for Rajiv and look forward to better performance as he recovers fully. Our Indian riders maintained rhythm and finished in top 25 in Japan round. With the national championship starting next weekend, our boys will have more practice before the next Chennai round of ARRC. We want to ride on the home advantage.”
Anish Shetty said: “Japan was a tough one for me. I started on a good note but couldn’t keep up the pace in second half. I’m now better adapted to the new bike (CBR 250RR) and this is where I feel that the next round will be critical. With more laps under the belt, I look forward to the home advantage in Chennai. For me, the countdown starts today.”
Rajiv Sethu said: “It’s less than a month since my wrist surgery and getting my momentum on track back is top priority. I entered the race on a very positive note after the morning warm up. However I, touched another rider in lap 3 of the race which unsettled my rhythm and I couldn’t recover fast enough. But moving ahead, I want to score in the next Chennai round. From now to August, it will be time for intensive training. First on my target is to win podium at National Championship and then better my craft when I compete in the Thai Talent Cup in this month itself.”
LIVE COVERAGE OF THE RALLY
Rally Italia Sardegna is one of the toughest events on the WRC calendar and this week’s rally will be no exception as high in-car temperatures and narrow, rugged gravel roads push the crews to the limit. One of the events which formed part of the inaugural WRC calendar in 1973, the rally moved to the island in 2004 and the picturesque seaside town of Alghero will once again be the host.
