INDIA in F1

Tag: SKY Racing Team VR46

  • Bezzecchi wins, Lowes crashes as Moto2 takes another twist in Valencia

    Bezzecchi wins, Lowes crashes as Moto2 takes another twist in Valencia

    The Italian bounces back in style ahead of Martin and Gardner as more Championship shockwaves hit the intermediate class

    Valencia, 8 Nov 2020: Sky Racing Team VR46’s Marco Bezzecchi bounced back in style after a double DNF at MotorLand Aragon by taking a second career Moto2 victory at the Gran Premio de Europa. It was a race filled with drama, with Jorge Martin (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Remy Gardner (ONEXOX TKKR SAG Team) locking out the podium but many a headline focused on the title fight: Enea Bastianini (Italtrans Racing Team) now leads the World Championship once again, the Italian fighting through to fourth as former points leader Sam Lowes (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) crashed out.

    Petronas Sprinta Racing’s Xavi Vierge made a dream start from pole position but immediately had Joe Roberts (Tennor American Racing) attacking him at Turn 4. The Tennor American Racing rider went wide on the exit, the Spaniard taking him back at Turn 5. It didn’t stay that way for long, however, with Roberts storming back through moments later to hold the lead at the close of Lap 1. But then disaster struck, Roberts suddenly sliding out at Turn 2 and the Californian unable to re-join.

    That allowed Marco Bezzecchi to take the lead, but the Italian was under severe pressure from Gardner. Sam Lowes, meanwhile, avoided some early drama with a vital save at Turn 4, as Bastianini got well stuck in battling from 15th on the grid – up to sixth in five laps.

    It was a few more laps before Lowes decided to pounce on Gardner for second, but it didn’t last long with the Aussie finding an immediate reply. The World Championship leader hit back only a few seconds later though, this time making it stick.

    The knock on effect of that saw Bastianini push on again, taking fifth place from Vierge with ten to go. There was a change in the fight for third too as Martin managed to squeeze through on Gardner, demoting the Australian off the podium for the moment.

    And then came the shockwave. Suddenly, Lowes’ weekend was over as the Brit crashed out at Turn 6, his title lead going up in smoke as Bastianini swooped through into fourth and consequently the lead of the World Championship.

    The FlexBox HP 40 duo of Lorenzo Baldassarri and Hector Garzo began to put Bastianini under pressure though, Baldassarri making a move on his compatriot and a vital couple of points at stake for the ‘Beast’. That was motivation enough if any was needed, and the number 33 hit back to reclaim fourth.

    At the front though, it was all about Bezzecchi. The Italian was back on the top step in style after stamping some real authority on Sunday, also keeping himself in title contention after starting the weekend 48 points down – and ending it 29 off. Martin made it two podiums in three races as he backed up his third place finish in the Aragon Grand Prix with second in Valencia and Gardner collected his third podium finish of the year after a fifth top five finish in six races.

    Bastianini was able to hold off Baldassarri for what could be a pivotal fourth place finish, putting the ‘Beast’ six points clear of Lowes in the World Championship with only two rounds left of 2020. Sky Racing Team VR46’s Luca Marini took sixth for a solid result, proving he is far from out of the title chase too. His was a last lap move on Garzo moving him to within 19 points of the top of the Championship. Garzo’s seventh nevertheless equalled his best so far.

    Federal Oil Gresini Moto2’s Nicolo Bulega clinched eighth after getting the better of poleman Vierge, who eventually drifted back to ninth, before HDR Heidrun Speed Up’s Jorge Navarro rounded out the top ten.

    Another seismic shift hits Moto2™, with Bastianini now back on top and six points ahead. Can Lowes bounce back next time out? Time will tell, but not much of it as we get back on track on Friday.

    Moto2 Podium:

    1 Marco Bezzecchi – Sky Racing Team VR46 – Kalex 40:06.441
    2 Jorge Martin – Red Bull KTM Ajo – Kalex +1.941
    3 Remy Gardner – ONEXOX TKKR SAG Team – Kalex +3.553

    Marco Bezzecchi: “It was a difficult race, very long, but also wonderful. I started well, even if Gardner and Lowes were closing the line, in the middle I could overtake outside in the first corner. I risked a bit because it was still wet but I tried. Fortunately I was there. Then I passed Vierge on the straight and in braking, and when Roberts was in front I saw he was risking a lot and I thought I had to stay calm because I thought I could ride cleaner. Then unfortunately he made a mistake, I was in front and I was very focused to try to make my rhythm, so I started to ride as clean as I could, and I was gaining a bit; not much, losing a little bit; not much, there was a short distance between me and second. Then on the last three laps when I had a quite good advantage I started to feel something wrong on the bike, a problem I also had on Friday in Free Practice. In acceleration there was no power in second gear, I don’t know why, so I was scared but I started to speak to the bike and said please don’t give up now… fortunately she made it to the end! Very good, the team did an incredible job and this is for them and my family.”

  • Bagnaia, Martin crowned World champions in Sepang; Marquez scores after leader Rossi crashes!

    Bagnaia, Martin crowned World champions in Sepang; Marquez scores after leader Rossi crashes!

    Marc Marquez flanked by 2nd-placed Alex Rins (left) Johann Zarco, 3rd, at the Sepang podium on Sunday. Photo Srinivasa Krishnan

    Sepang, 4 Nov 2018: On a dramatic afternoon at the sun-drenched Sepang International Circuit, Francesco Bagnaia (SKY Racing Team VR46) and Jorge Martin (Del Conca Gresini Moto3) were crowned World champions in Moto2 and Moto3, respectively, even as Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) claimed his 70th career win after taking victory at the Shell Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix with Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP), who led for much of the race, crashing out.

    Marquez, the 2018 Champion looked set to lock horns with nine-time World Champion Rossi, but the race would end in disaster for ‘The Doctor’, as Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and Johann Zarco (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) completed the podium. Marquez’ win also saw Honda sealing the Constructors’ Championship with a round to spare.

    A proud moment for Honda as they seal the Constructors’ championship. Photo: MotoGP

    Rossi got off to a stellar launch from P2, with pole man Zarco slightly sluggish off the line. ‘The Doctor’ got a comfortable holeshot, with Zarco managing to brake late to slot into P2. Jack Miller (Alma Pramac Racing) was able to leapfrog Andrea Iannone (Team Suzuki Ecstar) into P3 at the start, with Marquez making up one position in P6.

    The premier class riders then settled, but this came after Marquez and team-mate Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team) exchanged paint on the opening lap. The 2018 Champion would soon start to make his way forward though, despite a hairy last corner moment at the end of the opening lap that led to Iannone crashing out directly behind the seven-time Champion.

    At the front, Rossi and Zarco were off as Yamaha had a 1-2 in the opening exchanges, but Marquez hunted them down after making his way past Miller. The Honda rider soon slipped past Zarco’s M1 machine to have arch-rival Rossi in his sights.

    Valentino Rossi crashed out. Photo: MotoGP

    But the number 46 was in an excellent rhythm as the gap between the duo hovered at 3/4s of a second, with Zarco beginning to lose touch at the halfway stage of the race as Rossi continued to press on – 1.1 now the gap to Marquez as 10 laps ticked over at Sepang.

    With four laps to go, it was disaster for ‘The Doctor’. A return to victory after 26 races went begging as he lost the front of his YZR-M1 at Turn 1. You could hear the hearts of thousands break as he picked up his stricken Yamaha in front of the official Rossi grandstand. This left Marquez with a lonely ride home in P1 while Rins edged past Zarco for P2.

    It was a subdued race for one of the pre-race favourites Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team). The winner here for the last two seasons couldn’t replicate those results as he took P6, but after Rossi’s crash, the Italian has sealed P2 in the Championship.

    FRANCESCO BAGNAIA SEALS TITLE WITH P3

    A memorable moment for Francesco Bagnaia. Photo: MotoGP

    Bagnaia clinched the 2018 Moto2™ World Championship after finishing P3 at Sepang. The Italian finished behind title rival Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo) to seal the title, with team-mate Luca Marini, the brother of Rossi, making it a memorable day for SKY Racing Team VR46 as he secured his maiden Grand Prix victory.

    As the lights went out, both Bagnaia and Oliveira got off to a flyer. Marini it was who led coming out of Turn 1 after a messy opening corner for his fellow front row starters, Fabio Quartararo (MB Conveyors – Speed Up) and Alex Marquez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) both running in hot. This allowed Bagnaia and Oliveira to slip through up the inside to get into P2 and P3. Pretty much the perfect getaway for ‘Pecco’, who slotted in behind teammate Marini.

    Luca Marini. Photo: MotoGP

    Marini then got himself into a rhythm at the front, with Bagnaia and Oliveira battling away for P2 – the title firmly in Bagnaia’s hands at this early stage of the race, even with Oliveira making a pass stick at Turn 4 with 12 laps to go. The Portuguese rider locked his radar on race leader Marini, who now had a one second lead, with Bagnaia slipping into the clutches of compatriot Mattia Pasini (Italtrans Racing Team), with pole sitter Marquez and Lorenzo Baldassarri (Pons HP40) also in hot pursuit of the Championship leader. With six laps to go, it seemed the battle for the win was between Marini and Oliveira, with both Baldassarri and Marquez losing touch in the fight for the final podium spot – Pasini though remained 0.4 behind countryman Bagnaia. In sweltering Sepang conditions, Marini soaked up the pressure from the KTM behind and with two to go, a 0.7 gap had appeared. Going into the final lap, Marini had the biggest lead he’d had for a while, with Bagnaia sitting comfortably in a Championship clinching P3 – over a second was the cushion back to Pasini.

    A STUNNING SEASON FOR JORGE MARTIN

    Jorge Martin crowned Moto3 world champion on Sunday 4 Nov 2018 at Sepang. Photo: Srinivasa Krishnan

    Martin took the title after a stunning season. 7 wins, 9 podiums and 11 poles and the Spaniard weathered the ups and downs of a tense season of competition to come out on top against key rivals Marco Bezzecchi (Redox PruestelGP) and Fabio Di Giannantonio (Del Conca Gresini Moto3).

    Jorge Martin (No.88). Photo: MotoGP

    Martin made his debut on the World stage in 2015 with Mapfre Mahindra, moving up after taking the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup. He scored his first point in the season opener in Qatar and became a regular top 15 contender, ending his rookie year in 17th overall. The following season, the rider from Madrid took another step forward – including his first podium in the wet at Brno – but he also missed a couple of races through injury, therefore ending the season just one place further forward in 16th overall. The 2017 seaso saw Martin cement his place at the front as he moved to Del Conca Gresini Moto3, beginning the year on the podium in third at Qatar. He took seven other podiums that season and nine pole positions before scoring his maiden win in the season finale at Valencia to finish fourth Overall in the standings.

    600th Victory For Spain: Today, Martin sealed the championship after claiming a stunning victory, with main Championship rival Marco Bezzecchi (Redox PruestelGP) slipping down to P5 on the final lap to hand the title to the Spaniard. Martin’s success was Spain’s 600th victory, with Italy (802) the only other country to have claimed more wins than Spain. In total, 43 Spanish riders have stood on the top step of the podium at least once across the 50cc, 80cc, 125cc, 250cc, 350cc, 500cc, Moto3™, Moto2™ and MotoGP™ classes.

     

  • Bagnaia, Baldassarri lead the troops to France; Italians set for close battle

    Bagnaia, Baldassarri lead the troops to France; Italians set for close battle

    Lorenzo Baldassarri action. Photo: Twitter

    Le Mans, 15 May 2018: Lorenzo Baldassarri (Pons HP40) was in unstoppable form at the Circuito de Jerez, closing the gap between him and Championship leader Francesco Bagnaia (SKY Racing Team VR46) to just nine points, with the gap between the top three in the standings just ten points. Will it be the two Italians battling it out at Le Mans in the Moto3™ race?

    Turn the clocks back to almost a year ago, and it was another Italian, Franco Morbidelli, who took victory on French soil. However, Bagnaia was his closest challenger on that day, in only his fifth Moto2™ start – a track it seems the future Alma Pramac Racing rider gets on well with.

    Baldassarri will have something to say about it though, especially if he can carry his blistering Spanish form into northern France. Although Le Mans is a track the 21-year-old has yet to score points at in the intermediate class, like he’s said himself after his Jerez win, Baldassarri has grown this year and with a victory already under his belt, confidence on his side of the garage will be sky high.

    Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo) had a great weekend in Jerez – in more ways than one – as he looks to mount a serious title challenge this year. The Portuguese rider put pen to paper on a KTM Tech 3 MotoGP™ deal for 2019, while on track Oliveira crossed the line second after starting P14 on the grid. Is a fourth podium of the year – and a first win – on the cards for Oliveira at Le Mans?

    It’s not just the three Championship leaders who will have a say in France though. Argentina winner Mattia Pasini (Italtrans Racing Team), who lies fourth in the overall standings, was fifth at Le Mans last year. Meanwhile, Alex Marquez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) will need to bounce back after his Jerez crash. He finished just off podium at Le Mans last year in fourth, but could it be at least one better in 2018?

    Risk vs reward in Moto3™

    Jorge Martin. Photo: jorgemartin88.net

    After three of the biggest names expected to contend for this year’s crown scored a 0 last time out, Aron Canet (EG 0,0), Jorge Martin (Del Conca Gresini Moto3) and Enea Bastianini (Leopard Racing) will all be out for points and glory at Le Mans. And the man who now finds himself in the driving seat and was once again a dark horse at the front in Jerez? Argentina GP winner Marco Bezzecchi (Redox PruestelGP).

    Like on the last lap of the Spanish GP when the Italian said he stayed sensible thinking of the points, Bezzecchi is now in a position to do that again as others jostle to get back on the podium or the top step. But equally, the VR46 Academy rider knows he has the advantage – and with it, less pressure.

    For Canet, of course, the fight back towards the front will be much more difficult – with the EG 0,0 rider now starting from the back of the grid as a penalty following the Jerez pile up. Will he keep his cool and fight through like those before him have done in the lightweight class? Or will the risk vs reward ratio be much harder to judge? For Martin and Bastianini, on the other hand, the goal will be simple: win. One of their key title rivals is racing from the back and the opportunity to score is a big one.

    Philipp Oettl (Südmetall Schedl GP Racing) is the man who took that opportunity last time out, with a perfect ride under pressure to take his first ever GP win. That, too, could play a role – with his confidence sure to be sky high. That’s also true of rookie Alonso Lopez (EG 0,0) who, despite a late penalty of dropping one position due to exceeding track limits, crossed the line in third. Le Mans is another track he knows well from the FIM CEV Repsol Moto3™ Junior World Championship.

    Source: motogp.com