Racetrack-News: Sachsenring Sunday

14/07 2013

KTM RACING NEWS: SUNDAY JULY 14

KTM takes 3-way Moto3 podium at Sachsenring

Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup: Pole sitter Jorge Martin wins Rd. 7

KTM TAKES 3-WAY MOTO3 PODIUM AT SACHSENRING

KTM continued its domination of the Moto3 World Championship on Sunday at the GP of Germany when Alex Rins, Luis Salom and Maverick Vinalestook the all- Spanish glory on the Sachsenring again underlining the dominance of the KTM Moto3 machinery

And while it was Rins whose late move let him claim the prize, Red Bull KTM Ajo factory rider Salom continues to lead the championship points with a 14-point margin over Vinales with Rins in third.

These three riders have settled in to dominate the competition in recent rounds and are building an edge on the competition. Other top KTM riders on Sunday were Alex Marquez in fifth, Jonas Folger of Germany in eighth place on the Kalex KTM and Salom’s factory teammate Australian teenager Arthur Sissis rounding off the top ten. The third Red Bull KTM Ajo rider, Zulfahmi Khairuddin of Malaysia finished in sixteenth.

But it was Rins who was in the ascendency on the sweeping technical German circuit. He started on pole and led throughout apart from the occasional moments when he decided to let one of the other two leaders take the pressure. Meanwhile Salom sat in a comfortable third in the lead group, ready to make his now characteristic pounce. Then in Lap 24 Vinales took the lead as Rins ran wide only to see Salom slip past them both in the Sachsen corner.

But the race was no yet over and Rins again made a move on Vinales and went after Salom. He made his move in the second last corner and picked up his second GP victory for the season. The front three were only separated by 2.5 tenths of a second.

Moto3 now has a four-week summer break and resumes on August 18 for the Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix.

MotoGP of Germany – Sachsenring Circuit – Round 8

Moto3 Results

1, Alex Rins, Spain, KTM, 39:34.735

2, Luis Salom, Spain, KTM, 39:34.967

3, Maverick Viñales, Spain, KTM, 39:34.983

4, Miguel Oliveira, Portugal, Mahindra, 39:39.717

5, Alex Marquez, Spain, KTM, 39:39.936

6, Efren Vazquez, Spain, Mahindra, 39:40.191

7, Jack Miller, Australia, FTR Honda, 39:45.394

8, Jonas Folger, Germany, Kalex KTM, 39:50.328

9, Brad Binder, Republic of South Africa, Suter Honda, 39:53.141

10, Arthur Sissis, Australia, KTM, 39:53.182

Other KTM

11, Jakub Kornfeil, Czech Republic, Kalex KTM, 39:53.297

14, Jasper Iwema, Netherlands, Kalex KTM, 39:55:381

16, Zulfahmi Khairuddin, Malaysia, KTM, 39:58.580

17, Philipp Oettl, Germany, Kalex KTM, 39:59.220

18, Niklas Ajo, Finland, KTM, 40:11.703

21, Toni Finsterbusch, Germany, Kalex KTM, 40:26.145

22, Livio Loi, Belgium, Kalex KTM, 40:27.284

24, Ana Carrasco, Spain, KTM, 40:28.976

29, Florian Alt, Germany, Kalex KTM, 40:59.233

DNF, Eric Granado, Brazil, Kalex KTM, 4:34.677

Moto3 Standings after Round 8

1, Salom, 172

2, M. Viñales, 158

3, Rins, 142

4, Folger, 81

5, Marquez, 70

6, Oliveira, 69

7, Miller, 47

8, Binder, 46

9, Masbou, 42

10, Vazquez, 41

Other KTM

11, Khairuddin, 40

12, Sissis, 39

13, Kornfeil, 32

14, Ajo, 32

14, Kornfeil, 27

20, Iwema, 8

21, Granado, 7

24, Loi, 1

25, Oettl, 1

Moto3 Manufacturers Standings after Round 8

1, KTM, 200

2, Kalex KTM, 81

3, Mahindra, 78

RED BULL MOTOGP ROOKIES CUP: POLE SITTER JORGE MARTIN WINS RD. 7

Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup rider Jorge Martin of Spain deployed solid race tactics to take a pole to flag victory in the first of two races at the Sachsenring in Germany on Saturday. The race took a dramatic turn in the final stages when championship leader Karel Haneka was bumped out of contention when he looked certain to further extend his points lead.

Typical for the competition, the race delivered all the thrills and considerable spills of this competition for tomorrow’s road racing elite. Martin, second in the standings, started on pole and was always a contender for a podium although it was never clear until the closing stages which one of six riders would come out on top. Haneka, older and more experienced than some of the other main contenders rode a good tactical race but the Czech rider had a bunch of enthusiastic challengers including Italian Stefano Manzi and Dutch rider Scott Deroue, who eventually took the minor podium places.

Jorge Martin said it had been a tough race and he was mindful that Haneka would be out for revenge when the riders return to the circuit on Sunday for Round 8. “The bike was just great, it was good through qualifying and it was great in the race. It was a very tough race but I knew that I had the speed to run at the front and I also knew I was faster in the last sector. I just had to be in a good position for the last lap and that is how it worked out. For tomorrow the problem will be Hanika again, with him on track it is always going to be very difficult.” All riders compete on the KTM RC 250 R 4-stroke Moto3 machine.

There was little separating the pack of lead riders coming up to the finish but it was still Haneka who seemed certain to take the win but in a dramatic turn of events he made a brief contact with Manzi, slid off the track and landed unceremoniously in the gravel. Martin grabbed the initiative and settled the issue and the race to pick up good points to reinforce his second position in the standings.

While the eventual rewards went to Martin, Manzi and Deroue others well in the mix in the final stages included Turkish rider Toprak Razgatlioglu, who was a potential winner going into the final pap, Manuel Pagliani of Italy and Spain’s Diego Perez.

The undulating nature of the German circuit was always going to be a challenge for the skills of these teenage riders and it wasn’t long before game plans began to unravel. Australian Olly Simpson, out for much of the season after a crash and injury in one of the opening rounds, was the one who grabbed the initiative as the riders left the start. Simpson emerged to snatch an early lead from Marten, Hanika and Deroue, the front line starters. It was Austria’s Lukas Trautmann and American Joe Roberts who were the first to collide and while Trautmann got back into the race, Roberts was forced to retire. Other incidences soon followed. Yui Watanabbe of Japan was nudged out by American Anthony Alonzo and Simpson spun out in the eleventh lap.

Red Bull Rookies Cup at the Sachsenring, Germany – Round 7

All riders on KTM RC 250 R 4-stroke Moto3 machines

1, Jorge Martin, Spain, 28:44.541

2, Stefano Manzi, Italy, +0.374

3, Scott Deroue, Netherlands, +0.466

4, Manuel Pagliani, Italy, +0.472

5, Diego Perez, Spain, +06.43

6, Toprak Razgatlioglu, Turkey, +0.756

7, Enea Bastianini, Italy, +5.264

8, Soushi Mihara, Japan, +10.930

9, Marcos Ramirez, Spain, +11.421

10, Bradley Ray, Great Britain, +11.584

Red Bull Rookies Standings after Round 7

1, Hanika, 135

2, Martin, 118

3, Bastianini, 74

4, Manzi, 71

5, Razgatlioglu, 64

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Motorrad-Weltmeisterschaft / Moto3 / Sachsenring / 14.07.2013

Einsames Rennen und gut gekämpft

Kiefer Racing macht das Beste daraus

Es lief noch nicht alles rund im Rennen, aber Kiefer Racing machte beim Großen Preis von Deutschland das Beste aus einem, bis dahin, nicht so erfolgreichen Wochenende. Toni Finsterbusch fuhr auf der 21. Position ein einsames Rennen ins Ziel und Florian Alt kämpfte in seiner Gruppe hervorragend, aber ein kleiner Fehler verursachte einen Schönheitsfleck auf seiner im Rennen eigentlich weißen Weste.

Vom Start weg konnten beide Fahrer Positionen gutmachen, bei Toni lag der Hauptgrund darin, dass man sich für einen weichen Reifen entschieden hatte. Hier riskierte man zwar, dass dieser am Ende des Rennen nachließ, was auch passierte, aber die Positionen die er bis dahin gewonnen hatte konnte er auch mit dem nachlassenden Rennen noch gut verwalten.

Florian kämpfte in einer sehr spannenden Gruppe und fuhr dabei sehr gute Rundenzeiten. Er konnte sich in dieser Gruppe auch gut behaupten, machte nach zwei Dritteln des Rennens beim Anbremsen der ersten Kurve einen Fehler und musste den Ausweg in den Kies wählen. Damit vergab er natürlich einige Plätze, aber dies gehört halt nun mal zu dem Lernprozess den er momentan als Rookie in der Motorrad-Weltmeisterschaft absolviert. Beim nächsten Mal weiß er wie er sich in einer soch engen Situation zu verhalten hat.

An der Spitze gab es auch diesmal wieder einen spanischen Dreikampf zwischen Alex Rins, Luis Salom und Maverick Vinales, die sich bis zur letzten Kurve nichts schenkten und in der genannten Reihenfolge über die Ziellinie fuhren. WM-Leader bleibt weiterhin Luis Salom.

Toni Finsterbusch, 21. Platz:

"Mit der Platzierung kann ich nicht zufrieden sein. Der Start war nicht so schlecht und dann versuchte ich in der Gruppe vor mir dabei zu sein, was aber nicht gelang. Ich bin eigentlich keine schlechten Rundenzeiten gefahren, von Anfang an rutschte mir mein Hinterrad immer wieder weg. Wir hatten mit Absicht die weichere Variante gewählt um am Anfang Plätze zu gewinnen. Das hat auch geklappt. Am Ende rutschte ich dann nur noch, verlor dabei zwar keine Position musste aber meine Platzierung verwalten, da die Konkurrenz von hinten aufschließen konnte."

Florian Alt, 29. Platz:

"Am Anfang lief es eigentlich nicht so schlecht, obwohl ich es recht schwer hatte in meiner Gruppe mitzuhalten. Aber dann fand ich einen sehr guten Rhythmus und war mit ganz guten Zeiten locker in der Gruppe dabei. Dann hatte ich mir ausgerechnet in der Gruppe drin zu bleiben und am Ende anzugreifen denn ich konnte zwar schneller, aber um mich abzusetzen reichte es nicht. Dies ging bis Ende des zweiten Drittels auch gut, nur dann machte ich beim Anbremsen, zusammen mit drei anderen Fahrern, einen Fehler und musste in den Kies. Ich denke es ist ein Fortschritt zu sehen und in Indianapolis können wir wieder angreifen."

Stefan Kiefer, Teammanager:

"Mit den Plätzen 21 und 29 war das nicht ausreichend gut, obwohl Toni super in das Wochenende gestartet war. Der Sturz im zweiten Training hat uns nach hinten geworfen und eigentlich hatten wir insgeheim gehofft, dass wir hier das erste Pünktchen hätten holen können. Bei Florian ist im Vergleich zu den letzten Rennen eine deutliche Steigerung zu erkennen. Er ist im Rennen komplett in einer guten Gruppe mit brauchbaren Zeiten mitgefahren. Leider hat er einen kleinen Fehler gemacht, aber da sind wir ganz zufrieden, dass er einen Schritt in die richtige Richtung getan hat."

Ergebnis Rennen:

1. Alex Rins / SPA / KTM / 39:34.735 min.

2. Luis Salom / SPA / KTM / + 0.232 sek.

3. Maverick Vinales / SPA / KTM / + 0.248 sek.

21. Toni Finsterbusch / GER / Kalex-KTM / + 51.410 sek.

29. Florian Alt / GER / Kalex-KTM / + 1:24.498 min.

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German Grand Prix - Race

Salom second place extends Championship lead

Red Bull KTM Ajo rider takes eighth consecutive podium and extends his lead in the Moto3 World Championship standings to 14 points. Top ten for Arthur Sissis and sixteenth position for Zulfahmi Khairuddin at Sachsenring.

14/07/2013 - Sachsenring

In a spectacular eighth Moto3 race of the season, Luis Salom took second place for the Red Bull KTM Ajo team. The Spanish rider goes into the summer break with a perfect podium record so far this season, and with a 14 point lead over second-placed Maverick Viñales in the overall standings. Arthur Sissis, tenth, achieved his third consecutive top ten finish, whilst Zulfahmi Khairuddin —sixteenth— came close to the points.

The current World Championship leader held his starting position —second— on the first lap of the race. Patient, the Red Bull KTM Ajo rider rounded off the leading group, joining Alex Rins and Viñales as he decided upon his strategy. With four laps remaining, Salom launched a strong attack on Rins, although on the on the penultimate corner of the race his rival got past him for the victory.

Arthur Sissis and Zulfahmi Khairuddin had a good first leg of the race, riding in the third group. A pack of up to eight riders battled over the course of 27 laps for ninth place. After intense riding and hard overtaking, Sissis repeated his top ten finishes from Catalunya and Assen, adding six points to his tally. Meanwhile, Zulfahmi Khairuddin came home in sixteenth position.

After this race, the Moto3 World Championship takes a summer break of almost five weeks —with Luis Salom leading the class with 4 wins and a total of 8 podiums and 172 points. Zulfahmi Khairuddin, eleventh, has 40 points, one more than teammate Arthur Sissis in twelfth.

Results (Race)

1. Alex Rins (KTM) 39:34.735

2. Luis Salom (Red Bull KTM Ajo) +0.232

3. Maverick Viñales (KTM) +0.248

4. Miguel Oliveira (Mahindra) +4.982

5. Alex Marquez (KTM) +5.201

10. Arthur Sissis (Red Bull KTM Ajo) +18.447

16. Zulfahmi Khairuddin (Red Bull KTM Ajo) +23.845

Moto3 World Championship

1. Luis Salom (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 172 points

2. Maverick Viñales (KTM) 158 points

3. Alex Rins (KTM) 142 points

4. Jonas Folger (Kalex KTM) 81 points

5. Alex Marquez (KTM) 70 points

11. Zulfahmi Khairuddin (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 40 points

12. Arthur Sissis (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 39 points

Luis Salom:

"I think we can be very happy, because we have eight podium finishes from eight races and four wins. It was a shame not to win today, but I still think I have to improve as a rider from here to the end of the season, because today it was my fault that I lost the race. I never fully got used to the first sector, which needed improvement.

In this category all victories are tight and your strategy does not always work. Today it was like that, so I'll have to think a little more in the following races. All three of us have the same bike and are very fast, so it's hard trying to escape. I thought I could save the tyres a little, but they ended up very similar to those of the others."

Arthur Sissis:

"It was not a bad race, but the problem is that starting from the fifteenth position really was a handicap. The opening laps did not go quite right, I lost a lot of time, but when I caught the group I I felt better and I rode pretty well after that. Folger was not far away from us and when I caught him I tried to pass —but it was not possible. I believe that if we had started from a better grid position, I could fight to finish higher up. Now I have to fight to get a better qualifying spot for the next race."

Zulfahmi Khairuddin:

"Early in the race I rode pretty well in the group, but from mid-race onwards I started to have some problems on the slow corners. Many riders overtook me and I had to stay with them, because I could not keep my pace up. I ended up losing touch of the group and I am disappointed with this result, but I want to stay positive and I am sure that after the summer break, on our return for the Indianapolis Grand Prix, we will be back with the front riders."

Aki Ajo:

"Again it was a great Moto3 race and also a great performance by Luis [Salom]. We must be very grateful and happy to be once again on the podium. Eight podiums and four wins —you cannot ask for more. When it seems that your goal is winning, a second position is not sufficient, but we must be very satisfied with the result today and learn from it. For the championship this has been a good race, since we leave Germany in better shape than before arriving here. Now have before us a lot of work in this summer break, to try to be even stronger in Indianapolis.

I am very happy with Arthur [Sissis] because this weekend, and in recent races, we have made an important step forward. He is consistent, with a good pace. The first laps were difficult, but when he caught the group he was fast. Arthur just has to be concentrate on qualifying better and starting better. If he does that, he’ll be up at the front.

Fahmi [Zulfahmi Khairuddin] has also turned things around, after a heavy crash and difficult weekend in Assen. He has improved a lot and I'm happy with his start. Something happened as the laps went on, which we need to analyse. He had some good lap times, but not for the whole race. We will try to improve that."

German Grand Prix - Race

Niklas Ajo suffers but finishes race

Avant Tecno KTM rider completes German GP in eighteenth after 27 laps of intense pain.

14/07/2013 - Sachsenring

Never has a summer break been so welcome for Niklas Ajo, meaning that he can rest and recover from a right wrist injury before the next round. A small fracture forced him to make an extra effort to finish a demanding race. After 27 intense laps, the Avant Tecno KTM rider completed the eighth race of the year in eighteenth position.

The young Finn gained as many as seven places on the opening lap of the German Grand Prix. Starting from twenty-fifth position, Niklas tried to forget about the damage to his right wrist and try to take the best possible result. The Avant Tecno KTM rider was part of a fourth group with whom he stuck for the entire race. His pain increased as the race went on, but he was still able to hold his position.

Niklas Ajo will now have four and a half weeks in which to recover before the next round of the Moto3 World Championship, in Indianapolis. He goes into the break with 32 points and occupying fourteenth position overall.

Results (Race)

1. Alex Rins (KTM) 39:34.735

2. Luis Salom (KTM) +0.232

3. Maverick Viñales (KTM) +0.248

4. Miguel Oliveira (Mahindra) +4.982

5. Alex Marquez (KTM) +5.201

18. Niklas Ajo (Avant Tecno KTM) +36.968

Moto3 World Championship

1. Luis Salom (KTM) 172 points

2. Maverick Viñales (KTM) 158 points

3. Alex Rins (KTM) 142 points

4. Jonas Folger (Kalex KTM) 81 points

5. Alex Marquez (KTM) 70 points

14. Niklas Ajo (Avant Tecno KTM) 32 points

Niklas Ajo:

"It was the hardest race of my life. I had an injection in my wrist, which is probably one of the most delicate places to have one. Sensitivity is needed to ride fast, so I had to find a balance between easing the pain and keeping feeling. On the first five laps I felt good, the pain was not very strong, but from then on I suffered again and the feeling deteriorated gradually.

Today my only goal was to finish the race and I did that, but obviously I'm disappointed because I did not take any points. It was definitely not my weekend; now it’s time to rest and prepare for the next race, the Grand Prix of Indianapolis."

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Magnificent win for Marquez in Germany but disappointment as Pedrosa declared unfit to race

Today in the GP of Germany, Repsol Honda's Marc Marquez has taken his second win of the season and regained the lead of the Championship. Unfortunately, it was more disappointment for his teammate Dani Pedrosa who this morning was cleared by the medical staff for warm up, but then suffered a repeat of his dizzy spells as a result of his crash in yesterday's FP3 session. He failed to take part in warm up and after doctors visited him again later in the morning at his motorhome they declared him unfit to race.

In contrast, it has been a very good weekend for Marc. Starting from pole position, his third of the season, Marc dropped back to 4th briefly before passing Espargaro on lap three, Rossi on lap five and Bradl on lap six to take the lead. He then opened up a gap and controlled the race, fending off a late challenge from Crutchlow. This is Marc's fourth successive win from pole here in Sachsenring (2010 in 125cc, 2011 and 2012 in Moto2) and completes a perfect weekend, after also taking pole and fastest lap (1'22.066).

Since the introduction of the four-stroke MotoGP class in 2002, Honda have been the most successful manufacturer with eight wins in Germany.

Marc now leads the Championship on 138 points with Dani, who drops to 2nd on 136 points.

Marc Marquez, 1st

Championship Standing: 1st - 138 points

"I am very happy with this victory. It was important to have a good race under the circumstances this weekend, without Dani and Jorge on track. I wish them a speedy recovery, because winning is important but without them the triumph isn't quite the same. Even so, it is a good result, since we have taken the maximum points available and ridden a completely different race to those that we've had before. We led the race and maintained the gap to second place. It was good experience, although I perhaps prefer races that are a little more of a battle! We should be happy, and we have also held up well physically at a circuit where there is no time to rest on the bike. We'll see how it goes in Laguna Seca, which will be a hard GP for me because I've never ridden there. We'll take it step-by-s tep and remain calm whilst we get up to speed"

Dani Pedrosa, DNS

Championship Standing: 2nd - 136 points

"This morning I had my check up in the medical centre and I felt okay, my shoulder was painful but otherwise I felt fine. The doctors declared me fit to take part in warm up. Then shortly before the session I began to feel dizzy again and my blood pressure dropped. The doctors came to see me in my truck and we decided I shouldn't take part in the session. I returned to my motorhome to rest and still felt dizzy and sick. The doctors arrived at my motorhome and informed me that they did not consider I was okay to race and would therefore declare me unfit"

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Forced stop for Energy T.I. Pramac Racing Team

Andrea Iannone had a sleepless night following yesterday’s crash during the FP4 session at the Sachsenring, resulting in a dislocation of his right shoulder. Despite his desire to continue with the good work carried out in the garage over the first two days of the German Grand Prix, the strong and relentless pain in his shoulder prevented Andrea from lining up on the starting grid at the Sachsenring.

Andrea visited Dr. Costa and the Clinica Mobile staff in the morning to undergo treatment that will continue in the coming days, in hopes that the Italian will recover enough strength and arm mobility to allow him to compete in the United States Grand Prix, which will take place at Laguna Seca on 21 July.

Andrea Iannone - Energy T.I. Pramac Racing Team

“It was really hard to not race here. I really wanted to compete because I felt good, but it probably would’ve been a case of causing more damage than gaining satisfaction. Although it’s not easy, sometimes it’s better to say no. Tomorrow I’ll return to Italy and in the coming days we’ll decide whether it will be possible to participate in the Grand Prix at Laguna. I'd really like to because I’ve never raced there, so it would be the first time. Still, I want to evaluate the situation properly, as I can’t take unnecessary risks that could compromise the rest of the championship."

Tenth position for Michele Pirro

After starting from the fifth row of the grid, Michele Pirro, substitute rider for injured American Ben Spies, finished in 10th place in the Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland round of 2013 World Championship, in front of 85,667 spectators.

His best lap time clocked was 1:23.589, just a few tenths of a second from his ‘brand-mate’ Nicky Hayden, who preceded him by one position.

It was a consolatory conclusion of three challenging days during which most of the work was focused toward trying to improve the bike’s feeling, which bothered Pirro throughout the entire race weekend.

Michele Pirro – Ignite Pramac Racing Team

“It wasn’t so bad. Regarding the pace, I think it was the most consistent day I’ve had over the weekend. I was close to Hayden for the whole race, and considering that he started from the second row, it means that was the pace I could safely maintain. With a better start, I could’ve climbed a few places, but we still have a lot of work to do. I’m not entirely satisfied, but considering how it all started, I can’t complain. Now I’ll focus on testing at Misano, where I’ll return to being a test rider.”

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eni Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland

Report Day 3

Sun, 14 July 2013

Marquez storms into championship lead with Sachsenring win

Marc Marquez has won the eni Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland at the Sachsenring, picking up his second MotoGP™ victory and seventh podium finish from eight races. In the absence of both Jorge Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa, the same three riders were on the podium as at the Dutch TT, with Cal Crutchlow and Valentino Rossi finishing second and third.

The Sachsenring delivered another highly dramatic weekend, not least as numerous riders suffered crashes across the three days. Crutchlow was one of them, heading into the race with injuries to his arms, hands and left leg, but heavy impacts for World Champion Lorenzo and erstwhile championship leader Pedrosa left both on the sidelines; the Yamaha Factory Racing rider bent the titanium plate in his shoulder, while the Repsol Honda Team rider sustained a small fracture, also to the left collarbone, and was suffering from dizziness.

With both of his major rivals out of contention, Marquez – starting on his third pole position of the season – knew that a second race win (after Austin, Texas) would allow him to snatch back the advantage in the title race. A poor start saw the 20-year-old rookie drop to fourth place, but he picked off those ahead of him one by one and took the lead from home rider Stefan Bradl at the end of the sixth lap. Once Crutchlow took second, the Spaniard would manage the gap and win by 1.5 seconds.

Crutchlow’s own race started from second. Fighting the pain of his injuries after two large accidents on Friday, the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 rider dispatched of Alvaro Bautista and Bradl and stole second from Valentino Rossi in a strong move at Sachsen Kurve on Lap 16. He then looked to threaten for a career-first victory, but Marquez had been looking after his tyres and was able to comfortably control the gap until the end of the 30th and final lap; nevertheless, Crutchlow becomes the first British rider since Barry Sheene in 1982 to collect four podium finishes in one season.

Having returned to winning ways at Assen two weeks ago, Rossi has now claimed consecutive rostrums. From his first front row start since the Portuguese Grand Prix of 2010, the Yamaha Factory Racing rider seized the lead as the red lights went out. He proceeded to battle with local favourite Bradl but was overhauled by eventual winner Marquez on Lap 5. Three laps later, Rossi passed the German to go second, but then fell back to the final podium spot when Crutchlow steamed ahead.

Bradl’s fourth place finish for LCR Honda MotoGP may have meant that he has still missed out on the podium, but the German has again equalled his career-best result. GO&FUN Honda Gresini’s Alvaro Bautista completed the top five from eighth on the grid, while Tech 3’s Bradley Smith ended his day sixth - confirming two British riders in the top six of a race for the first time in two decades - from the impressive Aleix Espargaro; from fifth on the grid, the Power Electronics Aspar rider rode his CRT-specification bike in as high as third place before feeling the wrath of the prototypes.

Further down the order, the final points went to 13th-placed Colin Edwards (NGM Mobile Forward Racing) and the two riders who a day earlier had passed through to the Q2 shootout from Q1, with Danilo Petrucci and Claudio Corti 14th and 15th for Came IodaRacing Project and NGM Mobile Forward Racing, respectively. Two riders failed to see the end of the race, as there were crashes for both PBM’s Yonny Hernandez and Gresini’s Bryan Staring.

MotoGP™ Race Classification

1- Marc Marquez SPA Honda 41:14.653

2- Cal Crutchlow GBR Yamaha +1.559

3- Valentino Rossi ITA Yamaha +9.620

1st CRT

8- Aleix Espargaro SPA ART +30.324

Jordi Torres has taken his maiden career victory in the Moto2™ eni Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland, becoming the fifth different rider to win in the intermediate class this year. Simone Corsi beat Pol Espargaro to second, championship leader Scott Redding was seventh and Xavier Simeon fell to ninth place from pole.

On Saturday, Torres was narrowly beaten to the top grid position as Simeon claimed his career-first pole position for Desguaces La Torre Maptaq. Torres (Mapfre Aspar Team Moto2) would start second, while from the front row Espargaro (Tuenti HP 40) aimed to make the most of an eighth-placed start for chief rival Redding (Marc VDS Racing Team).

Espargaro immediately seized the lead off the start line and would hold the advantage until Lap 19, when Torres – who maintained a consistent pace over the full 29-lap distance – dived through at the Sachsen Kurve. Behind the leading duo, Simone Corsi kept a watching brief and opportunistically overtook Espargaro for second place on the final lap; this capped off his first rostrum for almost two years. Despite dropping back another position, Espargaro finished four positions in front of Redding.

Fourth place went to Italtrans Racing Team’s Julian Simon, while multiple Sachsenring podium finisher Alex de Angelis put on a charge in the second half of the Grand Prix to finish inside the top five for NGM Mobile Forward Racing, overhauling Tom Luthi (Interwetten Paddock Moto2 Racing) and championship leader Redding, who endured his worst result of 2013 thus far. Pole-man Simeon could not demonstrate such strong race pace and finished 12.8 seconds behind the winner. Reigning Moto3™ World Champion Sandro Cortese picked up the final point for Dynavolt Intact GP, while one standout performance came from QMMF Racing Team’s Anthony West who rose to eighth from 16th on the grid.

Six riders failed to make the finish. Tech 3’s Danny Kent and TargoBank Motorsport wildcard Alex Mariñelarena departed the race early, with the Spaniard sustaining a contusion to the left knee. Blusens Avintia’s Kyle Smith was next to fall, soon joined on the sidelines by Desguaces La Torre SAG’s Marcel Schrotter. Argiñano & Gines Racing’s Roman Ramos (covering for Alberto Moncayo, who was injured in a training accident) retired into the pit lane, while winner Torres’ teammate Jordi Terol crashed out in the closing stages of the race.

Sunday’s result marks the first time in 2013 that three different makes of Moto2™ chassis – Suter, Speed Up and Kalex – have shared the podium.

Moto2™ Race Classification

1- Jordi Torres SPA Suter 41:19.636

2- Simone Corsi ITA Speed Up +2.164

3- Pol Espargaro SPA Kalex +2.494

Alex Rins has won the Moto3™ eni Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland from pole position, overhauling championship leader Luis Salom at the penultimate corner of the race. Maverick Viñales, who also battled for the lead throughout, was third to ensure that the top three riders in the championship filled the podium places.

Rins led from pole, but after an entertaining battle with Viñales, elected to yield the lead to the Team Calvo rider. The order would continue to change between the duo, until Lap 24 when Viñales took the advantage after Rins ran wide, only for Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Salom – who had typically waited patiently in third position – to seize the advantage in an impressive double overtaking manoeuvre at Sachsen Kurve.

Following Salom’s move, Rins crucially passed Viñales into the final corner, which allowed him three laps to hunt down the lead. The margin was three tenths of a second at the start of the final lap, but Rins bravely dived up the inside of the penultimate corner to seal his second victory after Austin, Texas as the leading trio crossed the line separated by only two and a half tenths of a second.

In fourth position, Mahindra Racing’s Miguel Oliveira overhauled Estrella Galicia 0,0’s Alex Marquez in the closing stages, with the latter having made charge in the second half of the race. Efren Vazquez was sixth on the second Mahindra, while Jack Miller was disappointed to finish seventh for Caretta Technology – RTG, having started fifth on the grid. The top eight was rounded out by equally disappointed home rider Jonas Folger (Mapfre Aspar Team Moto3), who had been fourth on the grid.

Ongetta-Rivacold’s Alexis Masbou did not make the start following a problem in the Warm-Up, whereas four riders crashed out of the race. An early mistake by wildcard rider Kevin Hanus (Thomas Sabo GP Team) saw him collect Eric Granado (Mapfre Aspar Team Moto3), whereas wildcard Luca Amato (Mahindra Spiel-Kiste) and Lorenzo Baldassarri (GO&FUN Gresini Moto3) made mistakes of their own.

Moto3™ Race Classification

1- Alex Rins SPA KTM 39:34.735

2- Luis Salom SPA KTM +0.232

3- Maverick Viñales SPA KTM +0.248

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Pressemitteilung

Team Interwetten Paddock

Motorrad-Weltmeisterschaft / Moto2 / Sachsenring / 14.07.201

Tom Lüthis kämpft sich durch:

Platz sechs trotz Reifenproblemen

Mit einer kämpferischen Glanzleistung sicherte sich Team Interwetten Paddock-Star Tom Lüthi beim Grand Prix von Deutschland den sechsten Platz in der Moto2-Klasse. Der 26jährige hatte einen guten Start und lag nach einer Runde hinter Pol Espargaró, Jordi Torrres, Simone Corsi, Julian Simón und Xavier Simeon an sechster Stelle, musste aber schnell feststellen, dass seine Suter MMX2 an diesem Tag nicht in Bestform war. Unerwartete Probleme mit dem Hinterreifen, der wenig Grip aufbaute und früh zu verschleissen begann, sowie heftiges Fahrwerksrattern, das an den Trainingstagen ebenfalls nicht aufgetreten war, machten es unmöglich, in den Kampf um die Spitze einzugreifen. Lüthi fiel stattdessen zurück, war einige Runden lang Achter, kämpfte sich zu Halbzeit des Rennens dann aber wieder auf den fünften Platz – und hielt diesen Rang bis zur letzten Runde, in der von dem Italiener Alex de Angelis überrumpelt wurde.

Tom Lüthi, 6. Platz:

Mein Hinterreifen war nach Rennende völlig zerschlissen, und genauso, wie der Reifen aussieht, war ich am Kämpfen. Irgendetwas ist schief gegangen. Wir wissen noch nicht was, aber irgendetwas war nicht in Ordnung. Ich war ausgeliefert und ständig am Kämpfen, aber nicht mit den Gegnern, sondern mit meinem Motorrad. Über das ganze Rennen hinweg habe ich versucht, zu pushen, habe gedacht, vielleicht gibt es eine Chance, vielleicht bricht der Julian Simón ein da vorne und ich kann aufholen. Aber ich habe früh gemerkt, dass es hart wird, weil ich Riesenprobleme hatte mit dem Motorrad. Der Reifen hatte nicht die gleiche Temperatur wie in den Trainings, ich hatte Chattering und Slides, es war unglaublich. Deshalb bin ich froh, das ich den sechsten Platz holen konnte, obwohl mich de Angelis am Ende noch überholt hat, als ich mich einfach nicht mehr wehren konnte. Mit meiner Armverletzung war es über die lange Ren ndistanz etwas schwieriger als im Training, aber trotzdem bin ich sehr zufrieden, wie ich ohne Schmerzmittel über die Runden gekommen bin!

Daniel M. Epp:

Wir müssen mit Top sechs zufrieden sein. Es wäre sich er etwas mehr möglich gewesen, doch Toms Hinterreifen war in den letzten Runden auf der linken Flanke völlig zerstört und fast nicht mehr fahrbar. De Angelis konnte Tom lange studieren und hat genau gewusst, wo er angreifen kann. Es war auch leicht zu sehen, dass de Angelis ganz andere, engere Linien fahren konnte, bevor er schließlich überholte. Wenn das Rennen noch etwas länger gegangen wäre, hätte Tom hätte noch mehr Zeit verloren. Mein Kompliment an ihn, dass er trotzdem so gekämpft und ein gutes Resultat gerettet hat. Angesichts der Tatsache, dass Tom noch nicht ganz wieder fit ist, nehmen wir den sechsten Platz gern so mit in die Sommerpause. Ich bin überzeigt, dass die zweite Saisonhälfte ganz anders weitergehen wird wie die erste, weil Tom bis zum nächsten Renne in Indianapolis weitere große Schritte bei seiner Rekonvaleszenz absolviert haben wird. Ich bin überzeugt: Wenn er wieder ganz fit ist, wird er auch wieder ganz vorne sein!

Ergebnis Rennen:

1. Jordi Torres / SPA / Kalex / 41:19.636 min.

2. Simone Corsi / ITA / SpeedUp / + 2.164 sek.

3. Pol Espargaro / SPA / Kalex / + 2.494 sek.

6. Tom Lüthi / SUI / Suter / + 7.827 sek.

Stand nach 8 von 17 Rennen:

1. Scott Redding / GBR / 143 Pkt.

2. Pol Espargaro / SPA / 120 Pkt.

3. Esteve Rabat / SPA / 88 Pkt.

11. Tom Lüthi / SUI / 46 Pkt.

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MOTOGP GERMANY - ROUND 8

Sachsenring

Race Report - 14/07/2013

Rossi Delivers in Germany for Sachsenring Podium

Yamaha Factory Racing’s Valentino Rossi made a welcome return to the Sachsenring podium today with third in the Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland. Today’s podium finish is his first at the Sachsenring circuit since his victory with Yamaha in 2009 and is a mark of his continued return to form following his Assen victory two weeks ago.

Starting from third on the grid the nine-time World Champion took the hole shot into turn one and led local German rider Stefan Bradl into the first lap. As Rossi struggled to find grip from the rear Bradl was able to pass on turn 12. As the laps wound down pole man Marc Marquez squeezed for the lead. Rossi was able to pick up the pace again with 22 laps to go, re-passing Bradl for second position. Mid-race distance saw tyre wear drop dramatically and with 15 laps remaining Rossi was forced to allow satellite Yamaha rider Cal Crutchlow to pass. Despite the lack of grip he was able to build a gap of nearly 4 seconds to Bradl in fourth to secure third place and a second successive podium finish of the season.

The result puts Rossi on 101 Championship points, six behind Crutchlow in fourth. Teammate Jorge Lorenzo now sits in third position in the Championship on 127 points having missed the race through injury. Despite the set back he is just 11 points behind leader Marquez.

No decision has yet been made for Lorenzo’s participation in the Laguna Seca race as he recovers from yesterday’s collarbone surgery in Barcelona. His team will travel to the USA and set up as normal should the reigning World Champion decide to ride in next weekend’s Grand Prix.

Valentino Rossi 3rd / +9.620

“It's a good result, to stay on the podium is always a good result but I expected something more and to do a better race. During the weekend we made some choices, yesterday we decided to set up the bike in one way and today after some laps I started to suffer too much. The first ten laps were not so bad but after I started to have problems and it was too difficult to turn the bike, especially on the left I was sliding too much. We have to work to try and make another step to stay with the top guys. Next we will have Laguna, a very special track, and we will try to have better results there. We are five very fast riders and we are closer now because unfortunately Dani and Jorge are injured and we have another race next week. If I want to fight for the Championship I have to go faster and I have to be constantly faster so I have to make another step.”

Massimo Meregalli - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Director

“We worked the entire weekend to manage the tyre life in the best way possible but we couldn't make it as we wanted. We had a decent pace and in the end we got a podium, that is an important result and we got points. We knew at the beginning that this circuit was not one of the favourites for us and we had to manage it. We are looking forward to Laguna to fight for the positions that we are used to be fighting for. We are pleased that Jorge’s surgery was completed successfully yesterday and we wish him a very speedy recovery. We have made no decision yet on when he will return to race however we will bring his crew to Laguna to be prepared for any eventuality.”

Crutchlow and Smith equal season best in Germany

Cal Crutchlow and Bradley Smith equalled their season best results at Germany’s Sachsenring today, the British duo storming to a fantastic double top six finish for the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team.

Crutchlow raced to an outstanding fourth podium in the last five races to continue his amazing record-breaking exploits in the 2013 World Championship, while Smith showed tremendous speed and consistency to secure a second top six finish in his rookie campaign. On form Crutchlow produced a scintillating surge through the field after he’d been dropped back to sixth in a frenetic opening to the 30-lap race. The 27-year-old’s brilliant charge gathered momentum on lap four when he dived underneath Alvaro Bautista to slot into fourth at the final corner. He then pressured home crowd favourite Stefan Bradl into a mistake at the final corner on lap 10 to move into the top three. With adrenaline and the non-stop action taking his mind of numerous cuts, bruises and friction burns he suffered in two heavy practice crashes, he then executed a brave but perfect pass on Valentino Rossi at Turn 12 on lap 16 to snatch second. At that stage of the race, Marc Marquez had established a comfortable advantage of 2.8s. But demonstrating his never give up attitude and fighting spirit, Crutchlow launched a relentless pursuit of the Spaniard that kept fans on the edge of their seats right to the chequered flag. Crutchlow narrowed the gap to 1.5s but Marquez was unflappable, though Crutchlow’s second place helped him secure another personal milestone in his third premier class season. Today's result saw him become the first British rider to score four or more podium MotoGP finishes since the legendary Barry Sheene in 1982.

Not be to be outdone, Smith’s eye-catching ride ensured he played an important role in a landmark result, with today’s race the first time two British riders have finished inside the top six in a premier class encounter since the Donington Park round back 1993. Starting from seventh on the grid, the 22-year-old held onto that place while he was comfortably able to streak away from a chasing pack that included MotoGP race winners Andrea Dovizioso and Nicky Hayden.

He moved into the top six on lap seven and feeling comfortable and confident on the YZR-M1 machine he pushed hard to try and bridge a gap of close to three seconds to Bautista in fifth. He kept the Spaniard firmly in his sights throughout the race but was happy to settle for a richly deserved top six.

The most pleasing aspect for the rookie was the 25-second gap to race winner Marquez, which was the closest Smith has finished to first place in 2013, and provides further proof of his rapidly growing confidence with the YZR-M1 machine.

Cal Crutchlow 2nd– 107 points :

“I am really happy to be on the podium again because it was a hard race in my physical condition. The two crashes in practice took a lot out of me but I dug deep and it is great to get another podium for the Monster Yamaha Tech 3 Team. I actually made a really good start but I had to roll off the throttle when Marc came towards me and that cost me a few places. The bike worked really well in the first few laps and I was able to fight my way through and I really enjoyed it. In the second half of the race the bike felt great and I was fast. I came on strong and pulled away from Valentino and I did absolutely everything I could to close down Marc. I couldn’t have done anything more but credit to him because he didn’t make a mistake, he controlled the gap to me very well and he deserved to win. I just kept on pushing and at the end second is another fantastic result. It is my fourth podium and I am not so far back in the Championship, so I can’t really ask for anything more. Now we go to Laguna trying to fight for another podium and hopefully that first win.”

Bradley Smith 6th– 51 points :

“I am truely happy with this sixth place. I got a good start and I was really pleased with my pace for most of the race. It is particularly pleasing because this is a track where I expected to struggle more because it has a lot of left-hand corners and you are constantly pushing with the left part of your body. That’s where my injury is but I felt strong for the whole race. I’m also pleased that we managed to reduce the gap to the winner by another seven seconds and I think 25 seconds is not too bad at the moment. There were so many positives but I had a little bit of an issue with rear grip and I think we can still improve our setting to make that better. I still believe I did a really good job and now the next objective is to get closer to Bautista on the satellite Honda. This result has given me a lot of confidence and I am really looking forward to going to Laguna Seca. It is a very difficult track and while I did test there earlier this year on a production bike I am still expecting a tough weekend.”

2013 MotoGP Germany

Sachsenring 14/07/2013

Circuit Length:

3671

Weather:

Sunny

Lap Record:

1'21.846

(Daniel Pedrosa, 1-1-2011)

Fastest Lap Ever:

1'21.067

(Casey Stoner, 13-7-2008)