Earning pole position and dominating race one, Mike Jones was primed to take out his first overall victory of the season at Morgan Park’s fourth round of the 2019 Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK), although a costly mistake at the beginning of race two saw the former champion charge from outside the top 10 and into a podium position.
The DesmoSport Ducati rider led the field throughout the opening moments of the final encounter before making a rare error that forced him off the circuit and demoting him to the rear of the field.
In an inspiring ride, Jones sliced his way through the field in the 16-lap outing, crossing the line in P3 for second overall – just one point shy of victor Wayne Maxwell (Team Suzuki Ecstar Australia).
“I’m just really disappointed to make that mistake so early on in the race,” Jones stated. “It was such a small mistake, but it cost me dearly.
“I just gave it 110 percent and rode my way back to third position – I’m obviously very happy with that, but it’s obviously disappointing because I know what could’ve been if I didn’t make that small mistake at the beginning. Anyway, it what it is – overall, it was a really good weekend for us [with] good championship points.”
Despite missing out on victory, Jones obtained the points lead in Queensland, where he now holds a one-point advantage over Cru Halliday (Yamaha Racing Team).
Niki Tuuli has laid claim to the first ever FIM Enel MotoE World Cup race win, converting his E-Pole (also a first ever) into victory as the Cup kicked off in style in Germany alongside the MotoGP. A Red Flag on the penultimate lap brought the race to an early end with Bradley Smith taking second and Mike Di Meglio completing the podium.
2019 MotoE Round 1, Germany
It was Hector Garzo who took the holeshot from second on the grid, with Smith up to his old MotoGP class tricks to get a stunning launch from P7 and move into second, round the outside of polesitter Tuuli. Garzo then headed wide and Smith took over in the lead, with Tuuli also a little off line and that letting Di Meglio through into third. Xavier Simeon then picked the pocket of the Finn too, and the polesitter was down into fifth.
He soon set about hitting back, however, slicing through into fourth and then third as Di Meglio attacked Smith at the front, taking the lead. The trio were pulling away to make the fight for the podium a three-way affair, leaving Garzo battling Matteo Ferrari for fourth and Alex de Angelis defending from Simeon.
Hector Garzo – 2019 MotoE Round 1, Germany
With six to go, Smith struck back for the lead and it wasn’t long until Tuuli moved through too, tagged onto the back wheel of the Brit and recovery from a tougher first couple of laps almost complete. A lap later he made a move but Smith took him back at the final corner, and the two blasted down the start-finish straight in tandem.
Tuuli set it up and attacked again into Turn 1, the Finnish rider back in charge and slowly but surely able to get just enough breathing space to stay out the clutches of Smith. Meanwhile, just behind, Garzo had managed to tag onto the battle for second. But drama then hit slightly further back as Eric Granado came together with Lorenzo Savadori and the Italian went down, and ultimately that would decide the race.
Smith & De Meglio battle it out – 2019 MotoE Round 1, Germany
Savadori was up and ok, but the air fence took a hit from the bike and that meant the Red Flag came out, cutting the race short. With the standings based on the last lap over the line, that made Niki Tuuli the history-making first ever winner in the FIM Enel MotoE World Cup.
Bradley Smith took second ahead of Di Meglio, with the Frenchman having only just attacked him for P2 but that now null and void. Garzo was forced to settle for fourth, with Ferrari completing the top five.
Josh Hook – 2019 MotoE Round 1, Germany
Alex De Angelis got the better of Xavier Simeon and took P6, with Eric Granado recovering from well outside the top ten after getting caught out in an early melee and the Brazilian taking P8. Sete Gibernau was ninth at the head of a big gaggle of riders squabbling over the final two places in the top ten, ahead of Nico Terol, Mattia Casadei, Niccolo Canepa, Jesko Raffin and Kenny Foray. Australian Josh Hook completed the points.
MotoE podium 1) Niki Tuli, 2) Bradley Smith, 3) Mike di Meglio – 2019 MotoE Round 1, Germany
Niki Tuuli – P1
“I’m really happy, already after the first test we knew the bike was going to fit for me, but every time we’ve gone but we’ve been close to the top three and that’s the main thing, and especially here in the fast corners I’ve been really good and I think that’s where yesterday I made the laptime as well. On Friday and Saturday we had good speed and I know the places where I’m quite a lot faster at the moment. In the race because the weather is quite difficult we didn’t know where were the wet patches on track and we made the bike softer. Then straightaway when we started the race and I hit the brakes at Turn 1 I hit the bottom and knew it was too soft. After that I tried to keep the riding quite soft for the first two laps and after that I tried to push a bit and find out where it was working or not. I made a couple of mistakes when I was pushing too much, but in the end I made a small gap. We have many thing to improve and unfortunately today we had a really short race. But in the end we were first all weekend so it’s a good start to the year!”
Niki Tuuli – 2019 MotoE Round 1, Germany
Bradley Smith – P2
“I’m very happy to have got on the podium at this first MotoE World Cup race with ONE Energy Racing. Yesterday I was somewhat disappointed with my result in E-Pole, but I still knew that if I got a good start I could be in the fight in the race. I managed to get a very good start and lead the race, so that was nice. I couldn’t be a part of the race simulation in Valencia, so I was lacking some knowledge of what the contest was going to be like, but I learned a lot today. It was only five laps, but I know where I can improve for the next round in Austria. The race was exciting, so that’s good for the show and for the competition. I want to thank the team; they changed the bike from yesterday to today and did a great job.”
Bradley Smith – 2019 MotoE Round 1, Germany
Hector Garzo – P4
“Unfortunately, it was a difficult race and not the result we have hoped for. I was waiting for the last two laps. Just the moment before the red flag, I was thinking about my overtake. But well, this is racing. You never know, that this is going to happen. Anyway, I’m happy because we four riders finished with a great time. For sure, I would have been a bit more satisfied to get a podium in the first MotoE race, but still our work is good and we know we are strong in every condition. Thanks a lot to the team, we did a really good job and for the first MotoE race of the history, it’s not bad. We must be happy. I’m looking forward to Austria now, keep calm and work hard.”
Hector Garzo – 2019 MotoE Round 1, Germany
Alex De Angelis – P6
“I had a great time. At the first corner I chose to brake and stay inside and it was a good tactic because it allowed me to recover some positions. The duel with Simeon made me lose contact with the leading group but it was really exciting.”
Alex De Angelis – 2019 MotoE Round 1, Germany
Niccolò Canepa – P12
“I’m really upset because I had contact in the first lap – I was in 8th place and was put back to 14th place. I was coming back into the top 10 and was 10th when the red flag came out but they gave the results from the previous lap so I was actually 12th in the results. I feel frustrated because I think this time a 5-lap race is too short.”
Kenny Foray – P14
“It was a good race. The result is not, what I expected, but my feeling was better. Now, I need to be more aggressive in the race, because two times, I decided to stay behind the guys in front of me and two times, somebody overtook me. So, I need to push all the time. I was really good on the brakes, but I couldn’t take full advantage of this. My feeling on the bike was good, it was great fun. The result is not ideal, but now I need to improve for the next race. I was a good experience for me and I’m happy, although I was hoping for a few more points. I’m sure for Austria, we will be better.”
Kenny Foray – 2019 MotoE Round 1, Germany
Josh Hook – P15
“The feeling with the bike grew during the race. It was very important to be with the peloton on a circuit where I raced on Friday for the first time. It wasn’t a particularly satisfying weekend but we have to take the positive side and improve.”
Josh Hook – 2019 MotoE Round 1, Germany
Randy De Puniet – P17
“It was not an easy race – since the beginning of the weekend, as I’ve explained before, I have zero feeling and I’m not confident after crashing in Valencia. I really hoped to get some more confidence and speed during the race, but it was not the case. I’m sorry to the team and the sponsors but I was not able to do better today. I hope after the break I will feel better on the bike so we will see for the next race.”
That’s it from the inaugural weekend for the FIM Enel MotoE World Cup, with Tuuli the first ever winner and therefore first Championship leader. How will Austria shake it up? The Sachsenring is about corners, and the Red Bull Ring is much more stop-and-go. Tune in on the August 11 for Round 2!
MXGP has returned for two back-to-back rounds, the first of which was the MXGP of Indonesia in Palembang, where it was Tim Gajser once again dominating the big bikes, with Jorge Prado likewise taking another round win, as the two continued to dominate, and in the very tough heat of Indonesia both red plate holders also built on their series points leads.
Tim Gajser – MXGP of Indonesia 2019
Around the very unique circuit in Palembang, both Gajser and Prado didn’t have it all their own way, both losing a race, Gajser going 1-2 and Prado also 1-2, however the final tally saw the pair do enough to claim the red plates into Semarang, also in Indonesia next weekend with a confident feeling.
Aussie Jed Beaton also had a strong weekend going 5-5 in MX2 for fifth overall for the round and tenth overall, while in MXGP Lewis Stewart went 15-14 and Adam Coles went 16-15 to claim 15th and 16th overall for the round, respectively. Mitch Evans crashed in MX2 Race 1 and sat out the remainder of the weekend.
Jed Beaton was the top Aussie performer at the MXGP of Indonesia
MXGP
On a regular basis Tim Gajser led into the first lap of the opening MXGP race taking the FOX Holeshot, followed by Jeremy Seewer and Glenn Coldenhoff. Also, up front were Max Anstie, Romain Febvre, Arnaud Tonus and Gautier Paulin while Arminas Jasikonis crashed and dropped back to 15th place. Anstie moved past Coldenhoff for third, and Jasikonis was able to get back into 13th.
Tim Gajser & Jeremy Seewer – MXGP of Indonesia 2019
Running a little harder Gajser moved to more than five seconds away from Seewer and Anstie started to put pressure on the second placed man. Febvre closed in to Coldenhoff while Anstie was on Seewer but as the French was frustrated as he made a mistake, Anstie passes Seewer for second but he was seven seconds behind Gajser, who seemingly was cruising up front and around the same time Jasikonis was all over Bogersfor 11th.
Five laps to go Febvre was charging in Coldenhoff for a long while managed to go through. Light rain began as the race continued. Gajser though wasn’t having any problems up front, and everyone held their positions. Gajser was victorious at race 1 in Palembang, winning it from Anstie and Seewer.
Romain Febvre – MXGP of Indonesia 2019
At the start of the second MXGP race it was again Gajser in the early lead taking his fifth FOX Holeshot of the season, followed by Anstie, who crashed in the first lap and dropped back to 10th place. Tonus was also in trouble as he trailed near last and then couldn’t get his bike going again.
Tim Gajser – MXGP of Indonesia 2019
Seewer was second, then Febvre, Paulin, Coldenhoff, Bogers and Jonass. Monticelli also crashed and went back in 19th place. After two laps the lead by Gajser was nearly three seconds and Febvre had moved past Seewer and was running hard to catch the leader.
On lap 3 Gajser made a mistake and Febvre and Seewer both went past and dropped the Honda man to third place, but the red plate owner was quickly back past Seewer, although Febvre held a six second lead after eight laps.
Jeremy Seewer – MXGP of Indonesia 2019
Coldenhoff passed Paulin and Seewer at the last laps to finish Race 2 in third place, and Anstie was onto Paulin to fight for fifth position while Febvre was miles ahead of Gajser. That left Febvre wining his first race of the season and the first after the 2017 MXGP of Sweden, ahead of Gajser and Coldenhoff.
Glenn Coldenhoff – MXGP of Indonesia 2019
Tim Gajser took the overall win with his 1-2 results while Romain Febvre took second and his teammate Jeremy Seewer rounded up the podium.
MXGP saw Tim Gajser take the overall win from Febvre and Seewer
Tim Gajser 1-2
“All day I really enjoyed riding the track. In the first moto I grabbed the holeshot and made a little gap and controlled the race. I had a lot of fun out there and managed to win the first moto. In the second race I didn’t have the best jump out of the gate so I got closed off on the straight, but as they ran wide, I was able to cut inside and take another holeshot. On the fourth lap and went off the track, and my rear tyre spun on the dusty ground and I had a little crash. I re-joined the race in third place, but managed to pass Jeremy immediately. I saw that Romain was riding a really good pace out front so I decided to settle for second place and to win another overall. Obviously I’m still happy with how the day went and my standing in the championship.”
Tim Gajser – MXGP of Indonesia 2019
Romain Febvre 4-1
“It’s been too long since I last won a race. It’s been hard and I have wondered what I am doing, but finally it’s in and I have done it, but still I am second overall, and I would like to win the Grand Prix. It’s always nice to win races, but I want to stand on the top step of the podium. It feels like it has been so close this season, but I miss it by just a little bit. I hope that it is coming, and I look forward to going to Semarang next weekend because I like the track there, it is fast and nice to ride, so I hope for good weather, good starts and then it will be good.”
Romain Febvre – MXGP of Indonesia 2019
Jeremy Seewer 3-4
“I’ve been really consistent this season and this is what I have wanted to do. I have shown at the last GP’s that I am a threat to the podium, just some small mistakes cost me coming into here. I have had many good races this year and I feel good on the bike. I am really happy with my consistency even though I didn’t start the season the way I wanted to. I am happy I got on the podium here in such tough conditions, I managed to post two good results with two good starts. I know that there are places that I can improve, and I will work on these, but for now I am happy that I am here and I am happy with the way things are going.”
Romain Febvre & Jeremy Seewer – MXGP of Indonesia 2019
Gautier Paulin 7-5
“The weekend started well. The track was cool and really tacky, I managed to post the fastest time. In the first race I didn’t get the best start and we are all really close in speed on the track, so it was difficult to pass. At one point the guys got away and I secured seventh. The second race was challenging because I had a small issue on the sighting lap, so I started a little bit stressed out. I got a normal start, I was third around the corner and I finished fifth although I had a small issue with the front brake, but no excuse, I felt good on the bike so I am really looking forward to the next round. We will keep our head up and continue to push. I really want to thank the Monster Energy Wilvo Yamaha MXGP team for all of their hard work and support.”
Pauls Jonass 7-8
“I made a mistake in the qualification race on Saturday and crashed heavily on my shoulder, which made the whole weekend difficult for me. It’s really frustrating as I felt good on the track. I guess I was lucky it wasn’t a serious injury, but I banged my shoulder hard and that made it tough today – I didn’t have the power I needed for the ruts, braking bumps and landings from the jumps. But I did the best I could. I got a decent start in the first race then went a little wide in the second turn. After that I couldn’t push like I wanted to because of my shoulder. I made a few passes but eighth wasn’t what I wanted. Race two was similar – I couldn’t go any faster. It was a little bit of surviving, getting the most championship points possible. I’ll rest now and go again next weekend.”
Pauls Jonass – MXGP of Indonesia 2019
Brian Bogers 12-8
“The day didn’t really go as I wanted, especially the first moto. The first five or six laps felt okay and I was riding with the fast guys but then the heat hit me really bad and I couldn’t push anymore. I felt pretty bad about that so I really wanted to try harder for race two. I got out of the gate really well and from the beginning I was pushing even harder than the first moto. I didn’t want to save myself because that isn’t a good mindset and it seemed to work because even when I got a little tired with the heat, I could still keep pushing. I ended up with a twelfth and an eighth for eighth overall so that’s not too bad but I still want to do better.”
Brian Bogers – MXGP of Indonesia 2019
Tony Cairoli – Injury Update
“It is sad to finish the championship this way and it hasn’t happened too many times in my career. When I tried to ride last week I knew I had some problems but I wanted to stay positive about the recovery. I had more scans in Belgium and the injury was much worse that we thought so they told me to have surgery right away and it was the best solution to get healthy again in the fastest way. Thanks to the team and to the fans for the support. I hope to visit a few races before the end of the season and will now concentrate on getting better.”
Milner claims remarkable Hattah victory in rain-soaked conditions
Section: Competition
Factory KTM rider overcomes recently broken collarbone in second-career win.
Image: John Pearson.
KTM Enduro Racing Team’s Daniel Milner claimed a remarkable victory at the 2019 Penrite Hattah Desert Race yesterday in rain-soaked conditions, just six weeks after breaking his collarbone.
Milner qualified fastest following Saturday’s Prologue with a blistering 2m45.417s lap-time set in the Top 10 Shootout before charging to his second-career Hattah victory, while also clinching the Over 450cc 4-Stroke class win in the process.
This year’s race was declared halfway following four laps of the 37-kilometre course because of the treacherous weather. Milner was able to complete the race in 2h14m22.051s, reaching the chequered flag 3m21.159s ahead of teammate Lyndon Snodgrass and Josh Green (Yamalube Active8 Yamaha).
“It’s such a good feeling to win Hattah after breaking my collarbone six weeks ago and undergoing surgery before I then had tendon problems in the opposite arm once I was back on the bike,” Milner explained. “I’d only had four days on the bike and one day of testing, so to bring it home is an unbelievable feeling and the KTM 500 EXC-F is such a weapon to ride!
“Things went our way in the race and we didn’t miss a beat – the bike was very similar to how I rode it last year in terms of set-up. It really was a matter of making sure we could get through the race and it became a case of survival, so I was being as consistent as possible.
“The decision to cut the race short was the right one in those conditions and I’m really happy to get another outright win here, that’s for sure.”
Last year’s Hattah champion Daniel Sanders (Husqvarna Enduro Racing Team) was on-track for another victory, however the torrential rain caused his FE 501 to suffer electrical issues, forcing him to accept a 14th place finish.
Rea dominates Sunday’s races at Donington Park WorldSBK
Section: Competition
Cluzel reigns supreme in WorldSSP category at the British round.
Image: Supplied.
Four-time reigning champion Jonathan Rea claimed a stunning double-victory in Sunday’s races at Dongington Park’s eighth round of the 2019 Motul FIM Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK), making it three wins from three outings at the British venue.
The Kawasaki Racing Team ace defeated Toprak Razgatlioglu (Turkish Puccetti Racing) in the Superpole race, as Leon Haslam (Kawasaki Racing Team) locked out the top three. The first five was completed by Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and Loris Baz (Ten Kate Racing – Yamaha).
In race two, Rea put on an incredible display, notching up his third win of the weekend by beating home Razgatlioglu, who once again earned runner-up honours. Bautista crept onto the podium in third, followed by Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK) and Haslam.
It was yet another thrilling WorldSSP encounter, with Donington Park hosting more dramatic racing. It was fight that would come alive in the final quarter of the race, with Jules Cluzel (GMT94 YAMAHA) coming out on top ahead of Federico Caricasulo (BARDAHL Evan Bros. WorldSSP Team) and Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing).
In a drama-filled WorldSSP300 encounter, Kevin Sabatucci (Team Trasimeno Yamaha) ultimately claimed victory, joined on the podium by Andy Verdoia (BCD Yamaha MS Racing) and Nick Kalinin (Nutec – RT Motorsports by SKM – Kawasaki).
Australians Tom Bramich (Nutec – RT Motorsports by SKM – Kawasaki) was 10th, as Tom Edwards (ParkinGo Team Kawasaki) recorded an unfortunate DNF. The Superbike World Championship now heads to Laguna Seca in the USA this weekend for round nine.
Sixth straight win for Gajser at MXGP of Indonesia
Section: Competition
Prado wins MX2 as Australia’s Beaton score top five finish.
Image: Supplied.
Honda HRC’s Tim Gajser has extended his winning streak to six after claiming victory yesterday in Indonesia for round 11 of the 2019 MXGP World Championship.
The former world champion rode commandingly all weekend long, notching up a 1-2 scorecard to not only win the overall, but also stretch his points lead to 130.
Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Romain Febvre was second overall after claiming victory in the final moto, as teammate Jeremy Seewer (Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing) locked out the top three. Standing Construct KTM duo Max Anstie and Glenn Coldenhoff completed the top five.
In the MX2 category, reigning champion Jorge Prado (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) continued his run of overall wins, claiming top honours with a 1-2 results sheet, while strengthening his points advantage to 51.
Fellow Red Bull KTM Factory Racing contender and MX2 rookie Tom Vialle finished runner-up, as Thomas Kjer Olsen (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing) completed to podium with a win to his name.
The top five was rounded out by Team SM Action Yamaha’s Maxime Renaux and Australian Jed Beaton (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing), while compatriot Mitch Evans (Team Honda 114 Motorsports) was 19th overall.
The MXGP World Championship remains in Indonesia for round 12 this weekend, set to take place at Semarang.
Miller charges to sixth in three-rider Ducati battle.
Image: Supplied.
Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) completed a decade of dominance at the Sachsenring in style, attacking early to take the lead into turn one and not looking back.
That makes it 10 wins in a row in Germany for the reigning champion, all from pole, with Maverick Vinales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) and Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda Castrol) completing the podium.
Marquez’ win for the seventh successive time in the premier class at the Sachsenring also equals Valentino Rossi’s record of premier class wins in a row at one venue, set in Mugello from 2002-2008.
Despite a bad start Marquez kept it pinned into turn one, the last of the late brakers able to emerge in the lead as Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) slipped back from second to sixth at the start – Vinales, Jack Miller (Pramac Racing), Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) and Crutchlow all getting past the Frenchman.
The first shot of drama would come from the Frenchman too as Quartararo’s race suddenly ended at turn three on lap two, the rookie going to get back past Ducati Team’s Danilo Petrucci but the front washing away in his first ever premier class crash out of a race.
The battle at the front at that point was more a freight train, with Marquez conducting the pace from Vinales as Crutchlow and Rins demoted Miller down to fifth. The top four started to edge clear of the rest, but edging clear of everyone was King of the Ring Marquez as a 1m21.228s – a new lap record – on lap five saw his lead creep up to just under a second.
The man in second was Rins, and he was also stretching his advantage over Vinales and Crutchlow to the same distance, but Marquez was in the groove.
The seven-time champion showed exactly why the Sachsenring is his playground, not powering away at a rapid rate but instead eking out a tenth here and there, his lead gradually increasing until he suddenly put the hammer down. Lap 10 saw Marquez go 0.4s faster than Rins as the gap rose above the two-second barrier. From then on, there was no stopping the now 10-time Sachsenring winner.
The battle for the second and third steps on the podium was heating up, however. Crutchlow was shadowing Vinales, who in turn was sitting a second back from Rins, with the gap remaining constant between the trio as we passed the mid-stage of the race.
And the battle for fifth place was very much on as Ducati Team’s Andrea Dovizioso and Petrucci were going head-to-head with fellow GP19 rider Miller, Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar), Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) and Aprilia Racing Team Gresini’s Aleix Espargaro in a close fight for big points.
Nearer the front though, disaster then struck at the top of ‘The Waterfall’ for Rins. 0.9s clear of Vinales and Crutchlow, the Suzuki man suddenly skitted out at Ralf Waldmann corner for his second consecutive DNF. With the man on the chase down and out, it left Marquez with an unassailable 4.9s lead.
The last 10 laps were just about controlling the gap for Marquez as he saw a 10th Sachsenring win appear ever closer, but who would finish second? Crutchlow had been attached to Vinales’ back wheel for some time to put the Spaniard under pressure and with two laps to go, the duo were separated by nothing.
But the number 35 then had a scare at turn 10 – a warning sign that saw Crutchlow running wide and subsequently keeping it calmer to give up the chase. Just ahead, Marquez crossed the line to win his fifth race of 2019, the seventh consecutive year he’s won five or more races in a premier class season – a record that sees him surpass MotoGP legend Giacomo Agostini and nine-time champion Rossi, both of whom managed to do it for six straight years.
Vinales crossed the line to take his second straight podium, with Crutchlow getting his equal best result of the year in third and his first rostrum since Qatar GP. The Brit’s ride was even more impressive as he battled a torn anterior cruciate ligament and a small fracture to the top of his tibia this weekend following a cycling mishap.
Behind the top trio, meanwhile, there were important points in the championship to be decided just down the road. Rossi had lost touch on the battle for fourth in the latter stages, and it was Mir vs the three Ducatis. With Marquez out in front, second in the championship Dovizioso needed to limit the damage as much as possible but Petrucci wasn’t going to let his teammate have it all his own way.
The Italians exchanged P4 at the bottom of ‘The Waterfall’ before Dovi went to get back past Petrucci into turn one with three to go and they both ran wide – Miller diving up the inside of both. Dovizioso was aggressive though and attacked the Australian as the battle between the Ducatis went down to the wire, Petrucci leading them onto the last lap. T
he Mugello winner would ultimately hold fourth as the chequered flag came out, a terrific performance after his big crash in Q2, with Dovizioso producing another fine fight back to take P5 from P13 on the grid. Miller was forced to settle for a solid sixth.
Mir picked up his third consecutive top ten in seventh, a great ride from the rookie, with Rossi ending his run of three-straight DNFs with a P8 at the Sachsenring. Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT) finished ninth in Germany, the first time he’d raced in the premier class at the track after missing out last year, with Jorge Lorenzo’s replacement Stefan Bradl (Repsol Honda Team) grabbing his second top ten of the season in front of his home fans.
Tito Rabat (Reale Avintia Racing) put in a stunner to take P11 from last on the grid, ahead of a tougher race for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Pol Espargaro. Andrea Iannone (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) was 13th and top Aprilia after a crash for teammate Aleix Espargaro, with Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) riding through the pain barrier to P14. Karel Abraham (Reale Avintia Racing) completed the points.
Alex Marquez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) took another authoritative Moto2 win in Germany, able to make his way through to the front and pull the pin to stamp some authority back on the standings after getting crashed out of the lead at Assen.
The number 73 now leads Tom Luthi by eight points into the summer break, and his pace will give many a rival something to think about before Brno. Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) took an impressive P2 from 17th on the grid, with home hero Marcel Schrotter (Dynavolt Intact GP) completing the podium in front of a partisan crowd. Australian Remy Gardner (SAG Racing Team) was 13th.
Lorenzo Dalla Porta (Leopard Racing) has been the bridesmaid a number of times this season in Moto3, but in the Germany grand prix, the Italian finally took to the top step and became the eighth different winner in nine races, just 0.072s ahead of teammate Marcos Ramirez over the line.
Aron Canet (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) put in a stunning ride through the field from P22 on the grid to take third, losing the Championship lead but ending the day only two points down on Dalla Porta.
Niki Tuuli (Ajo MotoE) has taken the first ever win in the FIM Enel MotoE World Cup, converting the first E-Pole into victory as the Cup kicked off in style in Germany.
A red flag on the penultimate lap brought the race to an early end but it was a stunning spectacle throughout, with Bradley Smith (One Energy Racing) taking second and Mike Di Meglio (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) completing the podium. Australian Josh Hook (Pramac Racing) was 15th.
The MotoGP World Championship now heads into an extended break, due to return on 4 August at Brno in Czech Republic.
“It was a perfect strategy. But I didn’t have a perfect start as I ran a little deep at Turn One. After that my plan was two slow laps to warm the front tyre well and then push, and it’s exactly what I did. Step by step I opened the gap and followed the plan as I needed to. Once the gap was at three seconds I stayed there and saved the tyre and enjoyed riding. It’s a great feeling to win here again and to enter the summer break in this way. Congratulations also to my brother for his win today, it’s always really nice to win together! I want to say thank you to the Repsol Honda Team for their work in this race and the first half of the season.”
Marc Marquez makes it 10 wins in a row at Sachsenring in 2019
Maverick Viñales – P2
“We discovered quite early this weekend that second place might be the best we could do here, so with that in mind we achieved the objective. For us it’s really good, second is my best result here. I started well, I did a good first few laps. This result means a lot, it prepares me for Brno. I’m really happy, we understand the way to go. Yamaha is working in a good way, and I know our strong and weak points. It’s good that we have a summer break to improve the bike and improve myself. The tyre choice was very difficult, I took a gamble with the hard because I worked most of the time with this tyre. It was on the limit if I could or could not finish the race, and I said to myself ‘If I need to slow down in the last ten laps, I will, but I will be at the front’. I’m very pleased for Yamaha, it’s very important to get a consecutive first and second place. I saw Cal on my pit board the whole time and for about fifteen laps I closed every door. I worked very hard on making sure he couldn’t overtake me, because I knew if he did, he would go. Luckily I was second, so I’m very pleased and happy. I can’t wait for Brno to try out the new things and see if we take a step.”
“First of all, it’s great to be on the podium at the HJC Grand Prix, the team did a fantastic job. We worked all weekend on what we thought would be a race pace. Yesterday I did around the 28 lap mark a 22.7 and that’s exactly what I did on the 28th lap today. Everybody was shocked when my pace was that, but I thought that would be the pace in the race and it was. The track condition was not great, in the middle of the race I had a bit better pace than Maverick (Vinales), but once (Alex) Rins crashed I thought I’m on the podium anyway and we had nine seconds to the guys behind and the gap was going up every lap. I planned to attack with five laps to go, but the wind was so strong that my eyes were streaming with water, so I tried to blink it out and he (Vinales) got a bit of a gap. I came again, but then with two laps to go I made a big mistake in turn 10 and lost the rear of the bike. So after that I said Maverick could have it, I’m very happy with the podium today, the team and Honda have worked very, very hard and we deserve it.”
Cal Crutchlow – Sachsenring Round 9 – MotoGP 2019
Danilo Petrucci – P4
“Today we did our best, making a strong comeback to finish fourth and take home important points for the championship. It’s been a complicated weekend, but fortunately yesterday’s crash didn’t particularly compromise our performance during the race. I was able to get off to a strong start from twelfth place on the grid and I immediately recovered some positions, then I simply tried to manage the rear tyre in the best way possible. It wasn’t easy to hold off the other riders of the pack, and once again I had a fun battle with Andrea and Jack. The only negative note is the gap from the winner, but I think we achieved the best possible result today. Now we’ll take a small break, during which we’ll work hard to be even more competitive by the time we’re back in action and make up ground in the championship.”
“Today we had another exciting battle with Danilo for almost the entire race and claimed fifth position in a sprint to the finish line to bring home important points in one of the most difficult tracks for us, which is undoubtedly positive. However, we couldn’t have done more during the race and the gap shows how we still need to improve under some aspects to be able to fight at the front in each situation. We’re still second in the championship despite the bad luck we had in Barcelona and the issues we encountered in the last couple of races. For sure we won’t give up and we’ll try to put this short break to good use and find some new solutions to be more competitive, starting from next round at Brno.”
Andrea Dovizioso – Sachsenring Round 9 – MotoGP 2019
Jack Miller – P6 (First Independent)
“To be honest, I thought I could do better. I had the pace to attack the two official Ducati on the last lap but in the end, I preferred not to make mistakes and take home important points that allow me to go on holiday as the first Independent rider.”
Jack Miller – Sachsenring Round 9 – MotoGP 2019
Joan Mir – P7
“It was really nice to fight for top positions in a quick group, but I made some mistakes and I had to recover some places, which cost me a bit. Anyway, I’m happy with my performance and my pace, it was difficult to pass the other riders in front of me, but I gave it my best shot and I could bring home seventh. Now it’s time for a little break with my family, and then I’ll start preparing for part two!”
Joan Mir – Sachsenring Round 9 – MotoGP 2019
Valentino Rossi – P8
“I‘m not satisfied because it was a difficult race, I suffered a lot. First of all, we used the medium rear tyre because Michelin said to us that it would be impossible to race with the hard, but I had a lot of sliding and not enough grip, so this was the first problem. The bigger problem was that in Assen in the race I felt strong, so here we tried to confirm it, but in reality I wasn‘t very fast, I didn‘t feel good with the bike. This is a difficult moment, because the last time when we were here, at this part of the championship, I was very competitive. From Le Mans to Sachsenring I did some good races. This year it‘s been a lot more difficult, so we need to get a better understanding, because I don‘t have a great feeling with the bike and I‘m not as fast as we want.”
“It was a strange race for me. I was in the big group stretching from fourth back, but I couldn’t attack and had to stay behind. I tried to manage the tyres, but even then they dropped off a little and I lost my position within the group. We came home in the top ten, but the feeling in the race was completely different from practice. Now we’ve got time to relax and study everything, and we can start where we left off in Brno with some new ideas.”
”All weekend I was able to really enjoy riding and working with the team. Not many people are able to ride in Repsol Honda colours at home so it was a very special weekend for me and I enjoyed every moment. A big thank you to the team as they were incredibly welcoming and we were able to work extremely well together. Our approach in the race was good, maybe if I had been a little more aggressive in the opening laps I could have stayed with the group in front better and been stronger but still, a top ten was my target. I was able to be consistent and achieve what we set out to do for myself, the team and HRC.”
Stefan Bradl – Sachsenring Round 9 – MotoGP 2019
Pol Espargaro – P12
“The start was not amazing – we had a small electronic problem – but the first half of the race was OK and I was fighting with some other riders. I was trying to keep the tyre but towards the end it was finished and I was really disappointed to suffer such a big drop on the rear. I could not ride or do anything because there was so much spin. We tried our best today. Now it is time to relax a little bit and then go hard again in the Czech Republic.”
Pol Espargaro – Sachsenring Round 9 – MotoGP 2019
Andrea Iannone – P13
“We are headed into the summer break on an upward trend. From Barcelona on, we took a small step and we need to pick up from here for the second half of the season. It was not an easy race today. I struggled with fresh tyres, but as the laps went by, I began to improve. We are taking some points home, but more than anything, I have more confidence in the saddle. We are able to understand the RS-GP better and we are very clear about which points we need to work on. I hope that the guys at home are able to get something new ready already for Brno. Our goal from here on is to battle consistently for the top 10.”
Andrea Iannone – Sachsenring Round 9 – MotoGP 2019
Takaaki Nakagami – P14
“It was a really tough day, like yesterday. The situation is that my whole body was getting worse not better so unfortunately it was a difficult two days. But yesterday was good, we did really well considering my condition. During the warm-up, the doctor gave me some injections to help with the pain which helped a bit. During the race there was a lot of pain and it was difficult. Over the last eight laps I had lack of grip on the rear and I had to slow down, but we scored a few points and that’s quite positive. Now we have three weeks off and tomorrow I’m going back to Japan so I will have time to rest, especially my left foot. We have time, so I will try to recover soon and I’m really looking forward to working with the team in the second part of the season.”
“The beginning of the race was really good but after ten laps we had a very big drop. I tried to keep the pace but it was impossible in the left corners to keep the grip. It was easy to spin and many times, I was sliding a lot. I couldn’t ride the bike comfortably and was fighting especially with the left side. I just continue working hard, even if we go into the summer break now.”
“It was a very particular weekend. I had to skip the FP2 for the FP1 crash and my physical condition was not at its best. Saturday’s practice was positive and even in the warm-up there was confidence. I didn’t expect to struggle so hard in the race. I can’t wait to be in Brno.”
Pecco Bagnaia – Sachsenring Round 9 – MotoGP 2019
Miguel Oliveira – P18
“It’s a sad finish this weekend because I think it was one of my strongest I had all season. I was very consistent in terms of race pace and also quite fast. It’s a shame that I made this mistake early in the race because after the crash even with a broken winglet I was quite fast and I had the pace to be inside the top 10. It is frustrating, but the most important is, that after the crash we picked up the bike and continued the race, which was very important for me in order to get information for the team and to learn from this, also to keep working hard to be fast again in Brno.
Miguel Oliveira – Sachsenring Round 9 – MotoGP 2019
Alex Rins – DNF
“I lost a podium today. My feeling with the bike was really nice and I tried to get into second place as soon as possible because I felt that my rhythm was strong. Unfortunately, I lost the front on a fast right-hander, I entered into it just a couple of kilometres per hour faster than usual, and that’s why I crashed. It’s a shame because it’s my second DNF in a row, but I still feel positive because my pace has been good recently and I know I can get good results again when we come back after the break.”
Alex Rins – Sachsenring Round 9 – MotoGP 2019
Johann Zarco – DNF
“My start was quite correct but there was a lot of sliding in the cooler conditions. I was expecting this and tried to keep consistent and limit the mistakes but in Turn 3 I came into the corner – maybe with too much lean – and lost the front. It’s a shame because I was in the points and that was the target. I know what I will do during the summer break and I am motivated to work and come back stronger in the Czech Republic.”
Johann Zarco – Sachsenring Round 9 – MotoGP 2019
Aleix Espargaro’ – DNF
“We were finally competitive. I’m sorry for the team and for all those who work on this project. When you end a race with a crash, you are usually angry about it, but today I am pleased because we were able to stay with the group where we want to be battling, from fourth to tenth place. I had a good start. I didn’t have great grip on the rear, but I was very strong in braking and I managed to stay up with Rossi. When he overtook Morbidelli, I struggled to do the same and I got a bit frustrated. When I got past him and tried to close the gap, I made a small mistake on turn 1 and crashed. We are not in the fight for the title, so when I saw the chance to take eighth, I went for it. It’s a pity about how it ended, but I am very pleased about how we did this weekend.”
“I made a small mistake; I was trying to overtake another rider and I hesitated a little about whether or not to do it and ended up going into the corner with too much speed and lean angle. It’s the first mistake I’ve made in a race, and I’ll learn from it and come back stronger. The first half of the season has been really positive – we didn’t expect some poles and podiums. I’m happy with the balance of the year so far and really looking forward to the second half.”
Massimo Meregalli – Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP Team Director
“We already predicted yesterday that managing the rear tyre would be key in today‘s race, and that was indeed the case. Maverick had shown good pace here all weekend, so we knew the tyres were performing well, but managing the degradation over the whole length of the race is challenging, especially when under pressure from a chasing rider, like Mack was today. He did a fantastic job. He was very consistent and precise, so this second place is well-deserved. Vale used the medium rear tyre, but it didn’t behave like we predicted. We had expected a better consistency, especially in the second part of the race, but it didn’t keep up its performance level. Because of this Vale wasn’t able to attack at the end of the race. We now have a three-week break which we will use to recharge before we head to Brno, where we will have some things that our riders can try during the test.”
“It was a pity for Alex that he crashed, because he was in a good position and he had space around him, therefore we missed a chance for another good result. But these things happen. Joan did a really good race, he was faster than his group at times, but it’s difficult to overtake here in Sachsenring. Anyway, it was great for him to be around much more experienced riders, and battle with them. We’re looking forward to the second half of the season, we’re competitive and we can try to go for good results. We’ll do our best.”
Joan Mir – Sachsenring Round 9 – MotoGP 2019
Mike Leitner – Red Bull KTM Team Manager
“The weekend was not so good because we are at a point where 12th position does not make us happy any more. Pol had a lot of issues in the race with the tyres and the bike. He could stay with the group in the first half of the race but then the lap-times dropped dramatically. It was not what we expected. The crash from Johann so early was not good for him or for us. Miguel also had a slide but afterwards his pace and lap-times were great. At least we can look at a top ten position in the championship for the summer break and now Dani [Pedrosa] and Mika [Kallio] will do some tests for us. We’ll analyse the last GPs because we’ve had some really good ones. Difficult races like today often mean you learn even more. The company will not stop working or pushing and we will come back stronger after the break.”
Pol Espargaro – Sachsenring Round 9 – MotoGP 2019
Wilco Zeelenberg – Petronas Yamaha Sepang Racing Team Manager
“We aren’t very happy with the race, with Fabio on the ground on lap two and Franco having a difficult time keeping his tyres alive. But in the end, he finished the race in the best way possible, scoring valuable points after a few DNFs earlier this season. It wasn’t our best performance of the year, but after eight races we can be proud with what we’ve achieved. I’m looking forward to a good break because I think we all need it and deserve it, and then we can come back in Brno and achieve a little bit better than today.”
“This has been a very frustrating last round before the summer break for the Red Bull KTM Tech3 team. We knew with Miguel we had a very strong pace, we did a great FP3 and an even better FP4. Unfortunately, one more time, we didn’t qualify well enough and I think that is something we have to work on very much for the second part of the season. Clearly, the start was quite good from Miguel, average for Hafizh. Miguel was in the good group and unfortunately, although he is a rider that very, very rarely does a mistake, he did one and that was a costly mistake at the wrong moment. He was brave to pick up the bike, back on track with a broken winglet on the right side and completely bent brake lever. Even though, he pushed and was doing impressive lap times with the bike quite damaged. What is leaving us even more sad is the fact, that this pace would have been good enough for the top 10 or even the top 8, which means for the best result of the season so far. Of course, it would have been great to leave on holidays with that result. We know we can, but we need to make it and prove it on paper. This is a pity, but I just want to say ‘Good job, Miguel! Thank you for staying on track, thank you for pushing and this is something that for sure will make you a better MotoGP rider and I’m sure you learned quite a lot today!’ On the other side, I don’t know what to say, because the Qualifying position was a bit better for Hafizh than Miguel. The start was, as I said earlier, not ideal, but anyway, he passed a few guys ahead of him and was 15th, so we were quite happy when he was fighting with Nakagami in front. We thought that could be at least one of the guys finishing in the points and having a bit of positive feeling before the end of this first part of the season. Unfortunately, we saw his pace dropping dramatically, many riders passed him. I can’t explain it, because it looks like the same scenario every weekend; at the end of the race, there is no grip, much sliding, no pace. That was in Assen, but then we got the carbon swingarm, which is supposed to be better. Clearly, the tyre wear is more than Miguel, who has been a lot faster than his teammate today. So, maybe there is also something to understand about how to handle the bike, how to set it up and how to ride it. But I am disappointed with that result, because I’m sure today Hafizh had the possibility to score a point or two, minimum and we didn’t do it, which is a shame. Still I wish everybody a great break and hopefully we can start on a good base in Czech Republic for the second part of the year.”
Miguel Oliveira – Sachsenring Round 9 – MotoGP 2019
Among many changes to the road rules, the road regs review proposes one demerit point for learner riders who do not wear a “securely fastened” hi-vis vest and for failing to display an L plate.
The VMC say there is no proven road safety benefit in either proposal and claim the decreased air flow from a securely fastened vest “could cause accelerated fatigue and heat stress”.
Hi-vis mandated
The learner hi-vis rule was introduced in 2014 despite the state government’s road safety committee citing a European road safety research that found the benefits of wearing a high-visibility vest depended on the time of day and location.
Since its introduction, there has been no study into its effect on crashes among learners and the Traffic Accident Commission does not differentiate learner riders in its statistics.
The Prof has reviewed several international studies on motorcycle conspicuity and “look but fail to see” accidents and says there is “sufficient doubt” of the effectiveness of hi-vis to call for a repeal of the mandatory requirement.
He says the studies had varied findings suggesting:
Dark clothing is more visible in certain lighting situations;
Hi-vis rider gear may be less visible in certain conditions; and
Hi-vis clothing could create a “target fixation” for motorists, causing them to steer toward the wearer.
Richard also says he regularly wears a hi-visibility jacket when riding, but has still been hit by a car.
“The driver claimed they didn’t see me, from a distance of less than 2m, as they changed lanes on top of me,” he says.
When the law was introduced, the VMC cited Prof Huggins’s research and objected to the rule on several grounds:
Wearing hi-vis clothing may impart a false sense of security for novice riders;
Modern research shows that people don’t recognise or react to motorcycles, rather than not seeing them at all;
Drivers are more likely to see a bike but make an error in timing;
All bikes have hard-wired headlights yet no research has been done on how this affects hi-visibility; and
If hi-vis is a real safety issue, why are there no greater penalties for drivers who crash into people wearing them?
Remove L plate proposal
The Road Safety Regulations paper also proposes one demerit point for failing to correctly display an L plate.
The VMC has called to remove the proposal, saying it is not a safety issue.
They say a plate can easily fall off a motorcycle resulting in a rider losing their licence and their only mode of transport.
“There is no road safety risk or road user behaviour targeted by the sanction, therefore no genuine road safety objective served,” their submissions says.
“A motorcycle is an arduous exposed environment, experiencing vibration, winds, rain, road grime/fumes and sunlight/UV exposure.
“L plates are typically plastic, embrittle with time and are not very resilient to these exposed service conditions.
“As a result, an L-plate may fall off during a ride without the knowledge of the rider since plates are affixed to the rear of the motorcycle.”
