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Moto2 and Moto3 riders fly at Jerez test

Moto2 and Moto3 riders fly at Jerez test

05/03/2016, International, Motorcycling, Moto GP, Article # 16821360
 
Friday, 04 March 2016

Moto2 and Moto3 riders fly at Jerez test


Axel Pons and Romano Fenati led the way as their first official test of the year finishes in Jerez, times tight in both classes.


Heavy fog during the morning session on Friday saw only Efren Vazquez (JPMoto Malaysia) venture out on track, the Spanish rider not setting a lap time. The second session saw the sun return, Moto2™ riders able to continue their testing work. Although it was Sam Lowes (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) who set a 1’42.075 to lead the final day of testing, Axel Pons’ 1’41.730 from Thursday sees the AGR Team rider leave the Jerez Test as the fastest rider in the intermediate class. It was not a perfect test for Pons who did not venture out on track after a heavy fall on Thursday after setting his fast lap.
 
The fastest Moto2™ lap during a Grand Prix weekend still stands at 1’42.706, set by Stefan Bradl in 2011. Pons’ time was almost a second faster, but Lowes was also under the record lap by over half a second. The final session of the test not only saw Lowes improve, but Lorenzo Baldassarri (Forward Team) also set his fastest lap of the test, a 1’42.174 again well under Bradl’s record.
 
Fourth fastest overall was Paginas Amarillas HP 40’s Alex Rins with a 1’42.186s set on his 17th lap of 23 in the last session of Friday. Having had very limited private testing before Jerez, Rins focused primarily on getting comfortable on his 2016 Kalex with longer runs. Tom Luthi’s (Garage Plus Interwetten) 1’42.271 from the first day stood as the Swiss rider’s best time, seeing him complete the competitive top five.
 
With all of the top 11 riders under Bradl’s circuit record, the 2016 Moto2™ season looks set to be an exciting battle with riders already flying at the first pre-season test. The Jerez Test also allowed Dunlop to test several new tyre options for the 2016 season, include a hard tyre options for circuits such as Argentina, Australia and Sepang with newer surfaces.
 
Dominique Aegerter (CarXpert Interwetten), Takaaki Nakagami (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia), Jonas Folger (Dynavolt Intact GP), Sandro Cortese (Dynavolt Intact GP) and Marcel Schrotter (AGR Team) formed the remainder of the top ten on combined times.
 
Reigning Moto2™ World Champion Johann Zarco (Ajo Motorsport) was 14th and 1.222 seconds back on Pons’ fastest time. Meanwhile Danny Kent’s (Leopard Racing) return to the middle class continues to progress well, the Moto3™ Champion ending 12th on combined times.
 
Simone Corsi (Speed Up) led the charge of Speed Up mounted riders with a 1’42.943s, placing in 13th and as the leading non-Kalex machine. Xavi Vierge (Tech 3) racing had a vigorous testing schedule aboard the new Mistral 610, testing a variety of parts for the French team. Having only recently ensured his future in Moto2™, Efren Vazquez (JPMoto Malaysia) was able to run on the Suter for the first time and made steady improvements to get within five seconds of the fastest rider.
 
Sun and warm temperatures across the final two sessions for the lightweight class saw Nicolo Bulega (SKY Racing Team VR46) on top once again. The rookie set a 1’46.539, his fastest time of the test so far. Bulega was one of just nine riders to improve their times on the final day. It has overall been an incredibly encouraging test for the Moto3™ Junior World Champion who has demonstrated his high level.
 
Bulega’s SKY Racing Team VR46 teammate, Romano Fenati, managed to maintain his position on top of the time screens thanks to his 1’46.445 from the third session of the second day. The time was still 0.3s off Jack Miller’s best lap at the Jerez circuit, but 0.060s clear of his rivals. With all three of the SKY Racing Team VR46 riders inside the top ten, it appears the Valentino Rossi backed team have hit the ground running in 2016. Of the top ten, five were KTM machines, the Austrian manufacturer aiming to reclaim the rider’s championship in the lightweight class after losing to Honda in 2014 and 2015.
 
Second overall and third on the final day, Jorge Navarro (Estrella Galicia 0,0) was the leading Honda rider on combined times and 0.060s behind Romano Fenati. In all but one session Navarro completed more than 15 laps, the Spaniard focusing more on race pace than a single flying lap across the three days.
 
Thanks to his time on the final day, Bulega slotted into third on the combined times and finished 0.011s ahead of his fellow VR46 Academy Rider Niccolo Antonelli (Ongetta-Rivacold). As one of the more experienced riders in the class, Antonelli has his sights set on the championship in 2016 and was towards the top of all the sessions at the Jerez test.
 
Along with Bulega, Brad Binder was another to improve his time on the final day. The Red Bull KTM Ajo rider led the second session on Friday, his 1’46.618 0.008s faster than his best time from Thursday and good enough for fifth on combined times. Binder is still hunting his first win in the lightweight class after coming tantalisingly close on multiple occasions in previous years.
 
Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing Moto3), Joan Mir (Leopard Racing), Livio Loi (RW Racing GP), Jorge Martin (Aspar Mahindra Team) and Andrea Migno (Sky Racing Team VR46) rounded out the top ten as the first official test ended in Jerez.
 
Joan Mir (Leopard Racing) was another rookie who impressed on the final day, putting his KTM third on Friday and seventh on the combined times.
 
Both Mahindra and Peugeot have been experimenting with winglets throughout the three-day test. While they are a popular addition to bikes in the premiere class, Mahindra and Peugeot are the first to implement them in Moto3™. As 2016 sees Mahindra introduce a heavily revised MGP3O, it is near impossible to tell if the winglets have had a drastic effect on the bike’s performance.
 
The intermediate and lightweight classes will have one final test at Qatar from the 11thto 13th of March before the 2016 season begins at the same circuit just a few days later.

 
Spanish Axel Pons (49), Swiss Tom Luthi (12), Italians Nicolò Bulega (8) and Romano Fenati (5) and British Sam Lowes (22) have been on top this week during the first official Test in Jerez.
Preparations in full swing for Moto2 and Moto3

Preparations in full swing for Moto2 and Moto3

02/03/2016, International, Motorcycling, Moto GP, Article # 16769281
 

Moto2-Moto3 Official Test Jerez Preview

Tuesday, 01 March 2016

Preparations in full swing for
Moto2 and Moto3


Jerez will host the first official test for the Moto2™ and Moto3™ World Championship riders of 2016 as the MotoGP™ riders head to Qatar.
 

Although there have been a smattering of private tests already in 2016, the Jerez test from the second to fourth of March will be the first official outing for all teams. Not only will this allow the teams and riders to judge themselves against their closest rivals on the same track, at the same time and with the same conditions, but it will also ensure that all engines in the Moto2™ class are of the same specification.

From the various private tests it appears as though Johann Zarco is once again the man to beat, the 2015 Moto2™ World Champion showing well during private testing in Valencia. Sam Lowes and Takaaki Nakagami look set to challenge the Frenchman for his crown, both under the pole position record at a recent private test in Jerez. Paginas Amarillas HP 40 rider Alex Rins is yet another title favourite but has had highly limited private testing time, eager to get on the 2016 Kalex and get to work.
 
While out testing in Jerez earlier, Alex Marquez suffered a broken left wrist but will ride at the test.
 
The Moto2™ field will again be filled with Kalex machines as 26 line up on the grid, teams hoping to emulate the success of Stefan Bradl, Tito Rabat, Pol Espargaro and Johann Zarco. There will again be three Speed Up bikes with Simone Corsi taking over for Lowes in the factory team. Corsi has also shown well in testing, topping the timing screens of the most recent private test in Jerez and already improving his pace compared to 2015. Meanwhile Tech 3 continue their adventure as a manufacturer, bringing two rookies into the fold in the form of Xavi Vierge and Isaac Viñales.
 
With both Danny Kent and Miguel Oliveira having taken the step up to the Moto2™ World Championship, a number of young riders are now out for glory in Moto3™. Along with ten new riders in the class, Leopard Racing changes from Honda machinery to KTM as they aim for back-to-back championships. Going the other direction, Drive M7 SIC Racing Team move onto Honda bikes having previously run KTM machinery.
 
The Jerez test will also be the first official run out on track for the new Mahindra MGP30 machine, joined by the Peugeot bike of Peugeot SAXOPRINT RTG for the first time. The new Peugeot machine is based off the Mahindra, a similar relationship as to the one between KTM and Husqvarna in 2015.  Mapfre Team Mahindra and Peugeot SAXOPRINT RTG have already run their new bikes on track in Jerez with all riders feeling positive about the improvements.
 
Pace setters during private testing for the lightweight class have included Brad Binder, Romano Fenati, both now veterans of the class, and Jorge Navarro. As 2015 proved, anything can happen once a group of ten young riders lock together. This Jerez test will be important for any riders wishing to emulate Danny Kent’s 2015 start; as the Brit proved a good bike setting can allow a rider to break away at the front and avoid incidents.
 
Maria Herrera will also be present at the test, her participation in the 2016 World Championship in doubt for several weeks but now officially confirmed.
 
Testing begins at 10:00 Local Time on March second with Moto2™ and Moto3™ each alternating hours on track. Be sure to check back in on motogp.com throughout the three days for continual updates and news.
 
After the test, the Moto2™ and Moto3™ teams will head to Qatar for their final three days of testing from the 11th to 13th of March before the first race of 2016 at the same circuit on the 20th of March.


 
Bagnaia and Martín sign off in the points

Bagnaia and Martín sign off in the points

09/11/2015, International, Motorcycling, Moto GP, Article # 14674486

Danny Kent 2015 Moto3 World Champion

Danny Kent 2015 Moto3 World Champion

09/11/2015, International, Motorcycling, Moto GP, Article # 14673572
 

Gran Premio Motul de la Comunitat Valenciana

Sunday November 25th 2015

Danny Kent
2015 Moto3 World Champion

Danny Kent celebrates with the Union Jack
Danny Kent in the podium
Britain’s Danny Kent took victories by margins never thought possible in the class, but had to fight hard till the end to be crowned king.

Since first debuting in the World Championship in 2010 at the British GP, Danny Kent has worked tirelessly to achieve what many only dream of: becoming a World Champion. Until 2015, Kent had worked primarily with the acclaimed Ajo squad in the lightweight class, but took a gamble to sign with the newly formed Leopard Racing team in 2015. Throughout testing the pairing looked strong and as one of the most experienced riders in the class all eyes were fixed on Kent.

The Qatar GP was a classic Moto3™ race, a huge group of riders all fighting tooth and claw for victory with positions traded at every corner. The top nine would end the race within a second of each other, Kent ending in third and just 0.142s shy of victory. Kent had shown intent and in Austin would show just how fast he could be.

Round 2 of the 2015 MotoGP™ World Championship saw Kent dominate a Moto3™ race like none had done before in the dry. An incredible 8.5-second lead saw Kent win in Austin, the tight and fierce battles of the lightweight class replaced with a faultless ride from the Brit. The Argentinian GP soon after proved Austin was no fluke, Kent winning by 10.3 seconds and extending his lead in the standings.

Jerez would close the field up once again, Kent beating out the Red Bull KTM Ajo duo of Miguel Oliveira and Brad Binder for the win as the trio avoided last corner drama. Moto3™ rookie Fabio Quartararo left his braking too late, narrowly avoiding Kent and the rest of the field as he ran wide after a near highside at the famous last corner in Jerez.

Disaster struck for Kent in Le Mans, Qualifying saw riders get just two dry laps before the rain fell. Eager to avoid other riders benefitting from his slipstream, as had become a common occurrence, Kent waited to leave the pits but was unable to set a competitive time and the Brit started down in 31st. What followed was truly the ride of a champion, cutting through the field to fourth, his first time off the podium in 2015.

Round 6 in Mugello was another typically close Moto3™ affair, Oliveira out racing Kent to win by just 0.071 seconds. By this stage of the season the Portuguese KTM rider appeared as Kent’s main title rival, but Kent’s advantage was clear. It was back to winning ways for Kent in Barcelona, holding off hard charging Italian Enea Bastianini.

The rest of the Moto3™ field had caught up with Kent’s early season form, battles were close again and Assen was again tight, Kent finishing third with Oliveira first, the championship gap closing slightly. This was followed by a tough weekend in Germany, several crashes limited Kent’s track time but the Leopard Racing rider still secured pole and victory as Oliveira crashed, breaking his wrist ahead of the summer break.

Two tough rounds followed for Kent, Indianapolis saw almost every Moto3™ rider pit to change tyres but Kent’s team struggled and he ended down in 21st as Enea Bastianini claimed sixth and began to rapidly reduce Kent's lead. A red-flagged Czech GP would again see Kent’s lead eaten into, with no new tyres the Brit finished seventh as Bastianini battled to second and confirmed himself as a title contender.

After two difficult races, Kent lusted for success at the British GP and pushed to his maximum despite the abhorrent conditions, rewarding the British fans who braved the rain with a dominating 8.5-second victory. Unfortunately for Kent, the home crowd would boost Bastianini in Misano, the Italian claiming his first win as Kent suffered a penalty for exceeding track limits and ended a distant sixth.

Aragon was a disaster for Kent and Bastianini, both crashing on the last lap and failing to score. Kent headed to Motegi with a mathematical chance of taking the title. Miguel Oliveira, Romano Fenati and Enea Bastianini were all in with a mathematical chance, but a a reduced race in the wet forced Kent to play it safe and wait till the Australian GP. Kent crashed out of the race as Bastianini also fell, Oliveira becoming his only title rival as they went to Sepang. Crossing the line in seventh in Malaysia as Olveiria again won, Kent was forced to wait till Valencia. The Brit needed just two points to secure the tile in the last round, with a ninth place finish Kent was crowned the 2015 Moto3™ World Championship.
 

DANNY KENT: WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP STATISTICS

• Kent is the first British rider to win a grand prix world championship title in any of the solo classes since Barry Sheene won the 500cc title in 1977.
 
• He is the fifth British rider to win the lightweight-class world championship title, joining: Cecil Sandford (125cc – 1952), Bill Ivy (125cc – 1967), Phil Read (125cc – 1968), Dave Simmonds (125cc – 1969).
 
• At the age of 21 years 348 days, Kent is the second youngest ever British rider to win a world championship title; the only British rider to win a title at a younger age is Mike Hailwood who took the 250cc title in 1961 at the age of 21 years 168 days.
 
• Kent took the lead of the championship when he won the second race of the year in Austin and remained the head of the championship table throughout the rest of the season.
 
• During 2015 Kent became the first British rider in any of the grand prix classes to win three successive races since Barry Sheene in the 500cc class in 1977.
 
• Kent has taken six race wins in 2015, the most GP wins in a single season by a British rider since Barry Sheene won six 500cc GP races in 1977.

• Kent has taken seven race wins in 2015, the most GP wins in a single season by a British rider since Dave Simmonds took eight 125cc victories in 1969.

• He has taken seven Moto3 wins in 2015, which equals the record for most Moto3 wins in a single season set by Luis Salom in 2013.
 
 
MAPFRE Team MAHINDRA Moto3 - 11 GP Czech Republic - Race

MAPFRE Team MAHINDRA Moto3 - 11 GP Czech Republic - Race

17/08/2015, International, Motorcycling, Moto GP, Article # 12265733

Navarro, fifth in a tight race at Brno

Navarro, fifth in a tight race at Brno

17/08/2015, International, Motorcycling, Moto GP, Article # 12265678
cabecera
         
 

Czech Republic GP / Race

 

08/16/2015

 
 

Navarro, fifth in a tight race at Brno

 

Estrella Galicia 0,0 rider Jorge Navarro fought for the podium until the last lap of the race at the Czech Republic GP. Quartararo was involved in a crash and was forced to retire.

 
 
 
 
alzamora

Emilio Alzamora
Team manager

 

"Navarro's work has been excellent, this is the kind of race he needs to prepare for next year"

 

"It's been a very positive weekend for our riders because both have worked well and have been very competitive. Jorge Navarro was strong from the first practice and Fabio Quartararo took a big step forward in the qualifying yesterday, so it was a shame that he was involved in a crash in which he had no fault and was unable to conclude the race. He and his crew have worked very well all weekend and it was a shame they didn’t get the reward for the work done.
 

Navarro's work has been excellent, this is the kind of race he needs to prepare for next year, to be in the front group and learn. He fought hard to be on the podium today, so it is clear that the potential is there and for us, this is very important."

 

 

Results

 

Pos. Rider Bike
Time/Gap.1st
1 N. ANTONELLI HONDA
25:56.866
2 E. BASTIANINI HONDA
+0.152
3 B. BINDER KTM
+0.376
4 E. VAZQUEZ HONDA
+0.540
5 J. NAVARRO HONDA
+0.560
6 R. FENATI KTM
+0.821
7 D. KENT HONDA
+1.179
8 M. OLIVEIRA KTM
+1.188
9 J. KORNFEIL KTM
+1.420
.- F. QUARTARARO HONDA No clasificado

 

 

World Standing

 

Pos. Rider
Points
1 Danny KENT
199
2 Enea BASTIANINI
154
3 Romano FENATI
122
4 Miguel OLIVEIRA
111
5 Efren VAZQUEZ
109
6 Brad BINDER
99
7 Niccolo ANTONELLI
94
8 Fabio QUARTARARO
79
9 Isaac VIÑALES
75
10 Jorge NAVARRO
72

 

 

         
Team Estrella Galicia 00

Jorge Navarro
Estrella Galicia 0,0 rider

 
Team Estrella Galicia 00

Fabio Quartararo
Estrella Galicia 0,0 rider

 
Team Estrella Galicia 00

Jorge Navarro 
Estrella Galicia 0,0 rider

         
Fabio
 
 
Fabio  

DNF

 

"I thought it was dangerous to stay on track"
 

"At the beginning of the race the feeling was good because there was no need to rush to get ahead, so it was quiet. When I was knocked off I think I was in tenth, but there were still seven laps to go and my strategy was to stay in the group and attack later, but it was not be. I was struck from behind and, although my intention was to stay in the race after three laps I saw that it was almost impossible to ride because I had the handlebar up too high and the brake and footrest were broken. So I thought it was dangerous to stay on track because in the case of heavy braking the handlebar was so high and I could have hurt myself."

 
Fabio
 
 
jorge  

5th, +0.560s

 

"We were ready to fight in the race and that’s what we did. This type of racing is where you gain most experience"
 

"It was a hard-fought race. We were doing a great job from the start on Friday, so we were prepared to fight in the race and that’s what we did. We were in front, although there were times when I was a little behind because I had many incidents with other riders, but I gave my best and I fought like a beast. This type of racing is where you gain most experience, especially in the group, so it helped me to get more racing knowledge. For now, we continue to learn and improve, but when you see the podium so close it’s frustrating to finish in fifth position because you think maybe I could've got it on the last corner. Still, the result tastes good because the progression we are making is solid. Since Mugello we are doing a good job and are already noticing results. Now we have to keep going."

 
 
     
 
Team Estrella Galicia 00
MAPFRE Team MAHINDRA Moto3 - 11 GP Czech Republic - QP

MAPFRE Team MAHINDRA Moto3 - 11 GP Czech Republic - QP

16/08/2015, International, Motorcycling, Moto GP, Article # 12242104

Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 riders close to pole at Brno

Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 riders close to pole at Brno

16/08/2015, International, Motorcycling, Moto GP, Article # 12241438
 
cabecera
         
 

Czech Republic GP / QP

 

08/15/2015

 
 

Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 riders close to pole at Brno

 

A step forward for Jorge Navarro and Fabio Quartararo, who staged a great fight for pole and will start tomorrow’s race from the first and second rows, respectively.

 

At the former Honda test track the Estrella Galicia 0,0 riders and their rivals took part in FP3 and QP on Saturday at the 11th round of the World Championship. Navarro and Quartararo did an excellent job and jumped up the timesheets, improving their times with each lap of the Czech circuit.
 

Already in the morning free practice, the Frenchman demonstrated his progress, stopping the clock at 2’07.971s, a time which put him a second behind the experienced Briton Danny Kent. The pair were the only two riders to breach the 2’08 mark. Meanwhile Quartararo’s teammate Navarro finished sixth, improving his best time by half a second from yesterday.
 

In the afternoon QP run the young Emilio Alzamora-coached duo, along with their technical crews, achieved an optimal set-up for their Hondas allowing them to set a rapid pace at a circuit where the power of the bike is very important, especially at corners 11 and 12 where the track goes uphill. However, despite the technical difficulties of the track, the Estrella Galicia 0,0 pair showed their potential and achieved two decent positions on the grid.
 

After the positive work done today, Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 will strive to achieve the best possible results in the race at the Czech Republic Grand Prix, which commences on Sunday morning at 11am Spanish time.
 

 

Qualifying Classification

 
Pos. Rider Bike Time
Gap. 1st
1 N. ANTONELLI HONDA 2:07.667
 
2 D. KENT HONDA 2:07.669
+0.002
3 J. NAVARRO HONDA 2:07.700
+0.033
4 F. QUARTARARO HONDA 2:07.815
+0.148
5 A. MASBOU HONDA 2:07.886
+0.219
6 B. BINDER KTM 2:08.115
+0.448
7 K. HANIKA KTM 2:08.116
+0.449
8 E. VAZQUEZ HONDA 2:08.283
+0.616
9 J. MARTÍN MAHINDRA 2:08.322
+0.655
10 J. MCPHEE HONDA 2:08.420
+0.753

 

 
 
 
         
Team Estrella Galicia 00

Fabio Quartararo
Estrella Galicia 0,0 rider

 
Team Estrella Galicia 00

Jorge Navarro
Estrella Galicia 0,0 rider

 
Team Estrella Galicia 00

Jorge Navarro
Estrella Galicia 0,0 rider

         
Fabio
 
 
Fabio  

4th, 2’07.815, 30 laps, 162 km

 

"In free practice today I managed to set a 2’07 lap"
 

"The positive thing today was that I found things much better from the first lap in the morning, thanks to some new settings that we tried on the bike. Yesterday it was hard to get under 2’10 and in free practice today, I managed to set a 2’07 lap. I managed set a good pace which I was able to maintain it in the afternoon, even though the track conditions were worse. In the qualifying we did a good lap, but I got caught up in traffic and I had to drop off, so I lost the slipstream I had for the straight and I couldn’t corner the way I wanted. All this made me lose more than two tenths. I hope to get pole at the next round, but for now the important thing is that we have very good pace for tomorrow's race."

 
Fabio
 
 
jorge  

3rd, 2’07.700, 30 laps, 162 km

 

"I made an almost perfect lap, but it was a pity that in the last sector I found a lot of traffic"
 

"It was a complicated QP. At this circuit we all know that the slipstreaming is very important, but there was a lot of traffic on track. We came out with a new tyre, though not with the qualities that I like, but then eventually I got comfortable. After the pit stop I had a scare, so I focused on finding my own pace rather than the fast lap. In the last run I made an almost perfect lap, but it was a pity that in the last sector I found a lot of traffic. Riders were waiting for a tow and on the last three corners I was continuously dodging people. Still, I'm very happy because we’ve had a very good weekend, improving in each session. Above all we have good pace for the race. I’m sure it will be hard, in the heat and in a group. However, I think we're ready and I hope to make a good race."

 
 
 
Team Estrella Galicia 00
MAPFRE Team MAHINDRA Moto3 - 11 GP Czech Republic - FP

MAPFRE Team MAHINDRA Moto3 - 11 GP Czech Republic - FP

15/08/2015, International, Motorcycling, Moto GP, Article # 12213102

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