Category: Moto3

The 2017 Moto3 season promises to be as frantic and energetic as ever and with the mix of the last year’s rookies, this year’s rookies and lightweight class veterans, who’d bet on a championship that will go down to Valencia once again. 18 rounds, 13 countries, 31 riders but only one world champion and the chance to make history, this could be the best Moto3 season we’ve ever seen.

Let’s start with the veterans. Romano Fenati returns to the series after being sacked out of the VR46 Riders Academy set-up. The Italian, with seven wins, is now the most successful rider in the field. He returns with the Marinelli Rivacold team; the team have been in Moto3 for some time now, with three wins under their belt with Niccolo Antonelli.

Antonelli in-turn joins reigning champions Red Bull Ajo KTM, in search of a proper title challenge. The Italian has ridden the KTM before, back in 2014 for Gresini. Three race wins might look good on paper but he’s been in the class since 2012, so this time it must be a top three performance if he is to come up through the GP paddock.

Enea Bastianini has also relocated and is in the Estrella Galicia Marc VDS team. This will be the first time in his career that he has changed team so it may take him some time to adapt to his new surroundings. However, he joins a team who took the Moto3 title in 2014, so maybe that’s the experience the Italian needs to propel him to a championship title. Two wins suggest room for improvement for ‘Bestia’.

Grand Prix winner and sole Belgian rider, Livio Loi has the weight of Belgium on his shoulders for 2017. After not quite living up to potential last season, with just a best of 5th in Australia, you get the feeling that this year must be Loi’s year. He finds himself in the 2015 championship winning team, the Leopard Team – although the actual team is totally different to Stefan Kiefer’s title winning 2015 squad.

John McPhee has been one of the unluckiest riders in Moto3. Bike issues, wrong team – wrong time situations and just bad luck when it mattered, the Scot finally finds himself in a team that looks like it could be his magic key to success. Set up by Dorna, the British Talent Team is centred around McPhee – the only Brit in Moto3 this season. Hopefully BT will get some stickers on the bike too, to help with financial situations. A winner in Brno last season, McPhee is fully recovered from horrific injuries sustained at the Australian Grand Prix last year and ready to get properly stuck in.

Jorge Martin joined the paddock in 2015, with a whole year of solid results. In 2016, he finished 16th in the title and took a 2nd place in Brno. Now, he joins a team that is more than established in the class with Gresini Racing and on a bike that is more than established in winning, with Honda. Martin has been one of the fastest riders through testing and could be on for his first win at some point during the season.

I feel a bit conflicted on calling Andrea Migno a veteran but the 21-year-old from Cattolica has been around for a few years now. Entering his 3rd season with the Sky VR46 Team, Migno showed us what he is capable of last year, with two 3rd places at Assen and then Valencia but the win still eludes him. Or will it…

Phillip Oettl is back in 2017, with the same team as last season – the Schedl KTM squad. The pole-sitter from the Americas Grand Prix will be looking for his 2017 to feature a few more podiums, having not cracked open the champagne at all last year. A great ride at the Red Bull Ring however does reinforce his potential and give us journos and fans a great outlook on the season ahead.

Jakub Kornfeil is the only rider in the whole field who has started every single Moto3 race since its introduction in 2012. He took one podium on his way to 8th overall last season, but this year sees him change team once more. The Czech rider moves over to the Saxoprint team, riding the Peugeot. Whether he can take the bike to the heights that McPhee took it to last year is still unknown but Kornfeil will be wanting to check in rather than Czech out…

Last year’s rookies though will be fast from the off though and many are thinking that 2017 will go to one of the new boys from yesteryear. One of them former rookies is Niccolo Bulega. The 2015 CEV Moto3 champion has been topping timesheets all the way through testing and comes into 2017 as one of the favourites. His podium at Jerez was massively impressive and who better than Valentino Rossi to help you out?

Fellow Italian Fabio Di Giannantonio stunned all of us last season, coming through from nowhere in Mugello to take his first points and 2nd place, triggering a string of 10 top-10 placings – with two more podiums along the way. Fabio will be desperate for his first win in Moto3 and will be wanting to win the title at the 2nd time of asking. However, he’s one of a string of riders who believe the same after successes last season. He stays with Gresini Racing in 2017 but changes his number from #4 to #21.

One of them riders is Austrian GP winner, Joan Mir, who stays with the Leopard Racing but makes the switch from KTM to Honda. Mir, like Di Giannantonio, took three podiums last season and finished top rookie, a considerable way back from runaway series winner Brad Binder but only 33 points from 2nd place. Mir will be looking to add to his win tally this year.

Aron Canet is another rider searching for a win this season; the Spaniard took his first podium towards the end of the season at the Australian GP, with a third place. He crashed out of a podium placing at the Argentine GP so he has bags of potential and being a part of the Estrella Galicia Marc VDS team alongside Bastianini, experience from all around him will rub off on his form throughout the year.

Bo Bendsneyder stays in the Red Bull Ajo KTM set up for 2017, joined by Antonelli who replaces Binder. The tall Dutchman took two podiums on his way to 14th in the season overall: one in Great Britain and one in Malaysia – both of which were 3rd places. He will be looking to become the first Dutchman to win a race since Hans Spaan won at Brno in the 125cc class at Brno.

Don’t forget though, there are some incredibly quick rookies in 2017, including three Asian riders. Ayumu Sasaki is a bit of a character and he’s on the Sepang International Circuit Honda. He partners last year’s rookie, Malaysian rider, Adam Norrodin.

In the Idemitsu Honda Team it’s all change again, as the other two Asian rookies jump in. Japanese sensation Kaito Toba graduates from the CEV championship into Moto3 to join Tadayuki Okada’s wonderfully decked-out outfit. His teammate is Thai rider, Nakarin Atiratphuvapat. No, your screen has not decided to go all weird, that is his surname. Try saying it after a few pints of Thailand’s finest Singha or a few cans of the local Chang. ANYWAY, he’s incredibly quick and shone particularly well at Catalunya in the CEV. Keep your eyes peeled.

Tony Arbolino steps up to the Moto3 category, with the SIC58 team, a set-up which is run by Paolo Simoncelli, Marco’s father. Yes, he sounds like a character from The Sopranos or an associate of Ronnie and Reggie Kray but he is actually quite quick, having finished 6th in the Jerez test. It really is a wonderful tribute to Marco, who would be proud of what Italy has achieved since his passing and just how influential he was and still is in the paddock. Arbolino’s joined by Tatsuki Suzuki, who has a best finish of 10th, although that is from 2015 at Silverstone.

There are other riders too, such as Gabriele Rodrigo. The Argentine topped the crash list for Moto3 last year and will be looking to top the podium instead in 2017. Juanfran Guevara also returns, teaming up with the Argentine once again in the RBA team, who have team shirts like Myanmar budget airline, Air KBZ.

Young 16-year-old Patrik Pulkkinen joins the championship after having two seasons in the Red Bull Rookies cup. He has won the Moriwaki Junior Championship and has good pace, although it may take time to be recognised. His move underpins Dorna’s support for Finnish interaction, with the addition of the Kymi Ring in 2018 and new television rights with MTV in Finland for this season. And with Aki Ajo already in the paddock, Finland is becoming a more prominent force in the world of bikes.

Marco Bezzecchi returns to the paddock after his previous races, joining the CIP Technomag Mahindra team. Adam Norrodin is back too; the Malaysian remaining in the Sepang International Circuit team. Darryn Binder is also back, on the Platinum Bay Real Estate bike – the team switching from Mahindra to KTM. Marcos Ramirez is also in the championship, joining Darryn in the Platinum Bay outfit, with a best result of 6th at the Malaysian GP last season. Lorenzo Dalla Porta returns, under the VR46 umbrella but in the Aspar team along with Albert Arenas, starting his first full season. Jules Danilo is alongside Romano Fenati in the Marinelli Rivacold garage, whilst Manuel Pagliani enters the championship as third bike at the CIP Mahindra team, after winning two CIV Italian Moto3 championships. Appearances in the CEV series, Red Bull Rookies, European Superstock 600 and World Moto3 all add to the 20-year-old’s potential. The AGR team make their Moto3 debut with MotoGP’s only female, Maria Herrera, who will want to score more points and crack the top 10 on a regular basis.

Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

The Team Del Conca Gresini Moto3 officially launched his 2017 challenge today inside the Gresini Racing headquarters in Faenza, Italy. Riders Fabio Di Giannantonio and Jorge Martin, joined on the stage by the Mularoni family and by team manager Fausto Gresini, took the covers off their two Honda NSF250RW machines with which they will be taking part at the 2017 Moto3 World Championship.

Team Del Conca Gresini Moto3 is approaching the 2017 Championship with a pair of riders with great ambitions: last year, in his debut season on the World stage, Fabio Di Giannantonio has quickly become one of the top players of the Championship, showing an incredible growth. Since his sensational first podium finish, the second place last May at Mugello, the 18-year-old Italian rider has in fact been able to fight constantly at the top, surprisingly closing the overall standings in sixth place and just missing out the “Rookie of the Year” trophy. Next to “Diggia” there will be 19-year-old Spaniard Jorge Martin, another young talented rider and potential protagonist of the upcoming season.

“Today we are particularly excited and happy – explains Davide Mularoni, CEO of Ceramica Del Conca S.p.A. – Because we realize a dream of our family, and especially of my father. Last year he was here on this stage to take the covers off the bikes, proud and enthusiastic. Today we are here to carry on his most ambitious sponsorship project: giving the name of our company to the Gresini Racing’s Moto3 team. It’s important to underline, however, that even though our dreams are related to passion, we never forget that our actions must represent a benefit for all the Company, with a big respect for those who work with us and who depends on our choices”.

“Del Conca partnerships – continues Paolo Mularoni, Chairman of Ceramica Faetano S.p.A. – always originate taking a close eye on our stakeholders and in particular on customers and potential customers, on their tastes and interests. We think that bringing them into the magical world of MotoGP can change the relationship with them, strengthening human relations and promoting team building and training activities, looking to a common growth. For us the customer is a real VIP, therefore we want to create for him special and prestigious events, but especially unique like the access to the MotoGP paddock and the team garage”.

The first test of the year for the Team Del Conca Gresini Moto3 is scheduled for 8 and 9 February at the Ricardo Tormo circuit in Valencia, Spain.

Fabio Di Giannantonio: We will try to fight for something important

“Last year I faced my first season in the World Championship with the Gresini Moto3 team and I enjoyed it a lot, growing and collecting a lot of experience. Now we are ready to restart together for the 2017 season and undoubtedly our target is to do very well. We will try to make every race a good race, try to fight for something important! Today we took the covers off my new bike and what I can say now, waiting to get back on track at the Valencia test scheduled in a few days, is that it’s really beautiful! I particularly like the new livery as it’s at the same time aggressive and elegant, with many white areas: I believe we can do great things together! In the tests carried out last November we could try some changes to the bike that we liked; now, in the upcoming test we will continue to work to try to get prepared in the best possible way to the opening round. We are ready and excited for this new challenge!”.

Jorge Martin: We can fight for the top positions

“Today kicks off a great season for all of us. I trained hard over the winter and now I’m full of energy to get back in action! I’m very pleased to be joining this team, I think we can do a great job together and achieve great results. Now we just wait to get back on track in a few days to return to work, but I’m confident because already last November, in my first outing on the Honda, I felt very comfortable and I was able to be fast right away. The bike is different from the one I rode so far in my career in the World Championship, but I loved it from the first moment. We can still grow and I’m convinced that we can fight for the top positions: it won’t be easy, but we have the potential to do it!”.

Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

The Moto3 rider María Herrera will wear the Argiñano & Ginés Racing Team livery in 2017 in a collaboration that will mean the continuity of the one started this season for the last 5 races. With this agreement, the rider from Oropesa (Toledo-España) in the businessman and chef Karlos Argiñano’s team, and it also means the debut in the smallest category of the World Championship. A new challenge for the team with headquarters in Granollers (Barcelona), which this year achieved the Moto2 European Championship title.

The agreement is valid for one season, 2017, in which María Herrera will have the new material from the Austrian brand KTM to try and improve her times and keep gaining the respect of her male rivals.

María will not compete this weekend in Valencia, as she is recovering from a fracture in her right clavicula she suffered in an unfortunate accident last October 30th at the Sepang circuit when she was fighting to get her best ever result in the World Championship; she run up to 7th. It was the second injury Herrera suffered this year, as she could not compete in Germany due to a wrist fracture she had during the Practice at the Sachsenring.

The Argiñano & Ginés Racing Team will change then its shape for 2017. The team will have one rider in Moto2 (Colombian Yonny Hernández, with Kalex) and a Moto3 rider (Spanish María Herrera, with KTM), and will also continue with the Moto2 Team at the European Championship.

María Herrera: “First, I want to thank Karlos Argiñano for this opportunity. I had quite a lot of trouble this year, as everyone knows, and this chance gives me a lot of motivation. It makes me look forward to 2017, because I know I’ll have the best in the garage. The atmosphere at the AGR is amazing and we’ll do our best to achieve the good results we want “.

Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

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Francesco Bagnaia (Pull&Bear Aspar Mahindra) took his second ever career win at Sepang International Circuit, as he escaped at the front ahead of a demolition derby through the field – with Jakub Kornfeil (Drive M7 SIC Racing Team) taking second for an amazing home result for the SIC team, ahead of another rookie podium for Dutchman Bo Bendsneyder (Red Bull KTM Ajo).

A largely dry track, high ambient temperatures and a full Moto3™ grid characterized the start of the race, before the drama began early and went on to claim almost half the field. There were high rates of attrition on Lap 1, with a first incident at Turn 2 seeing Andrea Migno (Sky Racing Team VR46) losing control of his KTM and making contact with RBA Racing’s Juanfran Guevara to take both out of the race. Ayumu Sasaki, replacing injured Enea Bastianini at Gresini Racing Moto3, was another early casualty as the 2015 SAATC winner and 2016 Red Bull Rookies Champion retired.

There was then a crash at Turn 6 on Lap 1, as Jorge Martin (Pull&Bear Aspar Mahindra) caused a domino effect crash through the racing line on the corner, with Nicolo Bulega (Sky Racing Team VR46), Aron Canet (Estrella Galicia 0,0) and Philipp Oettl (Schedl Racing GP) caught up in the incident.

The next drama saw the lead group suddenly shaken up at Turn 7 – after local hero Adam Norrodin (Drive M7 SIC Racing Team) also fell at the corner – when World Champion Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo), Joan Mir (Leopard Racing), Lorenzo Dalla Porta (Sky Racing Team) and Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing Moto3) all slid out in unbelievable unison – leaving Bagnaia free at the front to build an incredible lead of over three seconds. Binder and Dalla Porta rejoined, but out of the points and lapped.

Jorge Navarro (Estrella Galicia 0,0) then crashed at the final corner, losing out on the chance to haul in absent Bastianini for P2 in the title, as a missed gear at the end of the back straight put paid to his chances at points – leaving the top six in the Championship again unable to score in the Moto3™ race, after a similar situation in Phillip Island one week earlier.

Turn 9 then claimed two casualties as Ongetta-Rivacold teammates Niccolo Antonelli and Jules Danilo crashed out in separate but almost simultaneous incidents, with only Antonelli able to remount and remaining in the points.
At the front, Bagnaia was building his lead over four seconds with 12 laps to go, with Jakub Kornfeil, Bo Bendsneyder and RBA Racing’s Gabriel Rodrigo next on track in the second group. Fabio Quartararo (Leopard Racing) found himself in space on the chase, with World Champion Binder coming back out to rejoin the race after repairs and then sharing the track with the Frenchman.

The battle over sixth saw local hero Khairul Idham Pawi (Honda Team Asia), Andrea Locatelli (Leopard Racing), Maria Herrera (MH6 Team) and Marcos Ramirez (Platinum Bay Real Estate) locked together on track, with Livio Loi (RW Racing GP BV) in tenth but back from the group, fighting to catch up.

After a trip through pitlane, it was the South African World Champion on the move despite being down the order in terms of position, as he passed Quartararo and Rodrigo to unlap himself at least once – his superior pace allowing him the chance – as Frenchman Quartararo started to reel in the podium places.

Lapped Dalla Porta moved over to let the podium fight through, with Bendsneyder taking advantage to take Kornfeil for P2, as Binder did the same to allow Quartararo back past for the chance to continue his charge towards the podium.

A crash for Maria Herrera at Turn 15 in an incident with Livio Loi then prefaced a Red Flag, and with well over two thirds of race distance completed, the results would stand – with the positions determined by standings on Lap 13 as the last full lap completed by the whole field; a dramatic end for a melodrama of a race.

Bagnaia therefore took his second career victory by an incredible margin, free at the front in an impressive, concentrated ride, with Kornfeil taking P2 by virtue of his position on Lap 13, and rookie Bo Bendsneyder completing the podium.

Quartararo was fourth as he lost the laps needed to reel in the podium, with teammate Locatelli further back but completing the top five. Marcos Ramirez took another fantastic haul of points in sixth, with Rodrigo, home hero Pawi and Loi in P7, P8 and P9 respectively, despite an apparent problem for the Belgian by Lap 15 when the flag came out. Darryn Binder was tenth in another impressive ride after his P4 in Australia, completing a double top ten for the Platinum Bay Real Estate team.

The season finale now awaits, as the Circuit de Ricardo Tormo in Valencia gets ready for the Moto3™ grid for the last lights out of 2016.

Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

Shortened race of 10 laps after a Red Flag sees South African World Champion take the honours – ahead of a 16 rider fight for the podium

Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) took a stunning win from pole at Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, clear at the front as chaos reigned the Moto3™ class in a 16-rider battle for P3. Andrea Locatelli (Leopard Racing) followed the South African home in second, with Aron Canet (Estrella Galicia 0,0) taking his first career podium in third after winning the last lap group battle.

After a weekend of rain, wind and grey skies, Sunday finally dawned bright at Phillip Island, and Warm Up saw laptimes lower for the majority after a mixed Saturday – as the skies remained perfect blue above the Moto3™ grid lining up to race.

An original race saw crashes early on for some of the frontrunners – including key protagonists of the Rookie of the Year battle Joan Mir (Leopard Racing) and Nicolo Bulega (Sky Racing Team VR46) – with a crash at Lukey Heights then seeing John McPhee (Peugeot MC Saxoprint) crash out and collect a number of other riders – including Jorge Navarro (Estrella Galicia 0,0) and Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing Moto3). The red flag came out, with a re-started race set for a distance of ten laps.

Bastianini was unable to make the restart, but Navarro lined up once again for the new race – as did Fabio Quartararo, with the Frenchman once again starting form the back after having been disqualified from his P2 qualifying position due to a technical infringement. Having fought up into second before the red flag, the Leopard Racing rider then faced the prospect of doing the task all over again.

The restart saw Binder and Locatelli escaping at the front, before the South African 2016 Moto3™ World Champion began to pull away, leaving Locatelli in a lonely P2. Further back, the battle for third saw riders heading into Doohan Corner eight wide, with the classic Moto3™ freight train creating a 16 rider battle to complete the podium.

Quartararo was unable to repeat his heroics from before the race start, and there were further crashers who then were out of podium contention – including Jorge Navarro after a touch from Bo Bendsneyder (Red Bull KTM Ajo), and Turn 4 casualty Niccolo Antonelli (Ongetta-Rivacold). Brad Binder’s younger brother Darryn (Platinum Bay Real Estate) then saw the penultimate lap of the race become a duel for the podium with Aron Canet as the two broke free from the group slightly. Canet just took the honour with a slipstream over the line, with Darryn Binder nevertheless taking his career best finish in P4.

The top five was completed by Livio Loi (RW Racing BV GP), ahead of Jorge Martin (Pull&Bear Aspar Mahindra) and Darryn Binder’s teammate Marcos Ramirez. Hiroki Ono (Honda Team Asia) and Jules Danilo (Ongetta-Rivacold) were P8 and P9, with Bendsneyder locking out the top ten.

Third down to tenth was covered by just over seven tenths of a second in the incredible battle – with Fabio Quartararo in P12 still within a second of the podium.

With DNFs for so many of those in the top echelons of the points standings, Binder stretched his lead in the Championship – although already crowned Champion – with Bastianini and Navarro not scoring in the fight over P2, and all three riders locked in the battle for Rookie of the Year – Mir, Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing Moto3) and Bulega – were also all unable to see the flag.

Another incredible battle will see Moto3™ take over Sepang International Circuit next weekend, as the slipstream specialists take on the incredible final straight, Turn 15 and main straight combination – with a new track surface and some new cambers.

Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

A crazy race today for the Moto3 at Phillip Island circuit, signed by lots of crashes, incidents and a red flag, at the sixth lap, which obliged riders to a race interruption and a second start. Niccolò Antonelli, starting from the sixth row on the grid, avoided the crashes of the first part of the race but, at the first lap of the second start, lost the front at the corner 4 without any possibility to rejoin the race.Good performance of his teammate Jules Danilo who, after a series of races in the rear, came back to the the top ten. The French rider fought with the group ahead in the second race and crossed the finishing line in ninth position.

Niccolò Antonelli: The tyre was still cold

“The first race wasn’t so bad, I was recovering many positions and the feeling with the bike was good. Then, at the start of the second race, during my first lap, the front closed at corner 4 and I crashed, probably because the tyre was still cold and as I was too large in that corner. It’s a shame but we have to look ahead and think of Malaysia”.

Jules Danilo: Luckily I was not involved in any crashes

“It was a crazy race today, with lots of overtakes and lots of crashes. In the first race I managed to pass many riders in the first two corners and, luckily I was not involved in the crashes of the riders in front of me. In the second race I did a good start and I was trying to catch Rodrigo. Then there was a hard fight with the front group and I did only one mistake, I tried to go in the front of the group too early and I lost too many positions. Anyway, we are happy of the result, finally in the top ten again after some difficult races and the top fifteen of the World Standing is still possible. Thanks to all the team for the great job”.

Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

Gresini Racing Team Moto3 racers Enea Bastianini and Fabio Di Giannantonio were forced to retire in today’s Australian Grand Prix at the Phillip Island circuit: after a great start from the sixth and seventh row of the grid and both already in the leading group after just two laps, the two 18-year-old riders were faultlessly involved in race incidents in which they could not avoid the crash.

Fabio Di Giannantonio, who started down in 19th place and incredibly third at the beginning of the third lap, was touched by Gabriel Rodrigo on the fourth lap: a contact which caused him to lose the front end and led him to crash, involving also Francesco Bagnaia.

The incident that unfortunately took out of the race also Enea Bastianini occurred shortly after, on lap six: the rider from Rimini could not avoid the bike of John McPhee crashed in front of him and he fell, then being hit later by Jorge Navarro’s bike. Later Enea had a CT scan which revealed the presence of a fracture of the T9 vertebra and of one rib: a decision on his participation in the Malaysian Grand Prix will be made in the coming days, after further checks on his physical condition.

Bastianini: I have a crack vertebra

“In the first laps I was able to recover many positions and my the feeling with the bike was good: I felt I had the pace to stay in the leading group. Then, on the sixth lap, McPhee lost the front and fell in front of me and Migno. I could not avoid his bike, I crashed and while I was on the ground Navarro hit me. The checks showed that a vertebra was cracked, so now I just need to get some rest, then in the next days we will see if I can race in Malaysia”.

Di Giannantonio: I think I could get a good result

“It’s a real shame, because I had a perfect start and the first two laps of the race were probably the best of my career! I was able to recover many positions and I found myself in the leading group, then at some point I saw that Binder was starting to push hard, so I tried to overtake Bagnaia at the hairpin. Rodrigo, however, came very fast on the inside: I only saw him on the last moment and I couldn’t do anything to avoid a contact. He touched me, making me lose the front and I crashed, involving Bagnaia. I was doing a great race and I think I could get a good result: I’m very sorry because I really loved this track from the first moment and especially I could collect important points for the Rookie of the Year trophy”.

Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

The riders of the Ongetta Rivacold Racing team, Niccolò Antonelli and Jules Danilo, are ready to face the first of the three consecutive extra-european races, taking place at Twin Ring Motegi, theater of the fifteenth round of the season. The Japanese race will precede Phillip Island (Australia) and Sepang (Malaysia) rounds. The Twin Ring Motegi circuit, built by Honda, is 4.8 km long and has 14 corners, 6 left and 8 right. Last year, on a wet track, Niccolò Antonelli got his second win in career and, with his 25 points, gave Honda the constructor title, which was missing since 2001.

Niccolò Antonelli: I eally like Motegi

“The Twin Ring of Motegi is a track I really like, last year I got my second win here. It will be important to work well and turn a lot. In the first sessions I will do as many laps as possible alone in order to find a good pace and be ready for the race”.

Jules Danilo:I am sure we can do a good race

“After a couple of weeks of hard training with the bike I am looking forward to start turning here in Japan, on a track I really like. We know how to solve the problems we had in the last few races so, if we start working well at the beginning of the weekend, I am sure we can do a good race. In the last four rounds I didn’t get the results I hoped so I want to come back soon in the top fifteen in the Championship classification”.

Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

MotorLand Aragon hosts this weekend round 14 of the 2016 Moto3 World Championship: after having narrowly missed out on victory with Enea Bastianini and collecting another positive Top Ten finish with Fabio Di Giannantonio at Misano, the Gresini Racing Team Moto3 arrives in Spain confident to get another good result.

Bastianini, in particular, is going through a period of great form and he’s keen to attack Championship leader Brad Binder and try to get a win, which he missed out at Misano for just a few tenths under the checkered flag. The 18-year-old rider from Rimini, now second in the overall standings, enjoyed a great race at Aragon in 2015, setting the pole position with the new track record and fighting in the leading group until the final corners, when a contact with Binder led him to crash.

Aragon promises to be a favorable track also for Fabio Di Giannantonio: the 17-year-old rookie from Rome got the last of his three victories last year in the MotoGP Rookies Cup on the Spanish track. Always in the Top Ten in the last eight races, “Diggia” will try to bring home other important points in the fight for the “Rookie of the Year” trophy, in which he is opposed to Nicolò Bulega and Joan Mir.

Bastianini: I’ve always liked Aragon

“Aragon is a track I’ve always liked a lot and last year we have been very competitive: after starting from pole position, I was fighting for the win on the final lap, when unfortunately I made a mistake touching Binder and crashing. This year we will try to be fast right from the start of the weekend, as it’s happening lately, in order to work well and get prepared for the race. Binder has a great advantage in the standings, but we still try to attack and we won’t give up until the math keeps us in the game!”.

Di Giannantonio: I expected better in Misano

“Honestly I was expecting to get a better result at Misano, although all in all we again hit the target to enter the top ten. Aragon is a track that I quite like and I know very well, having raced there for two seasons in the MotoGP Rookies Cup. Therefore we head to Spain ready to have fun and to do our best to get a good result!”.

Kiko Giles