MotoGP

Star InactiveStar InactiveStar InactiveStar InactiveStar Inactive

suzuki's Andrea Iannone has had a more difficult season in 2017, but after a stunning P4 in the wet at Motegi, the Australian GP saw the ‘Maniac’ back at the front once again – as part of the incredible fight for the win and the podium.

“I’m very happy about the race,” says the Italian. “I think MotoGP is a bit different when I stay in front, I don’t know why! Maybe my riding style and I try my best in every lap! When I see the potential I give 100%. But I think this result is important for us.”

Iannone has now scored the third most points of anyone in the last two races, behind only title challengers Andrea Dovizioso and Marc Marquez.

And although he came home just off the podium as he struggled with grip and fell victim to a last corner attack by Cal Crutchlow, Iannone says the result makes for a good restart for the Hamamatsu factory.

“I’d prefer to be on the podium because that’s what I was fighting for,” continues the Italian.

“But at the end on the last three laps I had a lot of spinning and sliding and it was hard to manage. I tried my best but at the end Cal overtook me at the last corner…I’d completely destroyed the tyres. But I think it was a good point to restart from, and I think it’s good motivation for 2018.”

Next up is Malaysia, where Iannone expects to struggle a little more – but was fast in winter testing.

source: motogp.com

MotoGP

Star InactiveStar InactiveStar InactiveStar InactiveStar Inactive

Yamaha Tech 3's Johann Zarco needed to take a top six finish at Phillip Island to confirm the title Rookie of the Year, and the Frenchman did that with ease as he took fourth – but the battle was far from easy. It was, however, spectacular.

“It was an amazing race today in Australia and I am so happy that I could fight for the victory,” says the French rookie.

“Marquez broke away at the end, yet I still managed to lead the Grand Prix. After the tricky start, where I had to close the throttle to avoid touching someone, I lost a lot of positions. However, I was strong and I then overtook many riders and it was an amazing feeling.”

Leading the race, fighting with Marc Marquez, Andrea Iannone, Valentino Rossi and Maverick Viñales for the podium and pulling off one of the most incredible moves of the race – around the outside at Turn 1 – it came down to a three-way Yamaha war for the podium.

“I had some moments on the track that I thought I would never live in my life so it was very good to take this experience,” says Zarco.

“I could also analyse my rivals and see how they were so fast. On the last lap, I was running in 3rd and trying to get 2nd, and I attempted to overtake Rossi at the final corner on the acceleration."

"I changed my line to pass him and instead of 2nd, I finished 4th. It's a big shame to miss out on the podium but I need to enjoy what I achieved today."

It was only thousandths that kept the Frenchman away from that rostrum finish, but he’ll be pushing for the same once more in Malaysia and arrives confirmed as Rookie as the Year, top Independent Team rider Down Under and in the fight for that honour in the overall standings this season.

MotoGP

Star InactiveStar InactiveStar InactiveStar InactiveStar Inactive

Ducati rider Andrea Dovizioso had a tough day at the office in Australia.

Qualifying in P11 and then making an early mistake at Turn 1 after having moved forward, the Italian was dropped down to P20 and from there was forced to mount a serious fight back.

With title rival Marc Marquez winning the race after a brawl at the front, it left ‘DesmoDovi’ 33 points behind in the standings.

“The race was a big disappointment and we really lost a lot of points in the championship,” says the Italian.

“For sure my mistake in the early stages of the race complicated things and maybe even the choice of rear tyre was not the best one, but on this track our bike is still struggling a lot.”

At Phillip Island, the highest placed Ducati rider was 11th in qualifying – Dovizioso – and 11th in the race; Scott Redding, as the Brit passed both Dovizioso and Dani Pedrosa on the drag to the line. After a stunning season at the majority of venues, Dovizioso explains the difficulties for the marque Down Under:

“This year we’ve managed to improve many aspects and be competitive throughout the season, but when you come to tracks like this, where you don’t brake very much and where there are lots of long fast corners, some of our limits are magnified: in fact here at Phillip Island none of the Ducatis were very quick."

"Pity, because at this point of the season it would have been better to be closer to Marquez in the standings, but now we have to think of Malaysia, where quite simply we’ll have to give it our all.”

There is one ace up the Italian’s sleeve as the grid head for Kuala Lumpur, with the weather always a complicator – and good memories from Dovizioso’s first win since 2009, achieved last season, sure to be at the forefront of his mind.

MotoGP

Star InactiveStar InactiveStar InactiveStar InactiveStar Inactive

Nine-time World Champion Valentino Rossi is a well-qualified voice when it comes to talking racing.

After the incredible, no-holds-barred Australian GP - 27 laps of war - the rider from Tavullia shared his thoughts on the battle of the season, or decade...or, just maybe, one of the greatest of them all.

"They were very aggressive...the level of aggression and contact during the race…" began the Italian.

“In the last few years, the level of aggression during races has raised a lot, especially with the young riders coming from Moto2."

"You either get angry or not, but that doesn’t change anything. That’s the game, if you want to play it’s like that. It’s a bit more dangerous but that’s the game and if you don’t want it, you should stay at home.”

One particular moment tested the theory that rubbing is racing to the limit – an encounter between Rossi and Marc Marquez: "I saw a tyre appear in very little space and I was very curious who it was,” smiles the Italian.

“I knew it was Zarco, Iannone or Marquez...the tyre rolled on my shoulder.”

With eight riders battling at the front, then four, and then a three-way fight for second, it was attack or be attacked. Rossi, like the others in the group, knew that well – and was pushing to try and follow Marquez at the front.

"I had good pace but I had to fight with Zarco and then Iannone arrived, two of the worst to fight against,” explains the Yamaha rider.

“I remembered the hard fight with Iannone in 2015 and he beat me on the last lap, so I tried the maximum with Zarco like that! I think I had the pace to go with Marquez, but just when I thought I was in the perfect position, Iannone arrived like crazy at the hairpin and Marquez could go.”

It wasn’t to be as the fuse on the fight for the podium was lit once more, but Rossi says he enjoyed the race a lot – and that the podium was much more than simply twenty points.

“I’m so happy because I was competitive,” smiles the Italian. “I’ve had a difficult period coming back from a broken leg. It’s been difficult personally and when you have an injury like this, you have to work a lot and it’s not easy. It’s also important for Yamaha and all our team. It was an amazing race. A classic Phillip Island race. I enjoyed it a lot.”

Finally, one quote from the number 46 in parc ferme summed up a more humourous take on the race:

“All the riders in front were so aggressive, so you need to be even more stupid than them!"

 

         

 

 

Search