Calendar & Results
GP 13 : Indianapolis GP
The Motorcycling World Championship started off this weekend with a new scenario, the famous Indianapolis circuit, a track that is held inside a complex dedicated entirely to the motor, where Marc Márquez once again proved his immense quality. But the “Indy” debut had another unexpected protagonist: hurricane Ike. This metrological phenomenon that has beating down on great part of the United States for more than a week, irrupted at this awaited date marking the GP’s debut as complicated. So much so that the 250cc race had to be suspended. So Julito Simón wasn’t able to try Indianapolis out. He had finished tenth in the official practices and had all his hopes set on a race in which he believed he could achieve a great result. This left the 125cc riders as the only Haulotte representatives in the GP. Well, Tito Rabat, only during the first couple of laps, the time it took for his bike to be crashed into from behind, leaving him out of the race.
MÁRQUEZ NEVER FAILS
To reach the World Championship with no previous experience, and on top of it having to do so missing out on two races due to an injury, is a burden that few debutants overcome. But not in Marc Marquez’s case. GP after GP, the Haulotte rider continues to show up at the head in every race, fighting against the most experienced men of the category. Friday at Indianapolis was hard for everyone. A new circuit, a track with a few asphalt problems and rain. Besides for all this, Márquez recovered from a crash during the free practice in the morning and got into fifth place during the first official of the GP. “The first practices went quite well. Although in the morning I had to make an effort. I crashed but it wasn’t anything important. When I went out into the track in the afternoon I was able to ride more comfortably and keep up a good pace. I was pleased with how things had turned out. I felt it was a very technical circuit and I liked it, even though it was a pity that the first part of the asphalt didn’t drain any water, and with rain like there was on Friday, everything was harder.” Luckily for the 125cc riders, the water gave Indianapolis a rest on Saturday. Although this made them have to start from zero on a dry track on Saturday. Marc started off the day very well, and later was able to get into 13th place at the starting grid. ”It was a complicated day, since no one had a good set up and some riders were able to get a better tuning before others. For me things went average, although looking onto Sunday things could improve quite a bit. The objective was to do the best possible and to try an finish amongst the first ten.” And Márquez, once again, was true to his promise. As always, he had a great start, which let him get into the group that finally would fight for third place. Also, it was the group where the three strongest men of the general classification were in: Mike Di Meglio, Gabor Talmacsi y Simone Corsi. The Haulotte rider finally managed to overcome the three of them. Proving his courage, as always, in the group fights, Márquez managed a great sixth place that could have been even more, if it hadn’t been necessary to shorten a race that until then had been respected by the water.”The day was complicated because it rained, then it stopped, and no one knew what could happen. But, even so, I was able to make a great race. During Saturday’s practice we did a good job and I got to Sunday with a good set up. My only problems were that I needed was a little more engine and that the group was pretty aggressive. During the last rounds, while it was raining, I tried to take the lead, but I was unable. Even so, sixth place is ok.”
TITO’S BAD LUCK
Tito Rabat’s weekend was a hard one. On Friday he took a while to feel comfortable on the American circuit because of the rain. This placed him in a temporary twentieth place at the starting grid. “I liked the circuit a lot. In the morning things didn’t go too badly, but in the afternoon I had a problem with the motor and I had to go into the box. I had to stop for many minutes, and when I got back on track I only had time for two more laps. Bearing in mind the conditions of the track and this setback, I couldn’t have done things any better, also because I met up with another rider that slowed me down in the last lap.” Rabat didn’t lose hope to make up for this on Saturday, more so because he saw that the rain was respecting the riders this day. But again another stroke of bad luck made the Haulotte rider lose hope. He crashed at the beginning of the official practice forcing him back to the box, where he discovered that his KTM had suffered serious injuries. This is something difficult to resolve in the 125cc category because riders have very little time for practice. “The day didn’t start off badly, but in the afternoon I suffered a crash and I broke both my front and rear brakes. We were able to fix the front one, but not the rear, so I was riding with only one brake. Therefore I wasn’t able to compensate the bike’s weight and so the steering kept closing down on me. I did what I could. I knew that I would have to make a big effort on Sunday.” In 21st place at the starting grid, Tito was concentrated with the start and was able to overtake various positions. The race was looking good, up to the second lap, when another rider crashed into him from behind destroying his Indianapolis debut. “It was a pity because it hadn’t turned out so badly, but in the second round they crashed into me from behind and I flew out. It was in corner seven, in the first chicane…I can’t say anymore. It has been very disappointing.”
The World Championship will continue it’s voyage outside of Europe. The next stop is in Japan, in the Motegi circuit, headquarters of the all-powerful Honda.
MÁRQUEZ NEVER FAILS
To reach the World Championship with no previous experience, and on top of it having to do so missing out on two races due to an injury, is a burden that few debutants overcome. But not in Marc Marquez’s case. GP after GP, the Haulotte rider continues to show up at the head in every race, fighting against the most experienced men of the category. Friday at Indianapolis was hard for everyone. A new circuit, a track with a few asphalt problems and rain. Besides for all this, Márquez recovered from a crash during the free practice in the morning and got into fifth place during the first official of the GP. “The first practices went quite well. Although in the morning I had to make an effort. I crashed but it wasn’t anything important. When I went out into the track in the afternoon I was able to ride more comfortably and keep up a good pace. I was pleased with how things had turned out. I felt it was a very technical circuit and I liked it, even though it was a pity that the first part of the asphalt didn’t drain any water, and with rain like there was on Friday, everything was harder.” Luckily for the 125cc riders, the water gave Indianapolis a rest on Saturday. Although this made them have to start from zero on a dry track on Saturday. Marc started off the day very well, and later was able to get into 13th place at the starting grid. ”It was a complicated day, since no one had a good set up and some riders were able to get a better tuning before others. For me things went average, although looking onto Sunday things could improve quite a bit. The objective was to do the best possible and to try an finish amongst the first ten.” And Márquez, once again, was true to his promise. As always, he had a great start, which let him get into the group that finally would fight for third place. Also, it was the group where the three strongest men of the general classification were in: Mike Di Meglio, Gabor Talmacsi y Simone Corsi. The Haulotte rider finally managed to overcome the three of them. Proving his courage, as always, in the group fights, Márquez managed a great sixth place that could have been even more, if it hadn’t been necessary to shorten a race that until then had been respected by the water.”The day was complicated because it rained, then it stopped, and no one knew what could happen. But, even so, I was able to make a great race. During Saturday’s practice we did a good job and I got to Sunday with a good set up. My only problems were that I needed was a little more engine and that the group was pretty aggressive. During the last rounds, while it was raining, I tried to take the lead, but I was unable. Even so, sixth place is ok.”
TITO’S BAD LUCK
Tito Rabat’s weekend was a hard one. On Friday he took a while to feel comfortable on the American circuit because of the rain. This placed him in a temporary twentieth place at the starting grid. “I liked the circuit a lot. In the morning things didn’t go too badly, but in the afternoon I had a problem with the motor and I had to go into the box. I had to stop for many minutes, and when I got back on track I only had time for two more laps. Bearing in mind the conditions of the track and this setback, I couldn’t have done things any better, also because I met up with another rider that slowed me down in the last lap.” Rabat didn’t lose hope to make up for this on Saturday, more so because he saw that the rain was respecting the riders this day. But again another stroke of bad luck made the Haulotte rider lose hope. He crashed at the beginning of the official practice forcing him back to the box, where he discovered that his KTM had suffered serious injuries. This is something difficult to resolve in the 125cc category because riders have very little time for practice. “The day didn’t start off badly, but in the afternoon I suffered a crash and I broke both my front and rear brakes. We were able to fix the front one, but not the rear, so I was riding with only one brake. Therefore I wasn’t able to compensate the bike’s weight and so the steering kept closing down on me. I did what I could. I knew that I would have to make a big effort on Sunday.” In 21st place at the starting grid, Tito was concentrated with the start and was able to overtake various positions. The race was looking good, up to the second lap, when another rider crashed into him from behind destroying his Indianapolis debut. “It was a pity because it hadn’t turned out so badly, but in the second round they crashed into me from behind and I flew out. It was in corner seven, in the first chicane…I can’t say anymore. It has been very disappointing.”
The World Championship will continue it’s voyage outside of Europe. The next stop is in Japan, in the Motegi circuit, headquarters of the all-powerful Honda.
