Gasgas push the limits at British motogp™ and seize top twelve results

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MOTOGP 2023 - ROUND 9 OF 20, SILVERSTONE, GREAT BRITAIN – RACE

Belated sunshine arrived at a cool and breezy Silverstone circuit for the ninth round of 2023 MotoGP and #gasgas Factory #racing Tech3 emerged from the British Grand Prix with more world championship points and battle experience. #augustofernandez started from the second row of the grid and rode to 11th position while #polespargaro negotiated his first GP distance of the season and claimed 12th. #davidalonso won a fantastic Moto3™ Grand Prix to drop his own world championship milestone!

• Augusto Fernandez launches from 5th, his best qualification to-date in his rookie MotoGP term, fights around the top ten through unpredictable weather conditions and passes the line with 11th in the UK
• Pol Espargaro regains pace, confidence and encouragement in his 2023 ‘reset’ and also learns much about the race set-up on the #gasgas RC16 in his rush to 12th.
• The #gasgas Aspar Team cheer #davidalonso to a fantastic maiden Moto3™ victory after the teenager started from the back of the grid and watch home hero #jakedixon suffer disappointment in Moto2™

 Silverstone swapped persistent rain and a wet track for chilly winds and cloudy skies for the ninth Grand Prix race program of the year. #gasgas Factory #racing Tech3 had a positive day through changeable conditions on Saturday that saw #augustofernandez roll his #gasgas RC16 into 5th place after Quali and #polespargaro reach a checkered flag for the first time in 2023 with a top-fifteen finish in the British Grand Prix Sprint. Sunday doubled the laps and doubled the intensity. The 18 corners and near-6km layout was a challenge with the unamiable summer temperatures and the effects on tire warmth and choice of rubber for the full distance. At a late stage in the race brief showers meant sections of Silverstone were treacherously slick. Fernandez was running mid-pack initially but improved as the laps counted down. His 11th place represented the ninth Grand Prix he has acquired world championship points: decent going for a rookie! Espargaro was in the running for points until the exertions of his first meeting back from injury ate into his energy and potential. Pol held on and did not bring the RC16 into the pits when the rain briefly fell and his persistence was rewarded with his maiden points of the campaign in 12th.

As the engines cooled in pitlane Fernandez comfortably sits 13th in the championship standings and 10 points from the next nearest rider ahead. Espargaro now embarks on his ‘catch-up’ phase. The rev limiter will stay high in MotoGP for round ten and the halfway point of the 2023 slate. In two weeks’ time the high-speed demands of the Red Bull Ring will bring the CryptoDATA Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich to life.

Augusto Fernandez, 11th: “It was a tricky weekend but we paid today for our lack of experience with dry conditions here. We had an awesome quali and Sprint but we missed some key track time. I lost positions at the start because I didn’t quite have the confidence I needed but I learned every lap and was building up the pace. In the end my rhythm was not bad at all. We’ll take the points and keep going.” 

Pol Espargaro, 12th: “Oh, very difficult today. I felt I had some decent speed at the beginning but after a while my body started to lock-up a bit. I think all the energy of the weekend just caught me and all the pushing to come back from injury. I wanted to attack but I didn’t have the force today. I saw some riders pitting to change bikes with the rain and I kept going to try and make some points. I’m honestly looking forward to my next time on the bike and to keep building.”

Augusto Fernandez, 11th: “It was a tricky weekend but we paid today for our lack of experience with dry conditions here. We had an awesome quali and Sprint but we missed some key track time. I lost positions at the start because I didn’t quite have the confidence I needed but I learned every lap and was building up the pace. In the end my rhythm was not bad at all. We’ll take the points and keep going.”

Results MotoGP British Grand Prix 

1. Aleix Espargaro (ESP) Aprilia 40.40.367

2. Francesco Bagnaia (ITA) Ducati +0.215

3. Brad Binder (RSA) KTM +0.680

11. #augustofernandez (ESP) #gasgas Factory #racing Tech3 +20.296

12. #polespargaro (ESP) #gasgas Factory #racing Tech3 +1:06.120

World Championship standings MotoGP

1. Francesco Bagnaia (ITA) Ducati, 214 points

2. Jorge Martin (ESP) Ducati 1733. Marco Bezzecchi (ITA) Ducati, 1671

3. #augustofernandez (ESP) #gasgas Factory #racing Tech3, 49

28.Pol Espargaro (ESP) #gasgas Factory #racing Tech3, 4

Moto3 and Moto2 

The #gasgas Aspar Team lined-up for 15 laps of predictably tense Moto3 action and with interesting possibilities for both #ryuseiyamanaka and #davidalonso; the Spanish rookie, in particular, had a strong fixed target to attack from the outset due to his grid slot of 28th. Alonso was a teenager possessed in the formative stages as he rose a staggering 25 positions to fight for the win while his Japanese teammate concentrated on slipstreams and line choice in the top fifteen. After tussling and towing, Alonso was in magnificent form and crossed the finish line 0.152 seconds ahead of Ayumu Sasaki for his first ever win and the first for Columbia in Grand Prix. The race formed the second-closest top fifteen of all time and Yamanaka was at the tail end of the posse; just 1.5 seconds from his teammate!

David Alonso, 1st: “An amazing feeling! I was at the back of the grid and on Saturday night I felt down. I lost too much ground and I knew that made the race difficult for me. I woke up today and I told myself ‘you can do this…’ I believe in myself and I focused on just one thing: as hard as possible to the finish line. In the last two corners I knew it was going to happen! Amazing. I give this victory to my team because they work so much but it’s also for my family and friends.” 

Ryusei Yamanaka, 15th: “I made a good start and stayed in the top group but I was missing some confidence in braking and that made it hard to overtake. I tried my best and I have to work on my side and also with bike set-up because we have to improve. I know what we have to do and we’ll work now for Austria.” 

Jake Dixon was at the center of the ‘storm’ in Great Britain as the Dutch TT winner (round eight) carried most of the crowd’s expectations. Dixon was consistently quick through practice and quali and although he was unlucky to rank 15th in an impossibly wet Q2 session on Saturday there was nobody more determined for Sunday. Dixon rallied hard in the opening exchanges but contact with Darryn Binder put him into the gravel before the end of the first lap. Rookie teammate #izanguevara also had a near-miss with another rider and was pitched off track. He completed the race in 21st.

Izan Guevara, 21st: “A tricky race. I had problems getting a good feeling with the suspension but I also lost a lot of time when another rider put me wide, braking into the gravel. I already want to forget this one and think ahead to Austria.”

Jake Dixon, DNF: “Sometimes I don’t understand what the other guys are doing. I feel like my championship and my day has been ruined by someone else. We have put so much work into this. The mistake yesterday was my fault but this was unacceptable. I’ve got nothing to lose now so I just want to go out in Austria and the rest of the races and win as many as I can.”

British Grand Prix photographs can be found HERE

 Results Moto3 British Grand Prix

1. #davidalonso (COL) #gasgas Aspar Team 33:35.396

2. Ayumu Sasaki (JPN) Husqvarna +0.152

3. Daniel Holgado (ESP) KTM +0.203

15. #ryuseiyamanaka (JPN) #gasgas Aspar Team +1.572

World Championship standings Moto3 

1. Daniel Holgado (ESP) KTM, 141 points

2. Ayumu Sasaki (JPN) Husqvarna, 119

3. Jaume Masia (ESP) Honda, 109

6. #davidalonso (COL) #gasgas Aspar Team, 90

14. #ryuseiyamanaka (JPN) #gasgas Aspar Team, 36 

Results Moto2 British Grand Prix

1. Fermin Aldeguer (ESP) 35:37.758

2. Aron Canet (ESP) +2.546

3. Pedro Acosta (ESP) +3.883

21. #izanguevara (ESP) #gasgas Aspar Team +1:05.750

DNF. #jakedixon (GBR) #gasgas Aspar Team

World Championship standings Moto2 

1. Pedro Acosta (ESP), 156 points

2. Tony Arbolino (ITA), 154

3. #jakedixon (GBR) #gasgas Aspar Team, 104 

PRESS CONTACT EVANGELIA SISSIS

GASGAS BRAND & PR MANAGER ROAD RACING
M: +43 676 6652 742
E: Evangelia.sissis@gasgas.com