Repsol rider finishes second after intense battle. Jorge Navarro crashes out and Maria Herrera just misses out on first GP points.
Fabio Quartararo took a well deserved second place at the Grand Prix of the Americas on Sunday. The 15 year-old Frenchman kept up with the lead group for the entirety of the race, up against the more experienced likes of Kent, Vazquez, Bastianini, Oliveira and Bagnaia. Kent took advantage of his superior pace to escape from the group, whilst behind a half-dozen riders battled for the remaining podium spots. On the final two laps, Quartararo’s tactics paid off and he earned his first World Championship podium –in only his second Grand Prix.
Teammate Jorge Navarro was not so fortunate at Austin. He had performed well in practice and was looking strong in the race, but with 9 laps remaining and involved in the podium fight, he crashed out at Turn 9. Maria Herrera placed a praiseworthy 17th, two positions outside the points. Her progress continues in her first full season in the World Championship, and today she equalled her best finish to date in Grand Prix racing.
Round 3 of the 2015 Moto3 World Championship season takes place next weekend in Argentina.
Fabio Quartararo
2nd – at 8.532 sec.
“I’m very happy. It has been a difficult weekend, because we started out riding in wet conditions and it was only yesterday that we were able to look for a good dry setup. The race was tough, because there were some damp patches on the track. I made a good start and on the opening laps another rider clipped me, but I was able to stay upright and gradually catch Masbou. I am really happy and want to thank my team and my family.”
Jorge Navarro
not classified
“The conditions weren’t good today, because there were still some damp patches on the track and we had to ride carefully. I held back in those places on every lap, because I had had some scares, but on the third and fourth sectors I was able to recover ground on those ahead. It was a shame that I hit a damp patch under braking and went down, but we have learnt for next time.”
Maria Herrera
17th – at 59.257 sec.
“I started well, but I was cautious on the opening corner because of the puddles and a group of riders passed me. I tried to catch the group and made back some positions, but I had a problem with the brakes and wasn’t able to brake forcefully. I hope that in Argentina we can improve this, because I didn’t feel comfortable today. In any case, the race was fun, because I fought with another two riders for a lot of laps.”
