Undoubtedly, what could have been a great end to the 2009 season has ended up being the complete opposite for the four 125cc Repsol riders. After five laps, Márquez, Rabat, Redding and Beaubier were having a good race, with Márquez battling for third place on the podium, Rabat and Redding on the threshold of the top ten and the American rider Beaubier, after getting off to a great start, battling in sixteenth place to enter the points.
The race started with Márquez in second place, behind a fast Bradley Smith, who rode out alone from the first turn. Rabat completed the first lap in twelfth place, Beaubier in thirteenth, and Redding in fourteenth. Smith was followed by the recently crowned World Champion, Julián Simón; therefore, Márquez led the pack that was battling for third place, with Espargaró, Corsi, Cortese, Schrotter and Olivé. In spite of giving it his all to stay at the front of the pack with inferior mechanics, the Repsol rider could not prevent being overtaken by his rivals several times, which allowed Espargaró to distance himself and secure third place.
Behind them, Redding made a mistake on the turn that heads to the finish line when he was completing the sixth lap and collided with his team mate, Esteve Rabat, when he fell, ending the last race of the year early for both BQR riders.
America’s Cameron Beaubier had similar misfortune. When having his best race of the season, he fell due to the wind -in the last lap-, when he was in thirteenth place, ruining his good performance.
And in the case of Marc Márquez, the young Repsol rider was once again penalised for an over-aggressive action from his countryman Joan Olivé, who when trying to overtake the KTM wearing number 93 on turn 2, violently hit it, throwing him off the bike in the incident. Márquez got back on the track after the fall, crossing the finish line in seventeenth place. Back in the garage, Marc was very upset with Olivé for being so aggressive and causing an incident that has happened three times this season.
At the end of the 2009 season, Marc Márquez was the best Repsol rider in the standings, taking eighth place in the overall standings. Scott Redding was fifteenth, Esteve Rabat eighteenth, and Cameron Beaubier twenty-ninth.
Marc Márquez, 17th at 58.437 sec. >> Audio
“From the start, I saw that it was going to be a difficult race because it was really windy. I stayed in the second group because I couldn’t follow Smith and Simón. Towards the end, I collided with Olivé and we know that these things happen, but it has already happened many times this year, when he was a little aggressive. I hope he comes to apologise because he clearly threw me off. Anyway, I’m happy with how the year has gone, because I’ve learnt a lot and I hope that we can approach next season well.”
Esteve Rabat, fell >> Audio
“I had a regular start, because it wasn’t good; although I kept my position. I was fighting to catch on to the second group, where Márquez, Olivé, Efrén, Corsi and Schrotter were battling for fourth. We were catching up with them, and then, I collided with my team mate. It doesn’t matter, it’s all part of the race, both of us wanted to win. These things happen, now we have to look forward.”
Scott Redding, fell >> Audio
“The bike was working well, both the engine and the wheelbase, but from the start I was concerned about a problem with the footrests, because my foot was slipping in both the straights and when breaking. Anyway, that wasn’t why I fell. We were battling in the group and on the last turn of the circuit, I was going to overtake Tito [Rabat], braking very hard on the inside, and we collided; I couldn’t avoid him. It wasn’t deliberate, and it could have happened with any other rider, but unfortunately, it was with Rabat.”
Cameron Beaubier, fell >> Audio
“I had a good start and in the second turn, I rode quite aggressively and was able to overtake several riders. I tried to stay in the group, but I couldn’t. I had difficulties throughout the race due to the wind, but towards the end, I managed to get a good pace, like that of the second group. Towards the end, I wanted to catch Zanetti and I managed to overtake him, so I was twelfth, but on turn four, I fell. My front wheel slipped -I suppose it was hit by the wind- , because I had had problems at this point throughout the race. I’m very disappointed because it would have been my best result of the year.”
