August 2021 - Page 3 of 3

8 August, 2021

Enea Bastianini and Luca Marini have completed in the Red Bull Ring – Spielberg the race of the Michelin Grand Prix of Styria, where both riders have managed to cross the finish line in the points zone.

The race of the premier class has been declared in dry conditions. The race was marked by a red flag caused by a collision between Pedrosa and Savadori on the second lap, leaving the exit of Turn 3 full of fuel. The race was stopped for several minutes while maintenance and cleaning were carried out.

After the second start, Enea Bastianini has executed a great comeback, adding 4 valuable points. The Italian, with 13 laps to go, was penalised with a ‘long lap’ when he was in points positions for exceeding track limits, which caused him to lose some positions. Despite this, Bastianini has been able to recover places to ascend to the 12th position. The Avintia Esponsorama rider, is the 17th classified with 31 points.

Luca Marini was 14th. The Sky VR46 Avintia rider, has shown a good pace and has added 2 more points to. After the Michelin Grand Prix of Styria, the Italian rider is currently 20th in the general classification with a total of 16 points.

Next week, the Avintia Esponsorama and the Sky VR46 Avintia will compete at the Red Bull Ring – Spielberg for the second consecutive grand prix, this time the Bitci Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich.

Enea Bastianini | P12

“It was a very difficult race. We had a good pace and tried to recover positions, but unfortunately we suffered a penalty for exceeding the limits of the track. We have taken a good step forward and the qualifying was a shame because we deserved to be further ahead, but fortunately next week we have another race and we will have a new opportunity.”

Luca Marini | P14

“In the first start, the feelings with the tyres and the bike have been very positive, but in the second, with the change of tyres, I started to have no grip on the rear. In the first few laps it was hard for me, then as the tyre wore out, the times were similar to those of the others. I have tried to be consistent, to do my best and to not make mistakes. Next week we will do another race here and work again on the details, which will be useful for future weekends.”

8 August, 2021

The Avintia Esponsorama Moto3 and the Avintia VR46 end an unfortunate weekend at the Red Bull Ring – Spielberg where both Antonelli and Tatay have not been able to compete in the Michelin Grand Prix of Styria race.

Carlos Tatay returned to the circuits after several weeks away from the competition after fracturing the talus of his right foot in Mugello. The Valencian, has had a complicated weekend due to the pain and, after the warm up session, the Avintia Esponsorama Moto3 rider has gone through the ‘Clinica Mobile’ after suffering from the fractured area. Doctors have advised Tatay to not be part of the race and rest and recover for next weekend.

Niccolò Antonelli, suffered a crash during qualifying that caused a fracture in the third and fourth metacarpal of his right hand. The Italian travelled to Italy yesterday to undergo surgery. The Avintia VR46 rider, will enter in a recovery phase to return to the tracks as soon as possible.

Carlos Tatay

“It wasn’t the Sunday I expected. After two months away I wanted to enjoy a good race. After the warm up session, I could not even walk and we decided to not go out for the race. There wasn’t a new fracture, but the ankle was very painful after the whole weekend. At first it seemed to me a cowardly decision on my part, but then I think about it and I think it was the smartest thing to do. Now it’s time to recover these 4 or 5 days that we are going to be at home and get back to the maximum next week.”

7 August, 2021

The Avintia Esponsorama Moto3 and the Avintia VR46 have completed the qualifying session of the Michelin Grand Prix of Styria, where Niccolò Antonelli and Carlos Tatay achieved 11th and 20th position respectively.

Antonelli, who was able to access Q2 directly, set a best time of 1:36.728. In qualifying, the Avintia VR46 rider suffered a crash during his second attempt. The Italian has been taken to the medical centre and after further inspection, a fracture was found in the third and fourth metacarpals of his right hand. Antonelli will travel to Italy today and will undergo surgery.

Carlos Tatay has shown great progress over the weekend after several weeks away from the competition. The Valencian rider had to compete in Q1, and with a best time of 1:38.818, only 2 tenths have separated him from being able to fight for the ‘pole position’ in Q2.

Tomorrow at 11:00 the Michelin Grand Prix of Styria race will start, where Antonelli and Tatay will fight for the best possible result.

Niccolò Antonelli | 1:36.728 | P11

“First of all, I’m so sorry because it was being a good weekend for us. We have been very fast and unfortunately, I have suffered a crash that did not seem very aggressive. I have probably received in my hand a blow from the bike and it has caused the fracture. I’m sorry, this race I won’t be here and probably not the next one either, but I’ll come back as soon as possible and very strong.”

Carlos Tatay | 1:36.818 | P20

“It’s been a positive day. This morning I woke up in a lot of pain after all day yesterday. Still, after going through the medical center, I felt very comfortable and made a good FP3. In Q1, I was a couple of tenths away from being able to pass. I’m happy, I feel strong under braking, which is very important on this circuit. Tomorrow starting 20th is not as inconvenient as it can be on other circuits, so I will give my best and try to make a good race.”

7 August, 2021

The Avintia Esponsorama and the Sky VR46 Avintia have completed the qualifying session of the Michelin Grand Prix of Styria at the Red Bull Ring – Spielberg.

Enea Bastianini will start the race from 20th position. Despite this, the Italian rider had achieved the best time of the session, which would have allowed him access to Q2. Unfortunately, Bastianini has exceeded the limits of the track and his lap time has been cancelled.

Luca Marini has not been able to go through the cut of Q1. Sky VR46 Avintia rider set a best time of 1:24.115 and will start from 18th in tomorrow’s race.

Tomorrow at 14:00 the Styrian Grand Prix race will begin, where Enea Bastianini and Luca Marini will look to continue adding important points for the team.

Enea Bastianini | 1:24.245 | P20

“I’m upset because I’m sure I haven’t exceeded the track limits, so I haven’t understood the cancellation of the lap and I haven’t been shown the pictures either. In FP4 we managed to take a step forward and tried to understand what was causing me to lose time. We are ready for tomorrow’s race, although I think we could have started in a better position, but there is no turning back.”

Luca Marini | 1:24.115 | P18

“It’s been a normal qualifying for our current potential. We are working well with Ducati and the team. We still lack something, but the most important thing is to always be able to get the most out of what we can. Tomorrow everything can change, the weather is very uncertain. For sure it will be a fun race, on this track you can do many overtakes.”

6 August, 2021

The Avintia Esponsorama Moto3 and Avintia VR46 riders completed the first day of the Michelin Grand Prix of Styria at the Red Bull Ring – Spielberg. Antonelli and Tatay finished 8th and 14th respectively in the combined classification.

In the morning session, Carlos Tatay completed his first laps after almost 9 weeks out of competition. The Valencian rider worked on recovering his feeling on his KTM and looking for a good bike set-up for the rest of the weekend. In the afternoon, Tatay made a step forward and finished 14th, putting him in Q2 positions ahead of the third free practice.

Niccolò Antonelli was 8th in the combined practice times after the first day at the Red Bull Ring – Spielberg. The Italian rider was 7th in the first free practice and 8th in the second. In the morning session, the Italian rider suffered a crash without consequences. Despite this, Antonelli ended Friday with a good feeling.

Tomorrow, starting at 9:00, Tatay and Antonelli will be in the third practice session before the Michelin Grand Prix of Styria qualifying.

Niccolò Antonelli

“It was a positive day and we did a good job. However, there is still room for improvement in some areas. Tomorrow we will get back to work to find a good set-up and I think we can get a good result for Sunday.”

Carlos Tatay

“It has been a positive day and we are finally on the track. I was really looking forward to it after the summer break and the injury. The first free practice I took it easy, seeing how I could put my foot so it wouldn’t bother me. In the second one we took a step forward, I felt more comfortable and I started to enjoy. After two months I felt like a rider again and I’m very happy to be here. Now it’s time to rest and tomorrow we’ll see how my foot reacted after today.”

6 August, 2021

The Avintia Esponsorama and the Sky VR46 Avintia riders were in action today for the first two free practice sessions of the Styrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring – Spielberg.

Luca Marini and Enea Bastianini set their fastest laps in the morning, as rain made its presence in the afternoon and made it impossible for the riders to improve their times. Marini finished the first day 14th in the combined practice times with a best time of 1:25.207, whilst Enea Bastianini was 21st with a time of 1:25.585.

Tomorrow will take place the third and fourth free practice before the qualifying session of the premier class of the Michelin Grand Prix of Styria.

Enea Bastianini

“It was a positive day and I was able to have fun on the bike. I love this track, but with the MotoGP it’s very physical. This morning went well, unfortunately we didn’t manage to put in a perfect lap, but I didn’t feel too bad. This afternoon in wet I felt quite comfortable, I tried to improve lap by lap and gain confidence and it went better than I expected. It was a good first day.”

Luca Marini

“I had a good time today. From FP1 I found the same feeling as a month ago and I immediately felt comfortable on the bike. We did two sessions in different conditions and we got a lot of information in both dry and wet conditions. The feeling is good, as always the gaps here in Austria will be minimal, which is another reason to take care of all the details. Our ideal time was really good today, a few tenths less than my best lap. Let’s keep it up.”

5 August, 2021

Four weeks after the start of the summer break, the Avintia Esponsorama Moto3 team will be back in action this weekend at the Red Bull Ring – Spielberg, where the Michelin Grand Prix of Styria, the 10th round of the calendar, will take place.

Carlos Tatay will be back on his KTM after missing the last three races due to a fractured talus in his right foot suffered during the Italian Grand Prix. The Valencian rider returns with his batteries recharged and eager to get back into the rhythm of competition.

Niccolò Antonelli, who has had a positive first half of the year, is currently in 7th place with 67 points. The Italian rider is ambitious for the second half of the season and has the clear objective of closing the gap to Pedro Acosta, provisional leader of the championship.

The Styrian Grand Prix will start on Friday at 9:00 am, when the Moto3 riders will take part in the first free practice at the Red Bull Ring – Spielberg.

Niccolò Antonelli

“I’m very happy to start again and I can’t wait. During the break I’ve been riding my bike a lot and I’m happy. I’ve trained a lot in the last two or three weeks, so I’m ready to start the second part of the season and I feel stronger than ever.”

Carlos Tatay

“Muy contento de estar aquí después del parón veraniego y de una lesión que finalmente ha tenido una fase de recuperación más larga de lo esperado, ya que ha sido bastante grave porque era inoperable. Tampoco hemos querido forzar y anticiparnos porque era una situación crítica, por lo que decidimos esperar a después del parón de verano, recuperarme bien y volver más fuerte a Austria. Así que llego con muchas ganas de volver a la pista, de volver a estar con mi equipo, de disfrutar encima de la moto, de dar mi máximo y de volver a recuperar la velocidad.”

5 August, 20215 August, 2021

The MotoGP World Championship lands this weekend at the Red Bull Ring – Spielberg, where Enea Bastianini and Luca Marini will contest the 10th round of the calendar, the Michelin Grand Prix of Styria.

The Red Bull Ring is a circuit that Ducati has adapted to perfectly over the last few years and this season it will host two consecutive Grand Prix races. A total of 4.318 kilometres, made up of 10 corners and steep gradients make Spielberg a very distinctive track.

Bastianini and Marini are currently 16th and 20th in the overall standings respectively. Both riders, who have completed a great first half of the year of learning and adaptation, are motivated to face the weekend in Austria after the summer break.

The first free practice for the premier class of the Styrian Grand Prix will start on Friday at 9:55am.

Enea Bastianini

“We are coming to Austria, a circuit I like a lot. I don’t know how it will be with MotoGP, but I’m full of energy. During the break I have tried to relax but also to stay fit, because MotoGP is a very complicated category and I would like to adapt immediately. The Ducati is a bike that is perfectly suited to this track and it has worked very well over the last few years, so we will do our best to get the best possible result.”

Luca Marini

“I’m happy to be back racing, it’s been a long summer break. I can’t wait to get back to work and back on the bike. We arrive in Austria, a very special circuit, with few corners and which I like. Ducati has always done well here, and our goal is to get closer to the leaders and score points. We are going to run two races in a row at this circuit, and I’m sure that in the second week the gap will be even smaller, which is another reason to work well from the first GP.”