Terol happy with second after intense battle in shortened race

The 125cc Portuguese Grand Prix began at 3.30pm local time in Estoril, but it wouldn’t be the last time that the lower cylinder category riders took to their grid positions. The rain that had been so prominent in the previous two days of practice made an unwelcome return just as the 125cc contest was kicking into gear, with conditions sufficiently dangerous to lead to the showing of a red flag. After gathering their thoughts, the riders had to prepare for a sprint race for the win in Portugal, but some were over-eager before the restart. Marc Marquez crashed on the formation lap and had to begin the abbreviated second race from last on the grid.

Nine laps decided victory in Estoril, and the winner’s trophy went to the phenomenal Marquez. Terol and Smith had started from first and third and were using slick tyres, and looked good bets for the win, but Marquez eventually passed Terol on the last lap to end the day’s action in Portugal.

Nico Terol arrived in and left Estoril with a shot at the 125cc World title, and his hopes remain alive despite Marquez’ win. He had an excellent second race and showed no fear in taking on the unknown, riding lines at the front of the pack that had gone untouched since the red flag. Helped by teammate Bradley Smith, Terol led the second race for almost the entirety of its nine laps, but was passed late on by Marquez to relegate him to second place.

2º Nico Terol: “Today was a very tense day -both in the first and the second race. It was dry to start with and we had no experience to fall back on from practice. There were high winds and then a red flan to top things off. It was tough to maintain focus. On both starts I was quick off the mark, with my goal being to win the race. On the restart I took the holeshot, and didn’t have any line to follow to know where the track was wet or dry. I also had Márquez on my tail and I think that we battled very well. The only ‘what if’ is whether I should have tried a pass on the last chicane, but I am happy anyway. Marc is a great rival and deserved to win. Now we have the race at Valencia, where I will really be up for it and wanting to end the year with a win in front of the home fans. I will have no pressure, so I will just try to enjoy the weekend.”

Source: Bancaja Aspar Team