Fourth podium of the season for Viñales as Gadea finishes 7th
In ideal conditions for racing the Grand Prix of Italy went underway at Mugello this morning, where Maverick Viñales had another great performance and finished third, taking a podium for the fourth time this season – making it a 50% performance of all races, four podiums in eight races (and 25% wins, two of eight) – numbers that speak clearly of the quality and talent of the rider from Roses. The Blusens by Paris Hilton Team rider has been unable to latch onto Terol and Zarco, who set a high pace from the start and fought for victory, and was leading the chasing group for the majority of the twenty race laps in 3rd place which after a battle with Vazquez he kept until the finish line.
His teammate Sergio Gadea has not been able to go very well and lost contact with the group that would fight for victory and the podium and was relegated to the fight for seventh place with Cortese and Folger in a hard battle in which there have been many passes between them. The rider from Puçol was eighth in the final lap, but with a very bold move and taking advantage of the slipstream of Cortese he passed him on the finish line with great courage and determination as his opponent put out the elbow. He finished seventh, his third best result this year after podium finishes in Qatar and Assen.
Maverick is now third overall with 106 points and Sergio ninth with 61 points.
25 MAVERICK VIÑALES (3° 40’00.194, +8,379): “This podium feels almost like a victory because we have been barely able to ride here and this is a very complicated circuit. It’s very special because yesterday we didn’t think we had any options, but this morning I saw that with the changes we have made to the bike we had some possibilities. The race was difficult because at first we battled a little with Efren and there we lost touch with Nico and Zarco. Then I got a good rhythm, I lapped in the ’58s and I’m very happy about that, and I started to go very fast. The end was difficult because I did not know whether or not to push or stay behind, but on the pitboard they told me to push and I’ve done that and we could finish third. In the last lap I took a few meters of advantage to get to the line and not get caught with the slipstream and lose that podium. This morning we improved the chassis and engine, we have a good setup and everything went well. Being third in the championship, scoring four podiums and two wins means nothing else than that we are working very well and we are on the correct way. Therefore I want to dedicate this result to the whole team.”
33 Sergio Gadea (7 ° 40’15.804, +23,989): “Things have not gone as we expected, especially after how well we worked all weekend and considering that we started from the first row, we did not get a good result. We started pretty well but I struggled to go fast and get a good rhythm because the setup was not 100% and that has cost us a bit. I gave my best to finish seventh because I was in the group that fought for it and at the end Cortese, who knew I would pass him, tried to push me off the track but I did not get intimidated, I worked on it and avoided his maneuver to get over the finish line. Afterwards he was penalized.”
Source: Team BQR
