Maverick Viñales takes commanding Phillip Island victory
Maverick Viñales delivered an excellent race today at Phillip Island.
Viñales started from the second row of the grid after achieving the fourth fastest time in the qualifying session held yesterday. As soon as the lights went off, the protégée of Sito Pons set off in search of victory.
On this occasion, Viñales gained two positions on the first lap and stuck to Finn Mika Kallio who was leading the race completing the first lap. A group of six riders formed immediately who could tear away from the other participants.
Viñales decided to fight and stay in the top three of this group of six to make sure no other rider could pull away. T Páginas Amarillas HP 40 waited patiently as the laps passed. With nine laps to go, Maverick pushed himself in front of Kallio and started upping the pace.
Gradually he increased the gap between himself and the chasing group until crossing the finish line nine-tenths ahead of the rider in second place, securing his third win of the season.
With this result Viñales moved a little closer to second place in the championship and reduces the distance to Kallio to twenty points with two races to go.
On the other side of the box of Páginas Amarillas HP 40 team, Luis Salom had it more difficult. Salom began badly this weekend, suffering a big crash in the early stages of the first session on Friday.
Luis took a nasty blow to the left shoulder and damaged the ligaments. Salom had to overcome the pain to finish the race and get a meritorious eighteenth position, taking into account the physical conditions in which he found himself.
Maverick Viñales – 1st place
“It was a fun race. There was a lot of battles between the six who were in the front group and reminded me a little of what we had last year in Moto3. We are in very good form. I feel very strong, the team is doing a phenomenal job and are giving me a great bike. We have come a little closer to Kallio and now the goal is to win both races remaining before the season is over.”
Luis Salom – 18th place
“The first laps were difficult. Then I started to run at a decent pace. I’d gone ahead of riders who started in front of me, but then I ran off track again and I lost more than two seconds on that lap and had to start over again. When I had passed all of my group, I tried to catch a rider who I could see a little further ahead. I finished 17th and the result does not reflect the race, but I hope for a good race in Malaysia and hopefully my shoulder will have recovered by then.”
Source: Pons Racing