Xavi Vierge battles to 17th at Aragon, Isaac Viñales finishes 28th

Tech3 Racing Team rider Xavi Vierge produced a resolute display at the 14th round of the 2016 Moto2 World Championship to complete the 21 lap fight in 17th position.

The 19-year-old began from the middle of the 7th row and leapt forward when the lights went out. After safely picking his way around the typically frantic first lap in the ultra-competitive class, he set into a consistent rhythm as he aimed to climb up the field. The youngster powered onwards as he inched closer to the group in front and after a third of the race distance had passed, he was running in 19th.

Vierge continued his efforts and as the distance progressed, his pace quickened. The chequered flag inched closer and the Spaniard set his fastest lap on the 18th as he made one last push to cut the gap to three other riders competing for the final point scoring position. He crossed the finish line in 17th, and he now confidently looks on to the forthcoming triple flyaway races.

On the other side of the Tech3 Racing Team pit box, Isaac Viñales finished the Aragon GP in 28th to close what has been a challenging event for the intermediate class rookie. The Spaniard kicked off the Grand Prix from the last row of the grid after enduring a tricky day yesterday due to a shoulder injury and a lack of grip.

When the event started, Viñales bolted forward as he intended to climb up the field, however, he struggled again and despite his best efforts, he ended the round 14 fight in 28th. Nevertheless, he will seek to bounce back at the next round and battle to a solid placement at the Motegi circuit.

Xavi Vierge
“Today’s race was challenging to say the least but I pushed hard and I know that if I had a better grid position, then I could have achieved a solid result. The beginning of the GP was not fantastic for me but once we got going, my rhythm appeared to be quicker than the guys in front of me. However, it was tricky to pass them because when I exited the corners and turned the throttle, the other riders appeared to have a little bit more grip and I couldn’t get close enough. Nevertheless, my rhythm was good so it was just a shame about the start. Anyway, tomorrow we will undertake a test here in Aragon where we will continue to focus on the new Mistral 610 chassis. I know that I have some work to do to improve but I am excited for the challenge and I look forward to fighting for the points in Japan.”

Isaac Viñales
“I am not happy because of the end result, yet this race was tricky for me and I did my best plus, I am certain that we can improve at the next round. The team and I struggled to find a good setting for the bike that I was comfortable with and also my shoulder hurt a bit again. We did everything that we could but I never felt fully confident. It was one of those bad weekends, but now I will rest up so that I can be fully prepared for the first of the three flyaways GP’s.”