Alonso Lopez finishes 18th in tough but hard-fought race in Japan

The Estrella Galicia 0,0 Moto3 pairing of Aron Canet and Alonso Lopez enjoyed a dry raceday at the Japanese Grand Prix, with clear skies and an ambient temperature of around 20ºC at Twin Ring Motegi.
Canet took off from the seventh row of the grid, and whilst he tried to regain places off the line, at Turn 3 of the opening lap he went wide to avoid several rivals, losing the front end on the rumble strip. The subsequent crash took him out of the race, aggravating his recent shoulder injury. Canet leaves Japan sixth in the Moto3 World Championship with 118 points.
Lopez was also on the seventh row, and moved up several positions to end the first lap sixteenth. Shortly after, he gained two more places, moving up into the points. During the following laps he continued battling with a large group of riders in a breathless fight, putting him down to ninth on Lap 5. With seven of the scheduled 20 laps remaining, he was back into the same place, although he finally crossed the finish line eighteenth. This result puts him 23rd in the overall standings, with 31 points.
The next race for the Moto3 World Championship will be held on October 28th: The Australian Grand Prix at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit.
 
EMILIO ALZAMORA – “Alonso had a solid race, but he suffered with his grid position”
“Aron’s first lap crash was an unfortunate surprise, as it has happened when the race had barely begun. It was a shame because, despite having had problems during qualifying, we were hoping we could be competitive in the race. Now we move on to Australia, where we hope we can bounce back from this experience.
Alonso had a solid race, but he suffered with his grid position. The positive thing is that he managed to finish and he did so close to the points. As at almost every race this year, next week he faces another unfamiliar circuit.”
 
ARÓN CANET – “I was taken off my line and I ended up crashing when I went onto the rumble strip”
“It was a bit of a tough race, because shortly after it began I was taken off my line and I ended up crashing when I went onto the rumble strip, trying to get back on. I’ve hurt my left shoulder again, but apparently I have only aggravated the injury I had to my scapula. The rumble strip was very high and the bumpiness is what made me lose grip. It’s a pity because the strategy was to go fast off the start, and I’d gained several places on the first corner.”
ALONSO LÓPEZ – “I have to continue learning and use this experience in Australia”
“I felt quite comfortable here during the entire weekend. In the race I didn’t get a bad start, since I gained several positions, but after a few laps I wasn’t riding as well; I couldn’t take advantage of the strong braking points and that took me back several positions. I have to continue learning and use this experience next week in Australia.”