Estrella Galicia 0,0 riders Sergio Garcia Dols and Ryusei Yamanaka took part in the Czech Grand Prix at the Brno Automotodrom on Sunday.
Both finished a tough 18-lap race just outside the points, in 16th and 17th place, respectively. The win went to Italian rider Dennis Foggia.
The race was held under clear skies and with temperatures of 29º C (ambient) and 40º C (track).
The next round of the Moto3 World Championship will be the Austrian Grand Prix at the Spielberg Circuit, on the weekend of August 14th-16th.
Sergio Garcia Dols (16th, +9.124)
After setting the 13th best time in the morning warmup session (2:09.411), Garcia Dols lost some positions off the start, riding in 24th as part of a large group.
He gradually gained ground within a chaotic second group to move up to 14th, 6 laps from the end. Unfortunately, due to an incident in the final battle for points-scoring places, he finished the race in 16th. Garcia Dols is currently 16th in the Moto3 World Championship, with 13 points.
“We were far back on the grid and at the beginning there was contact with several different riders. That made me lose several positions and put me at the back. I started to fight back, but gradually since it was very difficult to gain places. It’s a shame, because I started the last lap up into eleventh or twelfth, then another collision with somebody else took me off-line and any chance of points was lost. I’m happy with how I performed in the race and I hope we will soon reach the level at which I think we should be. This year it is proving hard for us to be at our best level, but we are not giving up.”
Ryusei Yamanaka (17th, +9.589)
Ryusei Yamanaka started Sunday with a best warmup time of 2:09.572 (19th) and at the start of the race he was close to the points.
As the contest progressed he reached the tail end of the front group, and an intense tussle for points he would just miss out, taking the chequered flag in 17th position. The Japanese rider is 20th in the Moto3 World Championship, with 7 points.
“I started 17th on the grid and I finished the race in the same position. I felt comfortable, but once again I had problems once the first few laps that prevented me from escaping with the front group -something that is essential in races like today. The better start I make, the more chance I have of having a good race. If not, everything gets tougher. I had to fight very hard in the back group. Halfway through the race I reached the front group thanks to my pace, which is the most positive thing. However, it was very hard to gain positions from then on. I’m not satisfied with the result, but I’m certain that I fought to the fullest.”
