Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Moto3 riders Sergio Garcia Dols and Ryusei Yamanaka took part in the 22-lap Spanish Grand Prix at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto on Sunday, won by Albert Arenas.
After starting from last on the grid and reaching the front group in the race, a penalty forced Garcia Dols to settle for 17th place -immediately behind teammate Yamanaka, who was 16th in his second race as a full-time rider.
The next round of the Moto3 World Championship will be the Andalusian Grand Prix next weekend at the same venue.
Sergio García Dols (17th, +6,256)
After achieving the 27th best time in the warmup (1:47.982), Garcia Dols made a stunning start that took him from 31st to 17th place, and he was up into 8th and integrated into the large leading group by Lap 5.
With ten laps to go, he received a penalty for exceeding the track limits that relegated him to 20th, although he finally took the chequered flag in 17th position. He is now 15º in the Moto3 World Championship with 5 points.
“I didn’t find my feeling with the bike during practice. We were last on the grid and yesterday we did not do well in qualifying. I gave all I had and I was able to gain positions until reaching the Top 10, but as the race progressed I lost grip. I was not riding as I liked and afterwards I was handed a ‘long lap’ penalty. I hope that everything will turn out better for us at the next Grand Prix, at this same circuit.”
Ryusei Yamanaka (16th, + 6,098)
Ryusei Yamanaka started the day determined to get the most out of the warmup, in which he set a 1:47.164 lap that was the 17th fastest time of the session. He was 25th on the grid, through a time of 1:48.071 in Q1.
In the race itself, he regained ground off the start and stuck in the Top 20, fighting for points. He was close to achieving them, crossing the line in 16th.
“I was 25th on the grid. I started well and on the first corner there was a crash that allowed me to gain positions. I tried to stick with some faster riders, but halfway through the race my tyre seemed to go off and it was difficult to keep up. My group was riding slowly and I was finally very close to the points. It is not a good result, but my riding has improved with the experience, and I rode similar times to the leading group. I hope to do better at the coming races.”
