The Estrella Galicia 0,0 Moto3 riders contested the Argentinian GP this Sunday at Termas de Río Hondo, amidst dry conditions despite an overcast sky and high humidity.
Sergio García Dols suffered a heavy crash in the warmup, and a slight concussion in the incident prevented him from completing his Grand Prix debut. He had previously missed the Qatar GP due to his being underage.
A promising fightback for Alonso Lopez ended with a crash with 9 laps remaining. The race was eventually won by Jaume Masia.
The third round of the Moto3 World Championship will be the Grand Prix of the Americas in Austin, Texas, and will take place on April 14th.
ALONSO LÓPEZ – “I was gaining places, but I crashed due to a mistake from another rider”
Alonso set the seventh fastest time in the warmup, clocking a 1:50.296. The Spaniard would start from 17th on the grid, due to having encountered traffic in the decisive moments of Saturday’s qualifying session.
He lost a place at the start of the race, but quickly won it back and began a spell of consistent progress, moving into eighth place with 9 laps remaining.
One lap later, he received a knock from John McPhee at Turn 13, and could not keep upright. He crashed out of the race, and leaves Argentina 12th in the standings, with 4 points.
“I had a good pace, and in the warmup I consolidated it quite well by riding alone. In the race I was gaining positions little by little and, when I was preparing to move up into seventh place, I crashed due to a mistake from another rider. That halted my progress. I think in the end it was a matter of bad luck. I hope to continue with my progress and be back at the front in Texas.”
SERGIO GARCÍA
The Spaniard suffered a crash in the warmup on Sunday. After a medical at the circuit, he was diagnosed with a slight concussion and was refused clearance to start the race.
Garcia Dols has been transfered to the Hospital de Santiago del Estero facility, where he will undergo a CAT scan. He will be aiming to make his full Moto3 World Championship debut in a fortnight’s time, in the USA.
EMILIO ALZAMORA – “The team have been unlucky in Argentina”
“Despite the good work done by Sergio García Dols in his debut weekend, it was a shame that he was not able to take the start after his warmup crash.
Fortunately, the doctors at the circuit have determined that he does not have any serious injuries. However, he felt a bit dizzy and as a precaution it was decided to give him a CAT scan at the Hospital de Santiago del Estero.
The team will keep a close eye on his recovery and we will work so that Sergio is in the best possible shape for the race in the United States.
As for Alonso, his progress was clear in the race. He fought back to move up places in a compact group, and was in a position to fight for the podium. It’s a shame that he was taken out of the race thanks to a collision with another rider.”
