07.10.2018

Bradley Smith battles hard for last point in Thai Grand Prix as Oliveira & Foggia on podium

RACE 15th Rd. MotoGP 2018 – Chang International Circuit (THA)
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Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team defied the stifling heat of the Chang International Circuit at Buriram to complete the Grand Prix of Thailand – MotoGP’s first visit to the country – with Bradley Smith scoring 15th position with his KTM RC16. Pol Espargaro successfully reached the chequered flag after his recent collarbone surgery. In Moto2 respectively Moto3 Miguel Oliveira & Dennis Foggia finished both on the podium in third place.
MotoGP
The fourteenth round of nineteen in 2018 MotoGP dropped into Thailand and opened the first of four events that will take place in the month of October, also visiting Japan, Australia and Malaysia. The flat and twisty Chang International Circuit was a layout that the series had visited just once before. The pre-season test took place in markedly cooler conditions compared to the sizzling climate that many eager race fans braved to see Grand Prix’s finest.
 
The 26 lap race rounded the 4.6km trajectory, distinctive for its three vast straights connecting the first, second and third corners before the course starts to wind on itself. Tyre choice was critical for resisting the duration of the sprint at full race speed.
 
Setting off from 15th position Bradley Smith made his customary bright start and sat on the fringes of the top ten. He circulated with Aleix Espargaro and Franco Morbidelli for company until he faced stiff opposition from Scott Redding in the last few laps. The Brit eventually managed to hold off his countryman to gather 15th position – just over twenty seconds from the stunning race climax between Marc Marquez, Andrea Dovizioso and Maverick Viñales – and capture MotoGP points for the seventh time this season.
 
Pol Espargaro, still in the comeback throes after surgery on his collarbone, was close to Smith by the middle of the race and looked as though he might be able to make a play for that top fifteen but then ran out of energy by lap 22 and elected to bring the his KTM RC16 bike home. He finished in 21st and grateful for the race mileage with a view towards more improvement in Japan.
 
Smith: “It was a bit like Aragon where we had good one lap pace with the soft tyres but in the race with the Hard option we are struggling a little bit more. Again I had a good start and reached P10 in the beginning. I learned from being around the other guys and we seem to be having the same problems. It will be good to make some more analysis this week and before we go to Japan. I think we will be able to find some conclusions and answers. I had a fun little battle with Scott (Redding) in the final laps and it was strange to be fighting so hard for the last point but that’s how competitive it is inside MotoGP at the moment; it is not easy to get that point. Japan next and we know it is a hard braking track and we have a lot of acceleration so we need to set up the bike in the right way. It’s a track I like with high-grip so I hope we might be able to use some of the softer compounds there.”
 
Espargaro: “I arrived to the first corner and made a small mistake under braking but then I started to find my rhythm and was catching the group ahead with my teammate and brother. I reached a point where I was finished and could not push anymore. It was quite a good comeback. For sure I’m not happy with the result but it is good to be back and in Japan I think I will be close to 100%.”
 
Mike Leitner (Team Manager MotoGP): “We missed Pol here during the two day test in the spring and this was not great for our development: we felt that this weekend. Bradley had some acceptable sessions in practice and had a good race: 23 seconds behind the winner is not a disaster but of course everybody wants more. For Pol he was good in the morning with the lap-time but we knew it would be hard for him to ‘survive’ for long in these hot conditions and he did well for three-quarters before he couldn't push anymore. I think he has to look forward to Japan and hopefully we will have two fit riders there where we can work towards a better result.” 
 
Moto2
The Moto2 category saw Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Miguel Oliveira and Brad Binder finished 3rd and 4th respectively. At one stage of the 24 lap race were both on the podium with their KTM Moto2 bike but lost a spot to the charging Luca Marini. Victory for Pecco Bagnaia meant that Oliveira conceded 5 more points in the tussle for the championship and the gap to the Italian now rests at 28 points.

Oliveira: "Honestly, today I would have liked to have got the victory and I pushed hard from the start to get it, but today it was just not possible. On some laps I felt that I was struggling with the front brake; the bike skidded a lot both when entering and exiting corners, so it seems that the extra heat on track today didn't help. In the end, we claimed another podium and 16 points for the World Championship standings. There are still four races remaining, and at some of them we have achieved great results. We will not give up."

Moto3
Marco Bezzecchi launched from Pole Position in Moto3  but the Italian could not enter the mix for victory. Instead acclaim went to countryman Dennis Foggia; the SKY Racing Team VR46 rider finished third and celebrated his very first Grand Prix podium with the KTM RC250 GP.
 
MotoGP continues on its international trek and will take a slow move across to Japan and the Motegi circuit for the sixteenth round of nineteen in two weeks time.
 
Next Race: October 21, 2018 – Twin Ring Motegi (JAP)

Results MotoGP Chang International Circuit 2018 
1. Marc Marquez (ESP), Honda, 39:55.722 min
2. Andrea Dovizioso (ITA), Ducati, +0.115 sec
3. Maverick Vianles (ESP), Yamaha, +0.270
4. Valentino Rossi (ITA), Yamaha, +1.564
5. Johann Zarco (FRA), Yamaha, +2.747
KTM
15. Bradley Smith (GBR), KTM, +23.628
21. Pol Espargaro (ESP), KTM, +53.388

Standings MotoGP 2018 after 15 of 19 rounds 
1. Marquez, 271 points
2. Dovizioso, 194
3. Rossi, 172
4. Vinales, 146
5. Jorge Lorenzo (ESP), Ducati, 130
KTM
17. Espargaro, 32
19. Smith, 19
22. Mika Kallio (FIN), KTM, 6


Results Moto2 Chang International Circuit 2018 
1. Francesco Bagnaia (ITA), Kalex, 39:00.009 min
2. Luca Marini (ITA), Kalex, +1.512 sec
3. Miguel Oliveira (POR), KTM, +1.651
4. Brad Binder (RSA), KTM, +1.808
5. Fabio Quartararo (FRA), Speed Up, +6.260
KTM
7. Icer Lecuona (ESP), KTM, +15.290

Standings Moto2 2018 after 15 of 19 rounds 
1. Bagnaia (ITA), Kalex, 259 points
2. Oliveira, 231
3. Binder, 157
4. Lorenzo Baldassarri (ITA), Kalex, 132
5. Alex Marquez (ESP), Kalex, 126

Results Moto3 Chang International Circuit 2018 
1. Fabio Di Giannantonio (ITA), Honda, 38:10.789 min
2. Lorenzo Dalla Porta (ITA), Honda, +0.135 sec
3. Dennis Foggia (ITA), KTM, +0.466
4. Jorge Martin (ESP), Honda, +0.980
5. Gabriel Rodrigo (ESP), KTM, +1.084
KTM
6. Vincent Perez (ESP), KTM, +1.232
7. Nicolo Bulega (ITA), KTM, +1.312
8. Marcos Ramirez (ESP), KTM, +1.440
10. Jakub Kornfeil (CZE), KTM, +1.718
DNF Darryn Binder (RSA), KTM, +19 laps

Standings Moto3 2018 after 15 of 19 rounds 
1. Martin, 204 points
2. Marco Bezzecchi (ITA), KTM, 178

3. Di Giannantonio (ITA), Honda, 175
4. Enea Bastianini (ITA), Honda, 133
5. Aron Canet (ESP), Honda, 118
KTM
7. Rodrigo, 108
8. Jakub Kornfeil (CZE), KTM, 102
9. Marcos Ramirez (ESP), KTM, 86
10. Andrea Migno (ITA), KTM, 76
23. Darryn Binder (RSA), KTM, 28


PHILIPP GRÜNBERGER
PR MANAGER MOTOGP
philipp.gruenberger@ktm.com
0043 664 6217921

www.motogp.com
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Images (17)

Bradley Smith KTM RC16 Chang International Circuit 2018
4 310 x 2 846 © Gold and Goose / KTM Media Library
Bradley Smith KTM RC16 Chang International Circuit 2018
3 911 x 2 302 © Gold and Goose / KTM Media Library
Bradley Smith KTM RC16 Chang International Circuit 2018
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Bradley Smith & Mechanic KTM RC16 Pit Lane Chang International Circuit 2018
4 928 x 3 280 © Gold and Goose / KTM Media Library
Bradley Smith & Staff KTM RC16 Box Chang International Circuit 2018
4 928 x 3 280 © Gold and Goose / KTM Media Library
Pol Espargaro KTM RC16 Chang International Circuit 2018
4 279 x 2 847 © Gold and Goose / KTM Media Library
Pol Espargaro KTM RC16 Chang International Circuit 2018
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Pol Espargaro KTM RC16 Start Chang International Circuit 2018
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Pol Espargaro Box Chang International Circuit 2018
4 928 x 3 280 © Gold and Goose / KTM Media Library
Miguel Oliveira Podium Chang International Circuit 2018
5 472 x 3 648 © Gold and Goose / KTM Media Library
Miguel Oliveira & Brad Binder KTM Moto2 Chang International Circuit 2018
3 975 x 2 646 © Gold and Goose / KTM Media Library
Brad Binder & Miguel Oliveira KTM Moto2 Chang International Circuit 2018
4 549 x 3 098 © Gold and Goose / KTM Media Library
Miguel Oliveira & Staff KTM Moto2 Start Chang International Circuit 2018
4 438 x 2 988 © Gold and Goose / KTM Media Library
Dennis Foggia Podium Chang International Circuit 2018
3 447 x 2 275 © Gold and Goose / KTM Media Library
Marco Bezzecchi KTM RC250 GP Chang International Circuit 2018
3 815 x 2 530 © Gold and Goose / KTM Media Library
Darryn Binder KTM RC250 GP Chang International Circuit 2018
4 928 x 3 280 © Gold and Goose / KTM Media Library
Darryn Binder Box Chang International Circuit 2018
5 472 x 3 648 © Gold and Goose / KTM Media Library


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