27/06/2022 News
Arbolino seventh at Assen in Moto2
Assen, The Netherlands, 27 juin 2022 - Tony Arbolino posted the best performance of all the Elf riders at the Assen circuit with the Italian finishing seventh in the Moto2 race.
MotoGP
After two great races in Catalunya and Germany, both KTM Tech 3 Factory riders were hoping for another finish in the points in the Netherlands to end the first half of the season on a high note going into the summer break. Unfortunately, neither rider was able to achieve their goal. Raul Fernandez suffered a right forearm injury and had to retire before the end of the race. As for Remy Gardner, he was unable to maintain the pace of the first few laps. Losing ground as the race progressed, he took the chequered flag in nineteenth position. “We were hoping for a better finish to the first part of the championship, but we must remain positive," commented Hervé Poncharal. “Brad Binder showed today that the KTM is competitive. We just have to keep working to close the gap on the factory riders."
Moto2
Thirteenth on the grid, Tony Arbolino finished the eleventh race of the season in seventh position. With a ninth top ten finish, the Italian consolidates his fifth place overall in the Moto2 World Championship standings. “I'm not satisfied with my position at the finish, but I'm happy with the feeling I had today on the bike," said the Elf rider after the race. “Each lap I felt better and better and I must thank the team for their work. We will now use the break to analyse the first half of the season and improve over second part of the year.” For Sam Lowes, the Dutch Grand Prix ended with a crash on the fourth lap. Qualifying on the front row of the grid, the Elf rider unfortunately hit a false neutral as he downshifted into the first corner, causing him to lose around 20 places. Too eager to get back into the race, Lowes crashed out at turn eight, resulting in another DNF.
Moto3
After finishing eighth at the Sachsenring, Adrian Fernandez was on course to do even better at the Assen circuit. After a good qualifying session, the young Spaniard fought for a long time in the leading group before losing contact. A little too optimistic as he approached the finish, the Elf rider made a mistake under braking. Deniz Öncü finished ninth. A result below his team’s expectations. “We didn’t find the rider we know this weekend," admitted Hervé Poncharal. “Deniz lacked aggression. As for Adrian, he got carried away at the end of the race, which is a pity because up until then he had been riding very well. We will now take advantage of the summer break to recharge our batteries and come back stronger for the second part of the championship."
MotoE
Both Tech 3 MotoE riders scored points in the weekend's two races, the second of which was held in the wet. Hector Garzo was fifth in the first race on Saturday and was hoping for a podium the following day. Unfortunately, a group crash forced him to leave the track to avoid the riders who fell in front of him. By the time he caught up with the pack again the race officials had red flagged the race. "With the race shortened from eight to six laps, I didn't have the time to move back up as I had hoped," commented Garzo at the finish. Alex Escrig was 14th on Saturday afternoon and sixth the following day.
