British GP Sprint Race reports/results/points + Moto2/3/E

MotoGP 2023

Round Nine – Silverstone Saturday

MotoGP Sprint Race Report

Marco Bezzecchi capitalised on his pole position to lead at the start but Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) didn’t waste time to strike and took over at the front. From there it was a frenetic opening couple of laps to the Sprint, with the track wet enough for the medium wets but conditions starting to dry.

Miller quickly made his way back through on the VR46 rider to take the lead as Augusto Fernandez (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3) shot into P3 with Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) trying to force his way through on the rookie.

Martin eventually got the better of Fernandez with Alex Marquez quickly following suit, his charge beginning in earnest. Martin then tried his hand at taking the lead but Miller wasn’t letting the Spaniard have it easy as the Aussie had plenty of answers for Martin’s attacks.

The race began to settle with a seven-bike freight train battling for the victory with the top guys swapping and changing positions corner after corner. Once Alex Marquez took the lead, however, he went on to set the fastest lap and then began to stretch out the field.

Marquez, Bezzecchi, Miller, Viñales, and Martin was the order with six laps to go, with a second between Marquez and Bezzecchi, and another half a second back to Miller who had the rest of the front group right in his wheel tracks and looming large.

Marquez kept Bezzecchi at arm’s length for the rest of the race but as the rain started to come down once again on the final couple of laps, the Italian began to make up significant ground on Marquez.

By the final sector it was only a handful of tenths, but Bezzecchi didn’t quite have enough in the tank to make a move, Alex Marquez sweeping through to his first ever Sprint win.

Despite starting down in 8th place, Viñales was a man on a mission during Saturday’s Sprint action. The Spaniard eventually pushed his way past Jack Miller for the final podium spot, holding onto P3 as Miller faded down the order in the closing laps.

Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) climbed his way up from 12th on the grid to 4th, before being demoted down to P5 by a late-charging Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing).

Sixth went to Martin, which meant Bezzecchi edges him down into third in the standings.

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Behind seventh placed Jack Miller came Augusto Fernandez (GASGAS Factory Racing Tech3) and Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing). Miguel Oliveira (CrytoDARA RNF MotoGP) completed the top ten.

Reigning Champion Bagnaia failed to score in a Sprint for the first time this year, getting pushed a little wide by Zarco but then fading down to P14.  Nevertheless despite scoring no points the defending champ still has a 27-point lead in the championship.

Franco Morbidelli was the first rider home on a Japanese machine in 15th ahead of the returning Pol Espargaro.

Marc Marquez rode home behind team-mate Joan Mir to literally observe as the Japanese giants work to make steps forward for Honda, but P17 and P18 is a sad site to see for Repsol Honda. Likewise, Fabio Quartararo came home in P20 after a difficult qualifying session.

In the wet it was a whole new picture, but the weather on Sunday looks like it might change again… And for many they will also be hoping for a change of fortune….

MotoGP Sprint Race Results

MotoGP Rider Quotes

Alex Marquez – P1

“I knew straight away that it could have been the good one. I started a bit ‘sleepy’ and lost a few places, but I then found pace and confidence. I rode well, even though I made a mistake on the last lap that could have made my life a lot worse. Aside from that I was in control and it was exciting to claim this maiden win, which I dedicate first to this great team.”

Marco Bezzecchi – P2

“What a race! I’m happy: I got a good start, then Alex (Marquez) overtook me and I tried to stay focused. He immediately opened a gap, I tried to recover in the final stages, but he was very strong. What can I say, I achieved the pole and podium today and I’m satisfied. For tomorrow I hope for a dry race because it will be even more fun! A special thanks to the whole Team, after the crash in qualifying, they did a great job and I back to the track for the Sprint as best I could.

Maverick Vinales – P3

“For me, this result is important because, although we had already demonstrated our speed in the wet, we had never been able to confirm it in a race. The battle with Jack was fun. I tried to overtake him as soon as possible because I felt like I had a bit better pace, but when I did it, I stressed the rear tyre and in the finale I couldn’t recover. There are still things that need to be improved, but I feel like, beyond the results, we are learning from every situation.”

Aleix Espargaro – P5

“Having a good wet Sprint race in the books is important. It shows that, after suffering – for example, in Argentina – we’ve made steps forward in these conditions. We still need to work hard to improve, especially when there is a lot of water on the track, where we are unable to be truly incisive. In the dry we also have a good pace, so hopefully we’ll be able to repeat the comeback tomorrow. Tyre choice will be a crapshoot. It is unlikely that the warm-up session will be able to give us any significant information.”

Jack Miller – P7

“I felt mega this morning in the wet but the Sprint was a bit different and we missed grip, pure and simple. I did my best to stay with the guys but this is still a new bike for me and we haven’t had many of these half-wet, half-dry conditions this year. So, the big change we make in the set-up between the two means we’re still learning where to meet in the middle. Anyway, we stayed on the bike and were semi-competitive. The positive thing is that the bike still gives a good feeling and I never felt out of control. We have another front row start for tomorrow’s Grand Prix and we’ll be ready whatever the conditions.”

Augusto Fernandez – P8

“A good day and I felt decent in the wet. We adapted quickly. Qualifying went well and then I tried everything on the first laps of the Sprint. We were quite close to the KTM guys, so, good. A positive day. I’m hopeful for a better rhythm in the dry tomorrow than we had on Friday. The top five might be a step too far but we’ll aim for the top ten and see where we can arrive.”

Brad Binder – P9

“I kept spinning when I released the clutch on the grid and was almost last when I went into Turn 1. I cooked the tire in the first laps as I pushed to come back but I didn’t really give myself any other option. We struggled with overheating the tyre and laying down some traction but we learned for the future in the wet. I hope it is dry tomorrow because I had a great feeling here yesterday. I think tomorrow will be a lot more interesting.”

Miguel Oliveira – P10

“I felt really good today. I made a mistake this morning after I crashed. I thought it would be a better idea to keep the same tyres as they were already ready to start but they were just too cold as we didn’t have them on the warmers long enough. So, I just did the whole Q1 session on cold tyres and I couldn’t get the grip to go faster. That was a shame. The race was good, I got held up by Brad (Binder) because he just made a massive spin right off the grid, and when you close the throttle everyone overtakes you. I was down to P20 but recovered well until P10. I did a couple of good overtakes and was fast on the bike, which was nice.”

Luca Marini – P11

“In these conditions with not much water, I have no grip at the rear with the medium. The same thing happened in Argentina. I can’t being competitive in acceleration and I have no feeling. I push really hard and then I cut corners, I go wide. A complicated situation, which we must investigate and work on it. We have to analyse the data and understand in which direction to move to face races of this type. For tomorrow I’m happy because it will probably be dry, but we didn’t work too much on the pace yesterday. The crash and the weather greatly affected the weekend schedule.”

Fabio Di Giannantonio – P12

“Too bad for the mistake made this morning, I could have done really well and in the race we showed we had the numbers to stay with the best. Unfortunately, to be starting so far back made our race an uphill battle, and it’s been happening for the last three-four GPs. We gave it all and I still think it was a good result; tomorrow, with a few more laps, we will try to make an even bigger comeback.”

Enea Bastianini – P13

“Qualifying didn’t go badly, but I couldn’t get into Q2; otherwise I could have started further up the grid. Instead, during the race, I had a small problem on the front, and I couldn’t brake as I wanted. The race should be dry tomorrow, but we still have some work to do to be competitive. I don’t expect great things for the GP, as our real potential is to be in the top 10, but I hope to make some steps forward. At the moment, focusing too much on what the other Ducati riders are doing isn’t the right way. I should concentrate on myself and my sensations.”

Francesco Bagnaia – P14

“The set-up was OK for the wet, and I was feeling incredible this morning, lapping close to the pole, but I crashed. My feeling on the bike was good, but in the warm-up lap, something was strange, and as soon as I started the race, I could feel there were problems. We are checking the data to understand what happened, but honestly, this is not our level. I was very slow, it was impossible to push or stop the bike. I  almost crashed at every corner. I think we can do a good race if the conditions are dry tomorrow.”

Franco Morbidelli – P15

“We will take it. The competition out there is tough, but we tried to get the maximum in the Sprint. There was the potential to do more, but it was very tricky. I tried to do the maximum and to understand where we can improve for tomorrow. That‘s what I did today. The Race tomorrow will probably be in dry conditions. It‘s going to be very tough again, but we are here to do our best and score points, and that‘s what I will try to do.”

Pol Espargaro – P16

“I didn’t know what to expect today. The track was wet but then half-half for the Sprint. It was a bit difficult and tricky! My plan was to finish the race and get to the pitbox because the risk level was a bit high for my first GP back. If it’s dry tomorrow then we’ll go for it a bit more!”

Joan Mir – P17

“It was a very wet day today, that is certain! It stopped raining just before the Sprint and the track was drying out as the race went on – it was a race of two very different parts. It’s difficult in these conditions to manage the grip and it maybe highlighted some of our weaker points more. I didn’t feel super comfortable during the race but it was important to do the laps and keep improving our feeling. It looks like it will be a dry race tomorrow, so hopefully we can improve then. But it was good to be back racing, I was smiling in the first laps.”

Marc Marquez – P18

“A complicated day with the rain and we just didn’t have the feeling with the bike. We used the Sprint to try and understand many things, when I saw that I was out of the points I looked to ride with the other Hondas in order to watch and learn. We finished the race, learned some more things and did not fall. Let’s see what happens tomorrow because it looks like the conditions will be very different. I want to say congratulations to my brother Alex as well, he had a great race and he is in a good moment.”

Raul Fernandez – P19

“Honestly, the Qualifying was not good. I didn’t expect that much water on the track, so it was a very wet Qualifying. But during the Sprint Race, I started quite well, I was fitting in super easy, around me the other riders were also more or less on the same timing. But on the last four laps, we still need to understand what happened. I started really fast, but when the others were going faster, I was just getting slower. In these wet conditions, it’s always difficult to have the perfect setting and electronics compared to a normal race. But anyway, I will take the good part, which was the first part of the race today and try to do the same for tomorrow to be consistent. If I am fighting in the same places I started today, I will do everything to keep it to the end.”

Takaaki Nakagami – P20

“Honestly, the overall situation is challenging. It looks like we are struggling more than expected. During the Sprint, I tried to push and overtake, but the weather conditions and the track, which added to a lack of feeling on the bike, turned everything into a difficult Sprint. We are now analysing the gathered information to see if we can take a step forward tomorrow”.

Fabio Quartararo – P21

“I‘ve had better days. It was really cold this morning, and the feeling was bad during FP2. Then in the qualifying I made a mistake, the bike stopped, and I went back to the box. I could have done better. During the Sprint, I was riding with an undersuit to stay warm. I never liked to use it in the past, but it was that cold today. My pace at the end of the Sprint was good enough to be with the guys in front of me, but I‘m missing something. I know how to ride in the rain, but we‘re mainly missing rear grip and leaning angle. Starting from the back again tomorrow, we will need to try something totally different. We have nothing to lose. My priority right now is to try to improve, try to be more towards the front, and hopefully try to make an improvement in the Race.”

Iker Lecuona – P22

“I did a good start and felt good at the first stages of the race. Then it was quite frustrating because although I wanted to push, it looked impossible, and I lost many positions. I didn’t expect struggling like that, and now we are analysing the data to do better tomorrow”.

MotoGP Championship Points

MotoGP Qualifying

Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) pulled a stunner out of the hat in qualifying, reigning in the rain to take a second pole in succession and deny an early charge from Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing).

The Australian couldn’t quite hit back despite a late crash for Bezzecchi, and the front row was completed by Alex Marquez (Gresini Racing MotoGP), despite a crash.

Marquez was hardly on his pat malone there though as most riders did crash at some point during the session which saw yellow flags stunt the runs of many.

MotoGP Qualifying Results

Moto2 Qualifying

Former Moto3 World Champion Pedro Acosta built his way into the conditions finding phenomenal pace right at the end and fending off attacks from the rest of field, including title rival and Championship leader Tony Arbolino (Elf MarcVDS Racing Team) who came through Q1 to snatch 4th place to start from the front of row 2.

Jake Dixon (Tensite GASGAS Aspar Team) is also still in the title picture as he’s sat 3rd in the standings, and was threatening pole at his home Grand Prix before the Brit crashed out and was pushed down to P11. But the news then got worse as that lap was cancelled after the session due to a miscommunication about its validity – it was the lap he crashed on. So he’ll start P15.

Alonso Lopez (Beta Tool SpeedUp) rounded out the top five ahead of Aron Canet (Pons Wegwow Los40). Sergio Garcia (Pons Wegwow Los40) will start from the front of row three ahead of Barry Baltus (Fieten OlieGP) and Sam Lowes (Elf MarcVDS Racing Team), with Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team) rounding out the top 10.

Moto2 Qualifying Results

Moto2 Championship Points

Moto3 Qualifying

Jaume Masia (Leopard Racing) was posting fast lap after fast lap, and as the clock ticked down he posted the pole time in the closing stages. Local star Scott Ogden was in hot pursuit as he latched onto the rear wheel of the Leopard machine to take P2. The Brit did go on to improve further as he set the fastest time of the session, but with the yellow flags displayed was forced to settle for 2nd place as that lap was scrubbed off. Holgado was also threatening the front but two crashes in the wet conditions denied the Spaniard pole position and he’ll start third.

On the second row, Riccardo Rossi (SIC58 Squadra Corse) who snatched fourth with Joel Kelso (CFMoto Racing PruestelGP) and his team-mate Xavier Artigas rounding out the second row.

Ayumu Sasaki (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) heads Ivan Ortola (Angeluss MTA Team) and Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) on Row 3, with Tatsuki Suzuki (Leopard Racing) rounding out the top ten.

Moto3 Qualifying Results

Moto3 Championship Points

MotoE Race One

Randy Krummenacher (Dynavolt Intact GP MotoE) is now an FIM Enel MotoE World Championship race winner! The Swiss rider impressed in the rain at Silverstone to pick his way through to the front and then hold off Kevin Manfredi (Ongetta SIC58 Squadra Corse) on the last lap as the two went head-to-head for the win.

Polesitter Eric Granado (LCR E-Team) completed the podium after a stunning late duel against Hector Garzo (Dynavolt Intact GP MotoE), with almost nothing in it at the flag. The first MotoE race of the day was the first ever electric showdown at Silverstone Circuit too, making some history in the process.

MotoE Race One Results

MotoE Race Two

There was drama aplenty in Race 2 of the FIM Enel MotoE World Championship at Silverstone, but none for the winner: Mattia Casadei (HP Pons Los40). The Italian escaped in the lead with Eric Granado (LCR E-Team) and was able to hold the Brazilian at bay in another wet showdown, taking an impressive first win of the year. For Granado, however, it’s his first double podium of the season after a tougher start, and for Nicholas Spinelli (HP Pons Los40) in third it’s his first podium too.

Casadei and Granado started to make a break for it early on, but the drama hit behind. Matteo Ferrari (Felo Gresini MotoE) started a chain reaction that saw a number of riders crash out, including Race 1 winner Randy Krummenacher (Dynavolt Intact GP MotoE). Earlier podium finisher Kevin Manfredi (Ongetta SIC58 Squadra Corse) dropped down the order too, and team-mate Kevin Zannoni crashed out in the incident. Riders all ok, but Ferrari was given another Long Lap for it – and it was applied to the results as a three-second penalty, dropping him to P7.

Back at the front, Casadei was shadowed by Granado as the two pulled away, leaving a huge fight for the podium just behind. Spinelli vs Jordi Torres (Openbank Aspar Team) vs Hector Garzo (Dynavolt Intact GP MotoE™) , and Ferrari before that penalty was applied.

As the laps ticked down, Granado tried a move but couldn’t make it stick and onto the final lap, the Brazilian was just too far back to try it again. Casadei had one wobble but kept it pinned, and with that victory was his. It’s his first of the season and moves him up to third overall, with Granado forced to settle for second but taking that double podium.

In the fight for the rostrum behind, Spinelli pulled off a wondrous sweep around Torres to take third and his first podium – having previously lost one due to a penalty. That made it two Pons machines on the rostrum, but Torres’ fourth saw him still gain on Ferrari as the Italian is classified P7. Garzo completed the top five.

That’s a wrap on Round 5, with Torres now 15 points ahead of Ferrari – and Casadei up into third.

MotoE Race Two Results

MotoE Championship Points Standings

British GP Schedule (AEST)

Sunday

2023 MotoGP Calendar