Red Bull Ring MotoGP 2016 – Rider and Team Quotes
Andrea Iannone – P1
“I am really very happy, because in my opinion we did an incredible race. I started off quite slowly and tried to stay up front without ever pushing too hard, because I knew that in the final stages I could have had a bit less pace than everyone else, having opted to start with the soft rear tyre, while all the others made a different choice. I ran the whole race keeping a bit of margin and my bike was really perfect. I think that we did a great job over the entire weekend and I’d like to thank my team, all of Ducati and my crew chief Marco Rigamonti who have helped me improve so much in these last four years” .
Andrea Dovizioso – P2
“It’s a very important day for Ducati because we managed to obtain the win, a 1-2 even, that we have been chasing for such a long time. We’ve been working hard for four years and I am very happy to be a part of this project. I’m disappointed that I was unable to win however, because today I had a really good feeling with the bike and I was really good under braking. We didn’t take the risk of opting for the soft rear tyre, which in the end proved to be the winning move. Iannone on the other hand decided to use it and as he was the only one to do so, towards the end of the race he was at an advantage. In the last few laps, especially in the right-hand corners, I was losing too much time and I wasn’t able to stay close enough to make an attack on him. It’s a pity, but we must look at the positive side of the race because today we obtained a great team result”.
Luigi Dall’Igna (Ducati Corse General Manager)
“I am really happy, it’s an enormous satisfaction! I want to thank all the guys in Ducati Corse who over the years have done an incredible job and I hope that this fantastic result repays them for all their efforts. I would like to have each and every one of them here with us to celebrate this 1-2 win together and give them all a big hug. My sincerest thanks to everyone!”
Jorge Lorenzo – P3
“Honestly, when you have one or two challenging races like me, finishing in third place is not the same as a victory, but it almost feels the same because our rivals were almost in another world during the test and throughout the weekend, in qualifying and also the second part of the race. To finally finish in third place just three seconds from the winner is a great result and we are very satisfied with the work we did on the bike and the concentration I kept during the race with the rear tyre moving a lot in the last part. I‘m very happy and we should keep working, we recovered some points to Marc and it‘s important for the championship. Anything can happen, like we saw yesterday. Marc crashed and almost got seriously injured. We need to stay focused and have some luck and wait.”
Valentino Rossi – P4
“In the end it was a good race because the margin to our rivals in front was not very big. It was a shame that I wasn‘t able to fight with Lorenzo. I wanted to try and arrive on the podium, but in the end I wasn‘t able to do so and for sure I‘m not happy about this, but for the rest it was a good weekend. We were quite competitive at this track, which is not fantastic for Yamaha, and we took some points. Our rhythm in the race was very similar to those who took the victory and we will try to be stronger next week in Brno. For me, personally, Brno is a great track where I won for the first time, but the last few years I wasn‘t strong enough so I‘m very curious to understand if this year I can be more competitive. About today‘s frontrunners, I think they will also be very strong in Brno because they are always fast and the track also has a lot of straights and it‘s so fast, so I think we have to keep an eye on them.”
Massimo Meregallo – Yamaha Team Director
“It has been a positive race, especially if you consider the challenging start we had on Friday. The team has done a great job, though it is a shame our strong pace couldn’t be rewarded by having two riders on the podium after such a strong ride by both of them. Jorge took a good podium result with Valentino not far behind and we finished in front of Marquez with both riders so we made up some important points for the championship. We are looking forward to the next race in Brno in one week‘s time where we always have been strong.”
Marc Marquez – P5
“After how yesterday went, I’m happy with today’s race. My shoulder didn’t hurt at any time during the race, so no excuses there. I would have taken fifth position if it were offered to me before starting the race. I knew the Ducatis and Yamahas were fast, so this was the best possible outcome and it’s positive that we’ve only lost five points compared to Lorenzo. Given the difficulties we’ve had, it was clear that our objective was to think of the fight for the Championship. I started aggressively, as it was the only way of trying to fight with the front group, but after making a couple of mistakes I lost the slipstream and it was very difficult to recover from that.”
Maverick Viñales – P6
“We did more than half the race with the leading group and I really felt confident and comfortable, I tried to overtake for fifth place but I lacked in effectiveness on the straight so I couldn’t succeed; it’s a pity because I could have maybe caught-up to fourth. In the second part of the race the problem became bigger so I settled for sixth. We will need to verify the data to better understand the tyre drop as the rear tyre looked very worn. I’m satisfied because when we had full performance from the grip we were very competitive, this wasn’t an easy track for us so we need to improve the overall performance if we want to be even more competitive, but being only 14 seconds from the winner in such a ‘stop-and-go’ track – and which is not the most suitable for us – it’s a positive result.”
Dani Pedrosa – P7
“We went better in the race compared to the practice sessions, as we were putting in similar times to the riders at the front. We had been a little farther away from them beforehand this weekend, but today we took a step forward and that’s a positive. Now we must carry on working to continue to progress at the next race, which will be next weekend in the Czech Republic.”
Scott Redding – P8
“I am very happy for the race. I had to work very well with the maps to be able to get through the race with gasoline. It ‘been a good battle with Smith because what could take an advantage on the straights but I saw that recovered in some places. The track conditions have not changed much during the race but enough to perceive them. Before the race I thought that I would be happy to stay in the Top 8. The fact that he led the team to the closed park was a great satisfaction.”
Bradley Smith – P9
“Overall, I have to be happy with the result and we really turned things around today. Having said that, I am also a little bit disappointed because the top satellite position was the aim, especially after the pace that we had in warm-up and I knew that we had a good chance. I was lucky at the beginning of the GP with all the jumps starts around me but I lost a large amount of time on the opening lap and then there were quite a few mistakes by other riders, which cost me. I was pleased that I managed to cut the gap to Laverty and Redding and I believe that I was really strong in the middle part of the Grand Prix. The only issue was that I put a lot of stress on my tyres to close that deficit to those riders. As we weren’t too sure about the fuel consumption, we had to play it safe and slightly dial down some of the power, which meant that I wasn’t able to get close enough to Redding to make a full attack. However, we already knew it would be a challenging weekend, but from where we were on Friday to where we are now, it’s clear to see that we’ve made a big step and I have to say that I’m very proud.”
Pol Espargaro – P10
“It goes without saying that 10th position is a long way from where we want to be but we still have to look at the positive points, especially after a challenging weekend like this. It was the first time this season that we were not as competitive as we should have been, yet we managed to increase the gap to our direct revivals in the Best Independent Rider battle with Barbara and Crutchlow. However, we were not able to completely solve the difficulties that we had to face in the last two days, but still, we went for the best compromise which enabled me to improve my pace unlike in the practice sessions. Fortunately, now we are going straight to Brno, which is a track that suits the Yamaha’s style a lot better and where we have a lot of data from the previous years. Therefore, I am sure that my feeling on the YZR-M1 will once again be as good as it was in Germany.”
Danilo Petrucci – P11
First of all I want to apologize to Eugene for hitting him. I did not want to pass him, I was just trying to attack, but I lost the front and I had to leave the brakes. I’m really sorry. It has been a very difficult weekend. I never found the right set up. The pace race was nota s bad but I did too many mistakes in the first few laps. Thank God this week end it’s over. Brno is in a week and I can’t wait to run.
Michele Pirro – P12
“Irrespective of my result, I am really happy because finally Ducati have succeeded in taking a win in MotoGP after such a long time. We scored the result we had expected and I feel it to be a bit mine and the Test Team’s as well, because in the last few years we have worked so hard to improve the bike. As for my race, I did everything possible to move up and get into the top 10, but in the end I had to settle for twelfth place.”
Loris Baz – P13
“Yesterday we started to get some feeling back, and also my confidence with the bike. But this morning we tried something in the warm up and it worked quite well. During the race I was focussed to push hard and it worked quite well. But during the first ten laps the front was blocking in every straight braking point, so I was forced to slow my pace. But then I was able to push again because the front tyre was working, and I gave my best to catch Tito. We had a similar pace, but I did less mistakes in the final laps and I was able to pass him. My physical condition is not at 100%, but soon I’ll be fine. The main thing is that we found our way, now we have to keep this momentum in the next races and try to fight with Hector to be in the top 10.”
Tito Rabat- P14
“I am happy because we made a small but crucial step forward here with the set-up, which gave me more confidence. For much of the race I was on the pace with some very good riders including Pol Espargaro, Danilo Petrucci and Cal Crutchlow. Over the final laps I lost some rear grip and that was difficult to manage. I went long on the brakes trying to stay ahead of Baz in the final laps and it was frustrating to lose that battle. Overall a positive weekend, I scored points, no problems with the front and did a good qualifying and race.”
Cal Crutchlow- P15
“Obviously I’m really disappointed. I want to say sorry to my team, I made a mistake and it’s as simple as that. I let the clutch out too early. I thought the penalty was very harsh, but I suppose with the other people jump-starting if I didn’t get the penalty then there would have been complaints. I stopped, and then the lights went out, and promptly lost ten places on the track. When things got going I was actually one of the fastest out there, the leader was in 1’25.1 and we were in 1’25.4. I made sure I brought the bike home though, that was the main thing. It’s been a great summer break for me, and a good one for the team too. So to take an average result when there are so many positives is a bit hard. I don’t know where we would have finished, maybe in between Marc and Dani, but we didn’t and that’s it. We go to Brno with positive vibes because I’m feeling good on the bike and in good shape, and we hope it’s going to be different. I’ve had some great results there in the past and took my first podium there so I’m looking forward to it.”
Yonny Hernández – P17
“When I saw that I had been given a penalty, I was surprised. When the light went out I dropped the clutch, and I have seen the video from the front and you can’t notice any jump start. I thought the penalty was for what happened at the first corner, where several of us ran wide but there was no other way to get back on track. Also, on the straights in the first sector we lost distance to the other riders and it was hard to catch them. I had the pace to get into the top twelve, but at least we finished the race and gave our best during these three days. Now it is time to focus on Brno, because are working well.”
Eugene Laverty – P18
“I got a terrible start, but I made up some places on the early laps. Then I had a lot of spinning at Turn 5, followed by a huge amount of chatter, and I thought it might have been an electrical problem. Something happened with the tyre -we’ve looked at the data and it turns out the problem was with both the front and the rear. I lost a lot of time with it and that was when I dropped back. I was trying to salvage some points at the end, and was fighting for eleventh on the final lap with Petrucci. In my opinion, he was riding more than aggressively -it was too much. At Turn 3 he rode almost on the inside of me instead of overtaking. He hit me at the apex and then I repassed him on Turn 4. I defended the line on the final corner, and again he did the same thing -coming up the inside- and I crashed. I’m not happy, because it happened more than once from him. It’s cost me eleventh place and we worked too hard this weekend for someone to ruin things for us 200 metres before the line, and all for a single point.”
Aleix Espargaró – DNF
“It’s been a very, very hard race for me and finally I had to retire. I tried all I could but the hand hurt too much. In the first part of the race I was pretty confident, the jump at the start was very good, even though I was worried about it, and I felt confident with the bike in the early laps as I could follow with a good pace. The problems became bigger when the tyres got worn; this caused more-and-more instability to the machine, as it is normal, therefore requiring much more force on the handlebars, which obviously became a problem for my injured finger. I hoped to be able to end the race, but my pace became too slow and there was no point in risking a further crash. Furthermore, we are going to race in Brno next week, so I need to be sensible and try to recover as soon as possible. I’m really sorry, but with the team we did a good job and I felt very comfortable with the bike, plus the Suzuki Factory did a great job in delivering us new winglets in such a short time.”
Hector Barbera – Disqualified
“It was a shame because I didn’t see the ride through. It seems that my bike display had a problem and the white light was not working; I was trying to see that information, but it never came. I neither saw my pit-board until the lap before I stopped, but it was too late. I’m disappointed because I was doing the best race of the season, but now we can’t change it and we must think in the next race. My start was on the limit, I think I didn’t start before the red lights turned off, but maybe I released the clutch a little bit. But if Race Direction watched it, for sure I moved. I want to say sorry to my team, because we did a great job during the weekend, and today we were set to get a good result.”
Jack Miller – DNS
“This is not the way I wanted to start the second half of the season but that’s the way it is. It’s a shame it didn’t work out for me today but I’ll keep giving it 100% and now I’m hoping to be fit to race in Brno next week, as I really like that track. I banged my foot and that’s a bit sore, as is my wrist and vertebrae with the small fractures but hopefully I can heal quickly.”
Roberto Colaninno – Piaggio Group MD and CEO
“Today Aprilia had everything needed to demonstrate the progress the RS-GP has made. From the first race of the season, the new bike has gradually improved and we cannot accept the fact that human error – whether having to do with technical management or how the race is conducted – keeps us from demonstrating our true value and achieving the results that Aprilia and this bike deserve. The MotoGP calendar gives us the opportunity to redeem ourselves straight away with the Brno race. I have complete confidence in Romano Albesiano and in the new bike, but we need to roll up our sleeves and continue working every day in order to be prepared for the next race and to resume that growth trend that we had shown up to now”.
Romano Albesiano – Aprilia Racing Manager
“I am the first to be furious with the outcome of today’s race. Even on a circuit that does not favour us, we had the best RS-GP of the season prepared, a bike that has shown tangible improvement, both in terms of the engine and race pace, and the times are indisputable proof of this. If he had not had any problems, Alvaro would have easily finished in the top ten. We cannot accept that, after all this work, our potential is squandered because our riders are distracted at the start and because of trivial mistakes on our part in managing the messages on the dashboard. As professionals like Alvaro and Stefan, I expect concentration and maximum commitment until the end of the year, but I want to call the entire team to put in extra effort that will lead us to working nonstop, even over the August holiday, in order to prepare for the race at Brno. We have a chance to redeem ourselves straight away and we absolutely cannot fall short of achieving the results that are within our potential”.
Nicolas Goubert – Michelin
“We are very pleased with the weekend here in Spielberg, it has been very positive and showed that our tyres work well in many different conditions. At the start of the weekend on Friday it was very cold with track temperatures of 15°C, but for today’s race it was almost 50°C and our tyres reacted very well. Today’s race was always believed to be a dual between the Ducatis – and so it proved – but the two Yamaha’s closed the gap over the weekend, so it made for a very competitive and interesting afternoon. To see the fastest laps recorded towards the end is testament to what we are doing and to have a 28-lap race in those conditions without a single crash due to tyres, is also an extremely positive indication of the direction we are going in. We now move to Brno where we have some new tyres which we will be using for the first time since the test at Barcelona and we hope that these will give yet another step in performance and provide the riders with even better traction.”
