Anthony West claims 7th despite bike problems
Images by Andrew Northcott
Australian wet race specialist Anthony West (QMMF Racing) fought his way from 22nd on the grid to claim seventh at Silverstone overnight in the hotly contested Moto2 category, despite a footpeg problem that robbed him of the crucial rear brake control so useful in wet weather racing.
Anthony West – “I am happy with the result, much happier than in the recent races! I definitely needed this result. I have had string of bad results, and it’s been a while since I’ve been where I finished today.
“The only disappointment is the fact that my right footpeg cracked halfway through the race. I was just getting a good rhythm and I was catching Lowes quite fast, I felt good and I think if the footpeg hadn’t broken I would have been able to pass and even get away from him. I would possibly even have caught the guy in front of him.
“When it broke, I thought it was coming right off, and it destroyed my rhythm. I couldn’t use the rear brake because I couldn’t stand on the peg any more. It took me about three laps checking it, during which I didn’t touch the footpeg at all, then I started to put a little bit of pressure on it and luckily it didn’t break off.
“I was able to ride on, but not at 100 per cent, because the more I pressed on the peg, the more it would dig into the swingarm. You could feel it vibrating and it didn’t feel good. But I am happy that we finished strong, it’s great to get good points and that I was able to give the guys in the team a result for the good work they’ve been doing.
“The last lap with Cortese was interesting, I struggled a bit with grip and he got by me. I then went for a big move on the outside, which is normally not a good idea, but I thought I would maybe be able to pull it off and I did. He almost got me back coming on to the line as I was completely sideways out of the last corner. It was fun and I still beat him, so I’m happy!”
Ajo Motorsport’s Johann Zarco made it 11 podiums in a row and extended his lead in the Moto2 World Championship standings with a commanding win. The Frenchman crossed the line 3.360s ahead of Paginas Amarillas HP40’s Alex Rins, with Tito Rabat on the EG 0,0 Marc VDS Kalex completing the podium.
