Hard work pays off for Terol with best result of the season, Elias happy despite crashing out
The Italian GP at Mugello kicked off at 12:20pm for the Moto2 class, with expectations high for a quality contest. Espargaró and Márquez had led the way in practice, but De Angelis and Iannone had also been close behind at their home round. Márquez took control early and there were up to five leaders all looking for victory as part of a tightly packed group. Márquez, Luthi and Nakagami had all had their turn, but Iannone eventually took the win in a great last lap fight, finishing just ahead of Espargaró and Luthi.
Hard work paid off today at Mugello for MAPFRE Aspar rider Nico Terol. Tenth on the grid, the Spaniard concluded a fantastic weekend with a great race performance. He was part of the lead group for a period, until a small lapse at the halfway mark led to him dropping down places. In the end he placed thirteenth, his best result of the season so far and a reward for his persistence and hard work.
In his las trace for the MAPFRE Aspar Team, Toni Elías wanted to go out with a bang in Italy. The former World Champion started from 23rd, but he was up to ninth by lap eleven. However, three laps later he was caught out by turn five of the Mugello circuit, losing the front of his bike and crashing out. Satisfied with his showing before the incident, Elías thanks the team for their efforts over the past nine races.
13th Nico Terol: “This has been my best weekend of the year. I am very happy to have found a good feeling with a bike again. I am starting to go fast with the Moto2, faster every time, and this is very positive. We took a big step forward in qualifying and today’s warmup was excellent. The opening laps of the race were spectacular and it has been a while since I was up with the leaders. At mid-race we had some battles with other riders which made me lose a little concentration. I think a top eight finish would have been on the cards were it not for that. The entire weekend has been positive, so I go into the break feeling very optimistic. I had some problems with my left arm, because I felt a twinge yesterday and had to go to the clinic. I am happy with our work and with our race pace. We are closer to the leading riders every time and just need to keep focused for the second half of the races.”
Toni Elías (DNF): “I am very happy, despite the crash. I started from far back and gained a lot of positions in just a few laps. We made some changes this morning in the warmup that allowed me to keep up my strong pace later in the race. I was getting closer to the leading group when I crashed. The team did a good job with the setup for the race. I gave my all and had some problems, but at least I can take the positives from having made that comeback through the field. Fortunately I was uninjured in the crash. Today was my last race for the MAPFRE Aspar Team and I want to thank every member of the team. Above all, thanks to Jorge, because he has treated me fantastically and has shown what a great person he is. In the end we have made an amicable split. Our paths continue and I wish the MAPFRE Aspar Team all the best.”
Source: Aspar Team Press Release
