Rins and Marquez return to Moto3 podium after close battle in Britain

After disappointment for both the Repsol riders at the Czech Republic Grand Prix, a week later they were back smiling. Once again, a group of four riders proved to be one step ahead of the rest in Moto3. Alex Rins, Alex Marquez, Luis Salom and Maverick Viñales were back fighting for the podium positions –this time at Silverstone. Finally the victory went to Salom, followed by Rins, Marquez and Viñales. The top four were separated by just 8 tenths of a second at the chequered flag.

After the lights went out, the four riders took command and quickly distanced themselves from the rest of the pack. Viñales made an attempt at an escape, but his rivals were able to reel him back in. That meant it would be a four-way battle between familiar foes.

All four had spells at the head of the lead group, but none of them managed to escape –despite continued attempts. On a final lap full of attacks and excitement, Salom held off Rins and Marquez did likewise to Viñales. Rins returned to the podium after one race off the rostrum, whilst Marquez’ showing was all the more impressive bearing in mind his crash yesterday –and the fact that this was his debut at Silverstone.

The Moto3 World Championship takes a short breather after the British GP, returning for the San Marino GP at Misano in a fortnight’s time.

Alex Rins 2nd at 0.049 sec. “It was a very difficult race, like all the rest. From the outset, four riders were involved in the fight for the win. This second place, coming after missing out on the rostrum at Brno, is a good result for me and the team. The race was a real battle. On the last two laps, Salom and Marquez were ahead of me. On the final time around I moved up into second and tried to go with Salom. It seemed like his bike had a little more speed than mine on the home straight, so I got into his slipstream. He escaped and took the win, but I am very happy.”

Alex Marquez 3rd at 0.698 sec. “I’m happy with the result. I knew it would be a tough race. After yesterday’s crash, the other riders were one step ahead. At the start of the race, with new tyres, I found things hard. I need to learn how to make better use of the tyres at the start of the race –that’s something I have to improve for the future. At the end of the race I felt very comfortable and the tyres were in good condition because I had ridden carefully. Also my setup helped me a lot, and that is why I have to congratulate my team for their work. Now we have to keep on improving. A podium here is very important, as it motivates me and my team. Now we come to circuits that we already know, but we have to be equally focused because they may be harder than some new tracks.”

Source: Repsol Media