MOTOGP
FIM MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
ROUND 17 / OCTOBER 26-28, 2018
PHILLIP ISLAND / PHILLIP ISLAND, AUSTRALIA
P58
the grass rather than sliding into
the gravel. He escaped serious
injury.
Marquez counted himself for-
tunate, too. "I nearly high-sided,"
he said. He completed the lap at
slow speed to retire, his seat unit
all but broken off, and his rear
tentially horrendous crash with
Monster Yamaha rider Johann
Zarco. Braking from more than
198 mph for the first corner,
Zarco's front wheel touched
Marquez's rear. The Yamaha was
sent flying in a reverse ground
loop, the rider lucky to land on
Yamaha) and Jack Miller (Alma
Pramac Ducati)—had lost touch
in the closing stages.
Vinales and all the front men
were relieved of having to fight
new champion Marc Marquez,
after the Repsol Honda rider
was eliminated early on, in a po-
over Crutchlow's vacant factory LCR
Honda RC213V at Sepang, and pos-
sibly also at Valencia.
NEPA'S BLOWOUT
The start of free practice for the
Australian GP was delayed by almost
two-and-a-half hours, after a Moto3
bike laced more than half the circuit
with a liberal dose of oil.
The offending bike was Italian Ste-
fano Nepa's CIP-Green Power KTM,
and the rider was punished for the
disruption, suspended from FP2 by
the Stewards for irresponsible riding
"by not determining the state of your
motorcycle prior to restarting after a
machine problem."
CAN CAN RACE
New Red Bull Rookies Champion
Can Oncu is to step straight into
Moto3 next year in the official Red
Bull KM Ajo team. Aged 15, the
rising Turkish star is beneficiary
of a new dispensation that allows
not only Junior World Champion-
ship winners but also Rookies Cup
Champions to come to GP racing
one year younger than the rest. He
is also down for an underage wild-
card ride at Valencia, under another
ruling new this year. "I can't wait for
next season, because I'm already
familiar with the bike and the team,"
he said. "I already know many of the
circuits. My goal for the first year is
to learn and gain experience." Also
announced at the Australian GP, a
new venture for title-winning Moto3
squad Leopard Racing, who have
recruited 15-year-old Australian rider
Joel Kelso for their debut in the
Italian Road Racing Championship
(CIV).
Briefly...
Jack Miller (43) set the
home crowd alight by
leading early but couldn't
sustain the pace.
