Cycle News

VOL. 52 ISSUE 18 MAY 5, 2015 P75 Briefly... have claimed for the past two years. HRC called a special press confer- ence to answer questions—or more accurately to avoid answering ques- tions—on the issue. Asked if he was satisfied with Aoyama's results, Na- kamoto firmly replied: "Yes!" He de- nied that the decision had been influ- enced either by Marquez's manager Emilio Alzamora or by Dorna (still seething at Stoner's negative com- ments at his retirement announce- ment, and known to have blocked a wild-card proposal last year). "It was a Honda decision," said Na- kamoto, who was in a feisty mood. Stoner would have needed at least one test, "and we have no time," he said. If the Australian were to return, it would only be next season rather than this. Pedrosa's absence from this race was confirmed only on the previous Tuesday, but they expected he would be fit for Le Mans in two weeks. With Marquez also injured, "this week we are not the most lucky team in the paddock," said HRC's Livio Suppo. Jorge Lorenzo will stay with Ya- maha next season, after both sides had agreed to take up the option of a second year's extension to his cur- rent contract. Lorenzo was on what he described as "a one plus one" deal agreed last year, amid rumors that he was ready to make a switch. The double-champion and Yamaha race chief Lin Jarvis have agreed not to exercise the get-out option, Jar- vis confirmed at Jerez that "we have spoken together already," and that both Yamaha and the rider wanted to continue for 2016. By now, Lorenzo had already bounced back from his early-season slump in form, when he was unable to fight with the front run- >>KENT KEEPS WINNING Reliably the best race of the day, Moto3 didn't disap- point. And though the winner was the same as at the last two races, this was no repeat of the previous runaways. Leopard Honda's Danny Kent took vic- tory in the U.S. and Argentina by around 10 seconds. This time it was by 0.097 of a second. He was the first British rider to win three GPs in a row since Barry Sheene in 1977. It was fraught right up until that final hairpin. Precociously talented new boy Fabio Quartararo on the Estrella Honda had qualified on pole in only his fourth Grand Prix, and played a prominent role in a quartet that battled all race long. His consecu- tive Spanish national CEV titles meant intimate knowledge of the circuit, and he was ready to make the most of it. The other two were Red Bull KTM teammates Miguel Oliveira and Brad Binder; the KTMs finally ready to pose a serious challenge to the so-far dominant Hondas. All except Binder led at least once, with Oliveira particularly feisty, leading Quartararo off the line, heading the pack several times over the line thereafter, and a constant threat. It became a quintet for a while, after Kent's teammate Efren Vazquez came through from 17th on the grid to tag on the back, but the effort had taken too much out of the rider and his tires, and he lost touch again. The drama was similar to Moto2. Kent was in front as they arrived, but all four inches apart. Now came what the Englishman later described as "a rookie move" from Quartararo. He dived inside, ran out of room, touched Kent, and only narrowly saved the crash. So it was Oliveira second by less than a tenth, and Binder two tenths behind him. Remarkably, the French teen- ager was still less than a second behind as he recovered for fourth place. With Vazquez a lone fifth, the rest scrapped it out. Sky Kalex' Romano Fenati was long-term leader of the pursuit, and managed to hang on to fifth. Map- fre Mahindra's Pecco Bagnaia had finally got ahead on the last lap, only to run wide at the hairpin and drop back to seventh. Quartararo's teammate Jorge Navarro was still less than a second behind. Gresini Honda's Enea Bastianini managed to save ninth from John McPhee on the SaxoPrint Honda, Husqvarna's Isaac Vinales and Ongetta Honda's Jules Danilo. Kent's championship lead now gives him more than a race to spare, 91 points to Vazquez's 60. Quartararo has 52, then Bastianini (47) and Binder (44). Danny Kent becomes first Brit since Barry Sheene to win three- consecutive GPs. continued on next page

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