Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/742086
ROAD RACE FIM MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 16 / OCTOBER 23, 2016 PHILLIP ISLAND CIRCUIT / PHILLIP ISLAND, AUSTRALIA P66 only to be denied a double Binder family rostrum when Canet pulled out of draft to take third by five hundredths. Third to 12th places were covered by less than a second, the rest not much further adrift. Those in the points were in this order behind Loi in fifth: Martin and Marcos Ramirez (both Mahindra), Hiroki Ono and Jules Danilo (both Honda), Bo Bendsneyder (KTM), Adam Norrodin (Honda), Fabio Quartararo (KTM), Tatsuki Suzuki (Mahindra), Philipp Oettl and Maria Herrera (both KTM), a fine mix of machin- ery, experience and talent. Niccolo Antonelli (Gresini Honda) crashed on the first lap, Jorge Navarro and Gabriel Rodrigo with one lap to go. The championship was little altered, with Binder the only scorer in the top nine: Binder (294), Bastianini (164), Navarro (143), Bulega (129) and Mir (124). CN MOTOGP 1. Cal Crutchlow (Hon) 2. Valentino Rossi (Yam) 3. Maverick Vinales (Suz) 4. Andrea Dovizioso (Duc) 5. Pol Espargaro (Yam) MOTO2 1. Thomas Luthi (Kal) 2. Franco Morbidelli (Kal) 3. Sandro Cortese (Kal) 4. Lorenzo Baldassarri (Kal) 5. Takaaki Nakagami (Kal) Moto3 1 Brad Binder (KTM) 2. John McPhee (Peu) 3. Fabio Quartararo (KTM) 4. Andrea Locatalli (KTM) 5. Gabriel Rodrigo (KTM) Remy Gardner was re- leased in time to take full part in his home GP in Australia, but his father Wayne—win- ner of the first two Australian GPs at Phillip Island in 1989 and 1990—remained under lock and key in Japan, after both were taken into custody last Sunday at the Japanese GP. Wayne, 1987 World 500 Champion and multiple Su- zuka 8 Hours winner, was arrested on the morning of the race, facing allegations of assault after a minor traffic altercation outside the Mote- gi circuit. His 18-year-old son Remy was arrested the fol- lowing day, accused of driv- ing without an international license, but released in time for the race. Remy told Aus- tralian channel 9 News that, while cell conditions were "not too bad," the extreme reaction to a relatively mi- nor affair was because of his father's high profile as an international sportsman. Once they had found out who he was, "it looks like they're pushing harder, it's pretty unfair," he said. By law, Gardner could be held without charge for up to 23 days, and longer should the assault charges go ahead. Japan has a history of strict treatment of high-profile mis- creants. In 1980 Paul Mc- Cartney was held for nine days after customs officials found eight ounces of mari- juana in his luggage. Nicky Hayden had just agreed with his World Su- perbike crew chief that there would be no more diversions this year, after difficulty read- justing to his Honda in the production-based series fol- lowing a "one-off" outing in place of Jack Miller at the Aragon GP. "We'd decided that there'd be no more GPs, no more Suzuka 8 Hours." Then came the call to re- join his 2006 championship team, to take over the injured Dani Pedrosa's factory Rep- sol Honda. "I thought—okay, next year then. I'm a softy. And I like racing motorcy- cles." Hayden was at or close to the sharp end in weather- hit practices, topping FP4 with a well-timed lap before rain hit, and going straight into the "senior" Q2 to qualify seventh. Hayden's champi- onship season of 2006 was on a Repsol Honda. "It was good to see my number on that bike again," he said. Af- ter his Aragon GP, where he scored one point, Hayden has been back on his su- perbike at Magny Cours and Jerez. But he will not be avail- able to take Pedrosa's place for next weekend's Malaysian GP. It clashes with the final superbike round at Qatar. Dark rumors surrounded the Australian absence of Andrea Iannone who had been expected to return for the Phillip Island race, where Briefly... cont. on pg 68