VOL. 55 ISSUE 16 APRIL 24, 2018 P59
A first-ever podium on a
Suzuki was even more important
for Andrea Iannone, under pres-
sure to keep his job at the team.
"I worked a lot and struggled a
lot in 2017, but always I believed
in me," he said, thanking his
team and supporters for sharing
that belief. He didn't say so, but
the fact that his highly regarded
younger teammate Alex Rins fell
off for a second time in three
races also boosted his position.
A second successive podium
for Suzuki, however, could cost
the team dearly. One more, and
they will use their "concession"
privileges of extra testing and
extra engines.
It was not a race of much
BUMPY
After the first day, riders had enlarged
on their criticism of the track's bumps,
with Rossi describing it as "critical—a
disaster," Petrucci calling it dangerous
and Jack Miller saying that the work
seems to have made the bumps worse
rather than better—comments echoed
by other MotoGP riders. Rossi praised
the layout of the track with its "emo-
tional corners," but continued, "for
me it's the worst situation of the whole
season." The bumps on the straight
threw the bike around at more than
300 km/h. "Three or four bumps are
very big. The bike moves very much,"
he said. At another corner, turn 18,
there was such a big bump that the
bike was grounding out, he added.
Miller compared the straight—longest
of the season—to a motocross track,
complaining that "both wheels are
coming off the ground and it makes the
electronics cut in and out." He also had
his screen broken by a flying rock.
GOING AERO
The bumps saw many riders switching
to their aero fairings, including (for the
first time all year) Andrea Dovizioso and
satellite-team rider Danilo Petrucci, both
Ducati riders, joined in the move by Jack
Miller and Tito Rabat. On the Yamaha
side, Johann Zarco switched to the aero
fairing, and in the afternoon also Maver-
ick Vinales. But there were differences
within the same pit, with Zarco's team-
mate Syahrin using a different style of
aero fairing with a smaller wing, while at
Aprilia both riders used the side exten-
sions, but Espargaro's were full-depth
two-tier boxes; Redding used only the
top tier. For qualifying, Marquez added
small, slightly angled tabs added to the
trailing edge of his top fairing, either side
of the back of the screen.
Briefly...
Maverick Vinales (25) had great
speed all weekend and took
second at the flag. Rossi trailed
home in fourth.
