INNOCENT VICTIM OF A CRASH
Stefan Bradl luckily escaped harmless in a race accident after a risky move by another rider during last Sunday’s British Grand Prix.
However, the 26-year-old MotoGP rider went into the season’s twelfth race highly confident. Considering the course of the race and its outcome in retrospect, Bradl would have been finish even in the top 10. But after he left the line in a promising way, gaining positions during the opening lap, he was forced to retire just after two laps after Bradl touched with English rider Eugene Laverty and crashed. It was a pretty risky move by the Irishman at the same place where the race was already red-flagged as Spaniard rider Pol Espargaro and Loriz Baz from France also collided and crashed. Like Bradl also the two other riders escaped uninjured fortunate.
The busy stage of the champions continues with the next race already scheduled for the upcoming weekend with the Gran Premio di San Marino at the Italian circuit in Misano.
#6 Stefan BRADL (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini, Aprilia) – DNF (World Championship position 18th, 39 points):
“Fortunately nothing bad has happened in this crash. But I’m disappointed and a bit annoyed at the same time because it was a stupid thing of Laverty principally. We were on the same level accelerating from turn one and under breaking for turn two he has pushed in ruthlessly. It was a similar manoeuvre like during the Moto2 race between Zarco and Lowes. In addition, it also was pretty dangerous at this point as we have seen from the accident after the first start. Thank God nothing happened, I’m ok and this is the most important thing. Nevertheless, it’s annoying because it would have been a good race for me. To finish in the top 10 was on the the table anyway. I’m really glad that we head immediately to the next race in Misano in a couple of days and hopefully I’m a bit more lucky there as today. After our test in the previous week, we’re certainly well prepared for this race.”
MotoGP™ British GP – Race Classification after 19 Laps:
1 #25 Maverick VINALES / SPA / Team SUZUKI ECSTAR / Suzuki / 39´03.339
2 #35 Cal CRUTCHLOW / GBR / LCR Honda / Honda / +3.480
3 #46 Valentino ROSSI / ITA / Movistar Yamaha MotoGP / Yamaha / +4.063
DNF #6 Stefan BRADL / GER / Aprilia Racing Team Gresini / Aprilia
MotoGP™ World Championship Standings:
1 #29 Marc MARQUEZ / SPA / Repsol Honda Team / Honda / 210
2 #46 Valentino ROSSI / ITA / Movistar Yamaha MotoGP / Yamaha / 160
3 #99 Jorge LORENZO / SPA / Movistar Yamaha MotoGP / Yamaha / 146
18 #6 Stefan BRADL / GER / Aprilia Racing Team Gresini / Aprilia / 37
Next race: 11 September, Misano World Circuit, Italy