MARTIN WRAPS UP 2017 IN STYLE WITH MAIDEN WIN AT VALENCIA
After nine pole position and eight podium finishes, Jorge Martin took a well-deserved maiden Moto3 World Championship win today after a superb performance at Valencia’s Ricardo Tormo Circuit – the track which hosted this weekend the season finale of MotoGP.
After heading the field in both previous days – except for FP1 – the Spanish rider of team Del Conca Gresini Moto3 kept a cool head and a superb pace for all the 24 laps of the encounter around the twisty 4km home track to clinch a long-awaited first trip to the top step of the rostrum.
It was a Sunday to forget for Fabio Di Giannantonio, who had his eyes set on the podium before a scary coming together with Ramirez on the main straight – from which he fortunately escaped unhurt.
“This was a superb and crucial win for Jorge” says an ecstatic team Manager Fausto Gresini “who deserved it all year long. It was tough year for him due to the injury, but he was able to wrap it up in style. It was a difficult end to what was an up-and-down season for Fabio, but he did quite well anyway this year. I’m pretty sure next year our team is going to be even more competitive!”
1st – JORGE MARTIN #88
“I wanted to pull away right from the start, but then Rodrigo tried to pass me and from then it was not easy. When I got back to the front and saw that I had a two-second gap I kept pushing until the end. It was not easy to stay fully focused but today – maybe for the first time this weekend – I did not make any mistake, and that never happened before. To win the last race of the season is truly amazing, but we will back on track in two weeks and we must work hard to try and get to the top in 2018.”
DNF – FABIO DI GIANNANTONIO #21
“We were on the right path to finish the season on a high note, but we still had a bit of back luck chasing us. I was hoping to finish on the podium but I don’t really know what happened on the straight: I can’t even define what it was and I don’t think it was 100% my fault, but in any case I crashed out and threw away a good chance for good race. Now we must keep our head down and work hard for next year.”
