MARTIN BEGINS 2018 SEASON ATOP THE PODIUM
Jorge Martin and Team Del Conca Gresini Moto3 have matched expectations by winning the opening race of the 2018 Moto3 World Championship at the Losail International Circuit by a fraction of a second at the finish line – at the end of what was a very tough race. After crashing unhurt in the morning’s warm up, Martin had to keep the concentration high in order to find again as soon as possible the same feeling he had in free practice and qualifying.
The young Spaniard did not take long in getting up to speed as he took the lead after a couple of corners into the race and led proceedings. The three-way battle with Bastianini and Canet turned into a one-to-one fight with the latter, which was decided in the final metres of the race: Martin got a great drive out of turn 16, which helped him overtake the opponent before the chequered flag. Courtesy of this result, Martin takes back-to-back wins after the one scored in the season finale last November at Valencia.
It was a great race for Fabio Di Giannantonio as well, who after starting from 16th place on the grid managed to get in the mix for a podium finish in the final stages of the race – eventually finishing sixth. Diggia’s 10 points, combined with the 25 scored by Martin, elevate Team Del Conca Gresini to the top of the teams’ standings.
1st – JORGE MARTIN #88
“It’s been a difficult day, which started this morning with a crash. I got a good start to the race and I pushed hard in the first ten laps, but when it was only between Canet and I, I chose to save the tyres for the end of the race. I realised I was a little faster than him at the penultimate corner, so I made the most of it in the final lap. It was very important to win the first race, because it’s a confidence boost; now I hope to be battling for the win in the next races as well.”
6th – FABIO DI GIANNANTONIO #21
“We did a great race, but it was a hard one as there was a lot of traffic on the track; It’s quite normal when you start so far from the front row. There was also a crash in the middle of the pack which cost me a few seconds and the battle for the podium. We got in the battle, eventually, but it wasn’t enough. The bike was perfect and I want to thank the team for their great job, I hope I can make amends in Argentina.”
