Red Bull MotoGP Rookie Jorge Martin of Spain was the star attraction last weekend at Round 10 & 11 at Britain’s Silverstone racing circuit when he cleaned up in both rounds to surge ahead in the cup points with only three rounds to go.
Jorge Martin won the rain-interrupted Round 10 on Saturday and dominated Sunday’s race from pole to flag, leaving the rest of the field to scrap it out behind him for the minor honors. Martin’s two closest rivals Joan Mir (Spain) andStefano Manzi of Italy joined him on the podium on Saturday while on Sunday it was again Manzi and 15-year-old Dutchman Bo Bendsneyder who claimed the minor podiums after a fierce seven-rider battle in the last stages of the race.
Martin said he had been working on his starts and this certainly worked for him this weekend in Silverstone: “I have been working on those starts and I got another good one. Then I just pushed. I still thought it was going to be a big battle like yesterday but I was watching my pit board and soon there was a good gap,” he said after Sunday’s race. He set a blistering pace throughout the race and finished with a six-second margin to the following group.
Manzi was happy to have moved up a place from Saturday to Sunday but still aspires to win a race in the series. “I climbed up a step. Not to where I wanted to be but starting from tenth it wasn’t possible to do anything about Jorge today. I talked it over with my mechanic and worked out some different lines. Coming through the last lap I was determined to be at the front of the group.”
Manzi, who is third in the points behind Martin and Mir is confident that he can deliver a good result in the next round in Misano when he races in front of his home crowd.
Already with a win at his home GP, Bendsneyder is having an impressive first Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup season and had to slog it out for his podium third on Sunday.
Next Round: September 13, 2014 – Misano (ITA), Round 12
Results Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Silverstone, Round 10
All riders on KTM RC 250 RB Moto3 machines
1. Jorge Martin (ESP), 11:35.791 min (laps reduced due to rain interruption)
2. Joan Mir (ESP), +0.045 sec
3. Stefano Manzi (ITA), +0.185
4. Manuel Pagliani (ITA), +0.429
5. Bradley Ray (GBR), +0.575
6. Bo Bendschneyder (NED), +0.588
7. Oscar Gutierrez (ESP), +0.796
8. Fabio Di Giannantonio (ITA), +7.318
9. Toprak Razgatlıoğlu (TUR), +7.661
10. Darryn Binder (RSA), +8.418
Results Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Silverstone, Round 11
1. Joan Mir (ESP), 32:12.719 min
2. Stefano Manzi (ITA), +5.134
3. Bo Bendsneyder (NED), +5.304
4. Bradley Ray (GBR), +5.400
5. Joan Mir (ESP), +5.834
6. Fabio Di Giannantonio (ITA), +5.900
7. Olly Simpson (AUS), +6.247
8. Manuel Pagliani (ITA), +17.481
9. Soushi Mihara (JAP), +17.988
10. Aris Michail (GER), +33.776
Standings Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup after 11 of 14 rounds
1. Martin, 205 points
2. Mir, 156
3. Manzi, 140
4. Ray, 180
5. Mihara, 110
via KTM
