Australian GP: Pramac Racing race report

EIGHTH POSITION FOR ALEIX ESPARGARO' THAT EQUALS HIS BEST MOTOGP RESULTS. KALLIO IN ELEVENTH POSITION AFTER A GOOD RACE.

Fair good race for both Pramac Racing Team riders on Philip Island track, how finish the race in eighth and eleventh position respectively, with Aleix Espargarò and Mika Kallio. Good result for the green riders who have both accused physical problems before the start. The non-perfect start, that have seen them losing both a couple of places, but this didn't affected in the wrong way their race. Thanks to a good race pace, the Pramac Racing Team riders have both overtaken during the fourth lap, Bautista and De Puniet, conquering the ninth and tenth position with Espargarò and Kallio. On the seventh lap the Spaniard has than overtake Melandri for the eighth position. The Italian rider have then passed back Aleix in the eleventh lap, but the same lap time pace haven't allowed Melandri to increase his gap from the Pramac Racing Team Rider. On the last lap, using his bike in the best way, Aleix has overtaken Melandri and finished the race in eighth position with an advantage of a cent of a second on the final straight. Upside down fate for Mika Kallio how, after having occupied the tenth position for almost the entire race, has been involved in Bautista and De Puniet comeback, that have relegated the Finnish rider in twelfth position with three laps to go. Despite his shoulder pain, the Finn was able to make a good final lap that had allowed him to get the better of Bautista and finish the race within a breath from the tenth position won by De Puniet. The appointment will be now in two weeks for the Portuguese Grand Prix which will be held on the Estoril's track situated just a few kilometers from Lisbon.

Fabiano Sterlacchini - Technical Director

"We are pleased with how things went today. After two races to forget we've got two good results that give us great confidence in our assets for the last two races of the season. Today's result acquires more importance because it was obtained with both riders in not perfect physical condition. This morning we tried a couple of technical solutions during the warm up, we then used this set up during the race, we knew that Ducati has a good performance on this track and we made our best to be able to made the riders lead the race in the best way. "

Aleix Espargarò - Pramac Racing Team - 8th in the race - 14th in the World Championship

"What a great race, I am happy for the final result. Being back in the top ten in these conditions is a good thing. This morning after the warm up I had a little pain in my forearm and in my inflamed wrist. Before the race I had an acupuncture treatment in the mobile clinic that has helped me to feel less pain during the race. My start was not the best, after the first corner I lost three positions. Fortunately, in a couple of laps, when my tyres came up to the right temperature, I lowered my lap time and I overtaken some riders who were ahead of me. I then reduced the gap I had from Melandri in just three laps. Once I reached the Italian rider I started a brawl with him that we have continued until the last straight. I managed to end the race in eighth position by a breath. I am satisfied with how things went, especially when I think to the two previous races in which I could not be competitive as I wanted. Now I'll have a week off in which I hope to resolve my physical problems and be back in top form for the next Portugal Grand Prix."

Mika Kallio - Pramac Racing Team - 11th in the race - 16th in the World Championship

"What a pity, I am very sorry for the final position. By a narrow margin, less than 3 cents of a second, I could not close the race in the tenth position. The disappointment is even greater when I think about the fact that I was in the tenth position for almost the entire race. Returning to the race, my start was not the best but I have limited the damage, I was in twelfth place after the first round. Then on the fifth lap I managed to climb to the tenth position. I kept my pace consistently fast for about ten laps, this allowed me to be very close to my teammate and to Melandri. Unfortunately, over the course of the race the shoulder pain was aggravated and with for that reason my pace lap has suffered greatly. With four laps to go I was overtaken by Bautista, an in the next lap I was overtaken also by De Puniet. But thanks to an excellent last lap I managed to overtake Bautista. Too bad because my final gap from De Puniet, and from the tenth position, was less than 3 cents, a real blow and I finished the race in eleventh position. "

-source: pramac racing