M2: Australian GP: Team Aspar race report

Simon & Di Meglio Race Hard With Good Results

The Moto2 riders in Phillip Island had the same problems as their 125cc counterparts on raceday at the Australian Grand Prix, with strong winds and cold temperatures making things tricky on Phillip Island. The race was a heated encounter, however, as the fastest riders from practice all featured at the sharp end of the contest. Redding, Iannone, De Angelis and Di Meglio got off to the best starts, with Simon and Bradl just a short distance behind. With five laps to go, De Angelis broke free to take his first Moto2 win, followed by Redding and Iannone.

Mapfre Aspar Julian Simon and his mechanics had a tough morning, beginning from the moment, seven minutes shy of the end of the warmup, when the rider crashed in a big highside. He was thankfully uninjured, although his bike needed repairing and his wariness increased for the race. A cautious start was followed by his engaging in a battle with Stefan Bradl and teammate Mike di Meglio, eventually concluding with the Spaniard in fourth. He continues in second place in the world championship.

Mike di Meglio experienced the joy of leading a Moto2 race for the first time, snatching the holeshot in Australia. He fought with the top four but was unable to handle their pace, instead finishing sixth -his best result of the season.

4th Julian Simon:
"I was cautious at the start, because I fell in the morning and didn't want to do it again. I took off slowly and had to come back through the field, not really knowing where to spot in and how to overtake those in front of me. Fortunately I was able to finish the race just behind Iannone, so he didn't take too many points off me. We have the chance to take the runner-up spot in the championship and I'm going to fight to the end. I want to give special thanks to my team today. The mechanics rebuilt the bike perfectly following the crash this morning. Now we go to Estoril, a circuit that I like a lot. Both there and in Valencia we have the chance to get good results."

6th Mike Di Meglio:
"I am very happy with how the race went. I knew that if I made a good start then I could get the holeshot, and that's just what I did. It was a great boost to be in front, so from then on I focused on keeping up my pace. I tried to stick with Redding, Iannone and De Angelis, but I lost the rear end on a lot of corners -especially on the opening two sections. When they got away, I made a few mistakes and that fell into Simon and Bradl's hands as they caught up. It was really hard to keep the bike sturdy on exiting the corner at the end of the race, amongst other reasons because of the wind. In the end I placed sixth and led the race, and I am very happy with the result. It gives me a big lift and has helped me regain confidence. I hope to continue in this way in Portugal."

-source: team apsar