Pole man Bo Bendsneyder made a fabulous start to the ninth Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup season with a hard fought victory in Jerez Race 1. Bendsneyder carried his wonderful qualifying form into the race and set a fast pace from the early laps but could never break away from Simpson and Gutierrez who left the front row with him. The trio couldn’t break away either and were joined by 16-year-old Italian Fabio Di Giannantonio. As if that was not exciting enough Asia Talent Cup Champion Kaito Toba, the 15-year-old Japanese rider, caught them after making up for a couple of early mistakes. Then as the five fought it out fellow Japanese Ayumu Sasaki, the 14-year-old and 15-year-old Spaniard Rufino Florido closed in to make it a seven-way contest. Onto the last lap anyone of them could have won but no one could out scrap Bendsneyder when it counted. “It was a great race, I tried to get away at the front but it just wasn’t possible, too easy for the others to hang in my slipstream,” explained the lanky Netherlander with his brilliant smile. “Even on the run in to the line I thought that Oscar might creep past. It was a lot of fun and the bike was great, no need to change anything for tomorrow. I’m ready for another one,” he explained.” Second placed Gutierrez is also ready for Sunday. “I’ve got another chance to win here at home and I am sure it will be another good race. The bike was good, I have no excuses, I just made a small mistake in the last lap,” explained the Spaniard who had to catch a slide as he powered onto the back straight.”
Race 2
Double winner for the weekend in Jerez, Bo Bendsneyder, made Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Race 2 very different from Race 1 by charging away from the pack. Three seconds behind him at the flag was Fabio Di Giannantonio, the 16-year-old Italian who had to fight all the way to come out ahead of the seven rider scrap for second. Australian 17-year-old Olly Simpson took third for the second time in the weekend and admitted that he was a touch lucky to be on the podium again. He benefitted when Japanese 15-year-old Kaito Toba collected his 14-year-old fellow countryman Ayumu Sasaki at the last corner. After having to work hard on his KTM RC250R for all of the 16 laps in Race 1, Bendsneyder changed tactics for the encore. “I thought about yesterday’s race and I was looking back at the other guys too much. It isn’t me to do that and I was determined to keep my focus ahead this time. It also wasn’t as hot today and with a little more grip I could push the lap times and I concentrated on that.” Disappointed with fifth yesterday, Di Giannantonio was determined to get on the podium this time. “It was such a great race, we were passing everywhere, one corner I was second the next I was fifth, it changed all the time. I knew I had to find something extra for the last lap and I gave it everything, full gas and just far enough ahead not to be passed, fantastic! “
