Red Bull KTM Ajo rider took his fifth victory of the season despite riding with a broken heel. Arthur Sissis and Zulfahmi  Khairuddin both scored points after a race long battle.

Luis Salom was the star of the Brno race this afternoon, riding with a broken heel sustained in a crash at Indianapolis a week ago. Red Bull KTM Ajo rider returned to the highest spot on the podium at this weekend’s Czech Republic Grand Prix, while teammates Arthur Sissis, still sore from a fall yesterday, finished fourteenth and Zulfahmi Khairuddin returned to the points with a fifteenth place finish.

Rain threatened over the Czech track throughout the day but held off until the chequered flag was given to the race winner and championship leader, Luis Salom. The Spanish rider had an excellent start that put him into the lead position on the first lap. The Red Bull KTM Ajo rider maintained fourth position for much of the race among a lead group of seven riders. With five laps to go, he launched his attack, but it wasn’t until late in the final lap that Salom took over the lead, riding to his fifth victory of the year and crossing the line half a second clear of second place.

Arthur Sissis had a tough race but hung in to finish in the points. The young Australian climbed aboard his KTM sporting a painful neck after yesterday’s crash in qualifying. But Sissis had no thoughts of quitting as he fought among a pack of riders in the second group, his efforts paying off with two well deserved points. Finishing just behind him was his Red Bull KTM Ajo teammate Zulfahmi Khairuddin, who grabbed a point after starting from twenty-fourth position.

Points leader Luis Salom arrives in Great Britain next week holding 208 championship points, a 14 point advantage over his nearest rival. Arthur Sissis heads to the Silverstone circuit in ninth position with 51 and Zulfahmi Khairuddin is tenth with 50 points.

Results (Race)
1. Luis Salom (Red Bull KTM Ajo)   40:58.770
2. Maverick Viñales (KTM)   +0.507
3. Jonas Folger (Kalex KTM)   +1.015
4. Alex Rins (KTM)   +1.081
5. Alex Marquez (KTM)   +1.240
14. Arthur Sissis (Red Bull KTM Ajo) +31.044
15. Zulfahmi Khairuddin (Red Bull KTM Ajo) +39.198

Moto3 World Championship
1. Luis Salom (Red Bull KTM Ajo)   208 points
2. Maverick Viñales (KTM)   194 points
3. Alex Rins (KTM)   180 points
4. Jonas Folger (Kalex KTM)   110 points
5. Alex Marquez (KTM)   101 points
9. Arthur Sissis (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 51 points
10. Zulfahmi Khairuddin (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 50 points

 
Luis Salom >> Audio
“During the race I was in a lot of pain, but I managed to concentrate and think about the race. I knew that in the end anything was possible – I could finish fifth or I could win. It was a race that needed strategy, so I tried to remain calm and in that succeeded. Even on the last lap, we set the fastest lap of the race. Overall, we had a great weekend. I want to thank everyone who has supported me throughout this week, the whole team has been behind me and helped me, and the doctors who have done a very good job. So I can only say thank you because without them, I would not have been able to compete this weekend.”

Arthur Sissis
“It was a very complicated day for me. Today I woke up with a lot of neck pain and could hardly move. In the warm-up it was hard to ride, but I managed to finish it without stopping at all. I started the race well, felt comfortable riding the bike and with feeling good. But after a few corners, the pain just got worse and then became nearly unbearable. I gave it everything I could to get into the points, so I’m glad I added two more to the overall standings. Now it’s time to head to the Clinica Mobile.”

Zulfahmi Khairuddin >> Audio (English) // Audio (Bahasa)
“Throughout the weekend I couldn’t find the right feeling with the bike. Today in the race we were pretty good, considering that in the first lap we were sixteenth and in the second, a lot of riders passed me everywhere. I had some problems in the corners, especially in the last one, where I was getting a lot of chatter. In the end we managed to finish fifteenth and score a point. Personally it’s been a tough weekend, so I think we can be happy with this point considering the times we had over the last three days. At Silverstone there won’t be any excuses, we need to get faster. The team is working very hard to improve the setup, but this year I haven’t managed to adapt my riding to the bike. I have to work hard to improve my performance.”

Aki Ajo >> Audio (English) //Audio (Finnish)
“It was a great race for Luis Salom, who rode very well. Normally I always say that in motorcycling, team work is very important, even more so than in football. But today I have to say that Luis achieved this victory alone. Throughout the weekend we worked hard on the setup and preparation of the bike, as we are at a very important point in the season for the championship. This morning, Luis was not entirely satisfied with the bike and we decided to go with the old settings that were used for the last few races and that improved the feel for the rider. He’s done a great job. I have to say, too, that especially at Indianapolis there has been a positive change for both riders. Arthur [Sissis] continued to work very well in this Grand Prix, although it was a shame about the fall he suffered yesterday, which left him with a much bruised neck today. This morning he went to the clinic to try to improve his state of fitness for the race, and after he was a little dizzy. So even to participate in the race has been a lot. For Zulfahmi Khairuddin, it’s been another difficult week. We’ll have to talk with his mechanics and analyze what we can do to make sure he is comfortable on the bike in the races to come.”

*Audio solely for radio use