Ajo Motorsport rider claims sixth place at Aragon Grand Prix to move closer to Moto2 title.

Zarco, Moto2 race, Aragon MotoGP 2015

Johann Zarco decided to focus on gaining points on Sunday at MotorLand Aragon, preferring to further boost his title challenge rather than take unnecessary risks. The Ajo Motorsport rider crossed the finish line in sixth place, after riding throughout the entire race in a large second group. With four races remaining, the Frenchman holds an advantage of 78 points in the overall standings.

A red flag forced the Moto2 riders to make a second start, and reduced the intermediate category race to just 14 laps. Zarco dropped three positions on the first corners, and was part of a second group from which he could not escape. Seven riders entered into the battle for fifth place, which was fought for as if it were a podium.

The World Championship leader remained calm despite falling to eighth at the halfway point. For the first time, he played things safe with the title in mind. With three laps to go, the Ajo Motorsport rider was in sixth position, which he kept until crossing the finish line.

With a further 10 points added to his tally today, Johann Zarco has a total 284 points -78 more than his only rival for the Moto2 title, Tito Rabat. The next race will take place in two weeks’ time at the Motegi Circuit in Japan, where Zarco will have a second opportunity to clinch the Moto2 title.

Race – Results
1. Tito Rabat (Kalex) 26:25.125
2. Alex Rins (Kalex) +0.096
3. Sam Lowes (Speed Up) +5.364
4. Jonas Folger (Kalex) +7.363
5. Thomas Luthi (Kalex) +16.723
6. Johann Zarco (Ajo Motorsport) +16.989

Moto2 World Championship Standing 2015
1. Johann Zarco (Ajo Motorsport) 284 points
2. Tito Rabat (Kalex) 206 points
3. Alex Rins (Kalex) 184 points
4. Sam Lowes (Speed Up) 144 points
5. Thomas Luthi (Kalex) 142 points

 Johann Zarco,
“The most important thing this weekend was picking up these 10 important points that allow us to move even closer to the title. It’s been a tough weekend, in which I have not been able to feel relaxed. In the race there were two starts: The first was pretty good, but the second was not. I know I could have ridden with those at the front, but I was unable to do so because I was not relaxed enough. I did not expect this, but it’s what happened. I felt the pressure. The good thing is that I have learned from it and that is very important for the next few races. The final result is not bad, so I’m looking forward to Japan and fighting for victory.”

Aki Ajo,
“We have to accept that not all weekends can be perfect, and so far we have had a very good season. If this was a weekend in which we suffered a bit with our feeling, to finally be able to obtain a sixth position is reason to be happy for Johann [Zarco] and everyone else. We are one step closer to the World Championship, which is our goal, so we must stay calm and continue working as we have done until now.”