Bo Bendsneyder completes second GP of the year in twenty-third position after a difficult start. Niccolo Antonelli suffers a crash on Lap 2.

The second race of the year for the Moto3 World Championship was a tough one for Red Bull KTM Ajo. Niccolo Antonelli and Bo Bendsneyder, who started from the fifth and sixth row, respectively, suffered misfortune in the Sunday showdown, and leave South America without the results that they had hoped to achieve. The Dutchman was able to finish the race in 23rd position, after a difficult start, while the Italian crashed out on the second lap after being clipped by another rider.

Niccolo Antonelli made a good start, crossing the line fifteenth on the first lap. However, on the seventh corner of the next lap, contact from a rival rider meant that he was eliminated from the race. Bendsneyder dropped down the order when the lights went out, being relegated to 29th. Little by little he was able to gain positions, finally completing the 21-lap contest in 23rd.

Following the first two races of the season, Niccolo Antonelli is ninth in the overall standings with 9 points and Bendsneyder, twenty-seventh. The next round of the Moto3 World Championship will be held in two weeks’ time, at the Circuit of the Americas in the USA on April 23rd.

Results (Race)
1. Joan Mir (Honda) 38:33.377
2. John McPhee (Honda) +0.261
3. Jorge Martin (Honda) +0.339
4. Philipp Oettl (KTM) +0.641
5. Andrea Migno (KTM) +0.890
23. Bo Bendsneyder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) +27.612
DNF. Niccolo Antonelli (Red Bull KTM Ajo)

Moto3 World Championship Standing 2017
1. Joan Mir (Honda) 50 points
2. John McPhee (Honda) 40 points
3. Jorge Martin (Honda) 32 points
4. Andrea Migno (KTM) 21 points
5. Romano Fenati (Honda) 20 points
9. Niccolo Antonelli (Red Bull KTM Ajo) 9 points
27. Bo Bendsneyder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) –

23 NICCOLO ANTONELLI
“Today was a strange day. We tried to be fast from the outset, but the start wasn’t the best. After the opening lap, I started to overtake people. It was on the second lap that another rider hit me and I couldn’t avoid a crash. It’s a pity, because I was hoping to have a good race and get more experience on the KTM, with which I feel much more comfortable. We have to look ahead and do a good job in the USA.”

64 BO BENDSNEYDER
“The race was tough. We struggled a lot throughout the weekend, as we didn’t have the same feeling that we had in either preseason testing or Qatar. This was a hard weekend for us, but we never give up. We will work harder than ever for the coming races. I think that we have learnt a lot over these days, so now we have to look to Austin. I like that circuit, so we’ll see what we can do. I want to thank the team, because they always support me with everything.”

AKI AJO – TEAM MANAGER
“There is little we can say about today’s Moto3 race. It is clear that we are quite disappointed with the results and about not being able to get any points. I can’t remember a similar race for our Moto3 team, but racing is like that. Sometimes you have these moments and you have to use them to grow and learn. It is very important to analyse and study what happened today and look ahead. Difficulties make us stronger.

Niccolo [Antonelli]’s race was over very soon, which is always a shame, but it is even more disappointing when it is because of another rider knocking you over. That happened to Bo [Bendsneyder] in Qatar and now it has happened to Niccolo. I feel especially badly for him, because he had improved his work a lot in recent weeks. We are looking forward and I am sure that Niccolo will fight for the top positions soon.

With Bo’s race we still have to analyse what happened both today and throughout the weekend. It looks like he has lost a little confidence and we have to work to get that back after the good preseason he had.”