15-year-old Marquez top KTM 125cc rider at Caralunya GP

2008-06-08 08:35
Repsol KTM rider Marc Marquez proved to be the surprise of the 125 cc GP in Catalunya Sunday when the 15-year-old teenager from Cervera started from fourteenth on the grid and battled his way to a great tenth place in front of his Spanish fans.

It was his best result since he signed for the team a Grand Prix rookie at the end of last year. Japanese ISPA KTM star Tomoyoshi Koyama and Swiss Red Bull KTM rider Randy Krummenacher also improved on their practice performances picking up points for their respective thirteenth and fifteenth places.

Marc Marquez (Repsol KTM 125 - tenth)
"That was a tough race! While I was running in the top group of riders I could match their pace but at some point I collided with Stefan Bradland dropped back. Once I had lost contact it was very difficult for me to keep their fast rhythm and in the end it was a lonely ride. But the most important thing is that I got tenth place at my home race. It's my best result in Grand Prix racing so far and it gives me a lot of confidence for the future!"

Randy Krummenacher (Red Bull KTM 125 - fifteenth)
"We made progress since the last race in Mugello, but it wasn't enough. I didn't find the additional chassis stability that we were aiming for after final practice yesterday and I was fighting with my motorcycle more than with my opponents on the track!"

Tomoyoshi Koyama (ISPA KTM Aran 125 - thirteenth)
"Yesterday we went back to the suspension settings that we used in last year's Grand Prix, and this helped me a little bit. But it was still not enough, so I am looking forward to testing the new chassis that KTM developed for our 125 cc machine. I could also do with a little more horsepower - whenever I gained some positions on the brakes, it was very difficult to defend myself on the next straight!"

Rabat making a good recovery, doctors say
Repsol KTM rider Esteve Rabat was reported to be making a good recovery in the Catalunya General Hospital were he was admitted with concussion after a crash in training for the Catalunya GP. According to his team, doctors reported that CAT scans revealed no cerebral injuries but the rider was being kept in hospital under observation for several days.

Results
1. Mike di Meglio, France, Derbi, 41:08.708
2. Pol Espargaro, Spain, Derbi, 41:08.976
3. Gabor Talmacsi, Hungary, Aprilia, 41:09.046
4. Stefan Bradl, Germany, Aprilia, 41:18.473
5. Simone Corsi, Italy, Aprilia, 41:18.849
Other KTM
10. Marc Marquez, Spain, Repsol KTM 125 cc, 41:27.670
13. Tomoyoshi Koyama, Japan, ISPA KTM Aran, 41:33.721
15. Randy Krummenacher, Switzerland, Red Bull KTM 125, 41:33.896
Raffaele De Rosa, Italy, Onde 2000 KTM, DNF
Lorenzo Zanetti, Italy, ISPA KTM Aran, DNF
Pablo Nieto, Spain, Onde 2000 KTM, DNF

Standings
1. Mike De Meglio, France, 112 points
2. Simone Corsi, Italy, 98
3. Stefan Bradl, Germany, 77
4. Nicolas Terol, Spain, 75
5. Pol Espargaro, Spain, 75
Other KTM
15. Raffaele De Rosa, Italy, 22
19. Pablo Nieto, Spain, 11
20. Marc Marquez, Spain, 10
21. Lorenzo Zanetti, Italy, 9
22. Esteve Rabat, Spain, 9
23. Tomoyoshi Koyama, Japan, 9
24. Randy Krummenacher, Switzerland, 7

Source: KTM-Sportmotorcycle AG

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