End of an era for the Ángel Nieto Team in Valencia

2018-11-19 08:49
Karel Abraham finishes fourteenth in the team's final race in the MotoGP class. Álvaro Bautista crashes out of his Grand Prix swansong



The 2018 MotoGP World Championship came to an end with a dramatic Valencia GP, divided into two after a storm, in which Andrea Dovizioso took the victory. Nine riders crashed out of the last round of the year, as the Italian was joined on the podium by rostrum Álex Rins and Pol Espargaró. MotoGP World Champion Marc Márquez fell in the first section of the race and would not finish, whilst teammate Dani Pedrosa placed fifth in his final race.

The Ángel Nieto Team experienced the end of an era in Valencia, saying goodbye to their MotoGP participation with a fourteenth position for Karel Abraham. The Czech was able to fight with several riders in both parts of the race, but the appearance of rain in the final stages led him to focus on finishing and claiming points to round off the season. Álvaro Bautista could not cross the finish line in his last race in MotoGP, falling when inside the top ten after the restart. The Spaniard, who won a 125cc title with the team in 2006, was a 250cc runner-up in 2008, and holds 16 victories and 49 podiums, now faces a new challenge in the World Superbike Championship with Ducati.



14th Karel Abraham: "The race was very hard, because in the first part I was riding on a wet track and I was doing well against several top riders. When it started to rain, it became more difficult. In the second half I started well and I felt comfortable, but when it started to rain again I focused on finishing the race and getting back among the points. In the end, we finished, we took two points and I'm happy. This is a sad moment because I'm leaving the team with which I have spent two years, after some great moments with them. I will see them again in the paddock but it won't be the same. I'm very happy and I want to thank the Ángel Nieto Team for two great seasons. I hope that in the future our paths will cross again. The whole team are amazing and have done a great job. It feels bad to leave them, but the next chapter is waiting for us."

Álvaro Bautista (DNF): "It was a shame to end the season like that, but that's racing. In the end, these things happen in the wet. In the first race it started to rain too much and they did well to stop. In the second part I felt better, with more confidence, but at Turn 12 the rear stepped out and I was thrown off the bike. It has been a good year and we have to be happy with what we have achieved. I've loved the people in the World Championship during my time here, and I've received a lot of affection from the fans. I hope they continue to love me as much -or more- next year when I'm in Superbikes."

Source: Ángel Nieto Team

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