Rd.11 NEROGIARDINI MOTORRAD GRAND PRIX VON ÖSTERREICH: Sunday, August 13, 2017
Weather: Dry
Ambient: 21℃ / Track: 33℃
IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia rider Takaaki Nakagami’s competitive rhythm led him to 6th place at the Austrian Grand Prix today. Teammate Khairul Idham Pawi finished the race in 17th place.
At 12:20 pm (GMT +2), Nakagami started from the 12th grid. In the opening lap, a multiple rider pile-up at Turn 1 created a gap to the lead group. The Japanese rider kept his composure and steadily reduced the distance. He reached the checkered flag for 6th place scoring ten championship points.
From 31st on the grid, Pawi had a good start, moving to 19th by the end of Lap 1. He kept consistent pace and crossed the finish line just two places off the top 15.
The next Moto2 round, the British Grand Prix commences on August 25 at Silverstone circuit, with Free Practice 1 starting at 10:55 local time (GMT +1).
Takaaki Nakagami (6th, 37’48.197 / +8.827)
“Right after the start, there was a multi pile-up just in front of me. I was able to come through this confusion and pushed hard until the end of the race. We can say it was a good race because it was a difficult weekend. This weekend I feel I’m getting my competitiveness back. For the next race in Silverstone, we will try harder to fight for the podium.”
Khairul Idham Pawi (17th, 38’13.301 / +33.931)
“We made small adjustments in the Warm Up. It gave me confidence with the front. If we had made this adjustment earlier this weekend, we could’ve expected better results. Anyway, I gained more good experience this weekend and learned many things. We will try harder next weekend.”
Tadayuki Okada – Team Manager
“Although Taka could not catch the lead group, he set a very consistent pace to move up through the field from a lower grid start. He’s now overcoming his struggle and is regaining competitiveness. Pawi improved his best lap time during the race and set a consistent pace. He learned a lot from this weekend’s experience, and I am happy about that, too.”