Disappointed Tom Lüthi (4th) is not giving up
Finishing fourth in the Moto2 Grand Prix of Aragon, with Franco Morbidelli on the top step of the podium, Tom Lüthi (carXpert Interwetten) lost a couple of points in the duel between him and his future team mate in MotoGP in the hunt for the Moto2 2017 title. After an excellent start and beginning of the race, the Swiss rider did not manage to stay with the race leaders. The gap between himself and Morbidelli, with four races remaining – 100 points – is now 21 points. 21st and 23rd respectively, the two Garage Plus Interwetten riders, Iker Lecuona and Jesko Raffin were split between the good and the bad. A sum up of this hot day, with a delay due to fog and low visibility around MotorLand Aragon this Sunday morning, with Frederic Corminboeuf, the boss of CGBM Evolution, the company that aligns the two Swiss teams on the Moto2 World Championship grid: “The whole weekend we were chasing these two to three tenths of a second that we never found. Unfortunately, when you lose them on the first day, you do not find them on Sunday. Tom has lost valuable points against our biggest rival, however, we still have 4 races left that should suit us. But we will need to go faster not calculate. For our two other riders the race was quite similar. Iker started well, then lost contact for four or five laps before he found a pace that would have allowed him to fight for a twelve to fifteenth position. Jesko was the same. He was tense at the beginning of the race before he relaxed and we need to remember the second half of the race, where he would have been able to fight for the points.”
He said…
Thomas Luthi (carXpert Interwetten ,4th):
“I was pushing really hard the whole race. I had a good start and found myself in the leading group straight away. When Morbidelli pulled away I tried to push even harder to stay with him but it did not work. Same with Pasini and Oliveira. I was completely on the limit. Today we could not expect more than this fourth position. It was difficult for me to exit corners because I did not have enough rear grip. Our pace the whole weekend was simply not enough. On the brakes and in corner entries I had to take many risks. I made it but it was impossible to go faster. I am disappointed but I am not giving up.”
Alcañiz (Spain). GP of Aragon Moto2: 1. Morbidelli (ITA, Kalex), 21 laps, 40’09.904 (159.200 km/h); 2. Pasini (ITA, Kalex), + 0.145; 3. Oliveira (POR, KTM), + 0.577; 4. Lüthi (SWI, Kalex, carXpert Interwetten), + 4.180; 5. B. Binder (RSA, KTM), + 4.331; 6. Navarro (SPA, Kalex), + 7.328; 7. Corsi (ITA, Speed Up), 7.597; 8. Nakagami (JPN, Kalex), + 7.630; 9. Cortese (GER, Suter), + 10.973; 10. Bagnaia (ITA, Kalex), + 12.657; 11. Quartararo (FRA, Kalex), + 12.904; 12. Aegerter (SWI, Suter), + 16.107; 13. Baldassari (ITA, Kalex), + 21.243; 14. Vierge (SPA, Tech 3), + 21.314; 15. Manzi (ITA, Kalex), + 22.583. Further: 21. Lecuona (SPA, Kalex, Garage Plus Interwetten), + 29.042; 23. Raffin (SWI, Kalex, Garage Plus Interwetten), + 31.765. 27 classified.
World championship standing (14/18): 1. Morbidelli, 248 points; 2. Lüthi (carXpert Interwetten), 227; 3. Oliveira, 157; 4. A. Marquez (SPA, Kalex), 155; 5. Bagnaia, 130; 6. Pasini, 124; 7. Nakagami, 117; 8. Corsi, 95; 9. Aegerter, 92; 10. Binder, 67. Further: 24. Raffin (Garage Plus Interwetten), 11. 33 classified.
