Tom Lüthi (3rd): ninth podium in eleven races
For the ninth time in this season of eleven courses, Tom Lüthi (carXpert Interwetten) has climbed the podium. After a constant battle between Alex Marquez and Franco Morbidelli, the Swiss has tried everything and showed some impressive brake power skills. The positions kept changing in this head-to-head threesome. Even though Lüthi has to make up 9 more points to the current world championship leader, he’s once again proved he’s at the top of the game. No matter the conditions or the tracks. After two days of trying hard, Jesko Raffin (Garage Plus Interwetten) has managed to finish the race as a solid #18. In contrast, his Spanish team mate Iker Lecuona (Garage Plus Interwetten wasn’t lucky. He crashed into the stands the first turn. He finished the race on the 21st and therefore last position. Frédéric Corminboeuf, owner of the Swiss teams, is really satisfied: « Nine podiums in eleven courses, that’s something really exceptional. Tom might have been a little bit faster than his opponents but all his always attempts ended in the same spot on the race track. He had a some doubts and was taken advantage of there. But that aggressiveness! He really wanted it and he was focused all the time – positive stuff here! Jesko found the light at the end of the tunnel which he desperately needed. We will continue working with his moral so that he’ll find his way back to his true drive. He will need it in two weeks. Changing to Iker: what a shame. He was ninth in the try outs. He even had the same difference in the warm-up and his rhythm was interesting. He was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, that’s racing.”
He said…
Thomas Lüthi (carXpert Interwetten, 3rd):
«What a race, what a spectacle! I imagine it was a pleasure to watch, wasn’t it? There were some inconsistencies between Alex and me. Both of us thought that we were a little bit faster than the other and that’s why we hampered each other. It’s sad because we had the same idea: get back at Frankie in this fight in the last lap. Everyone has already seen me struggling several times in the third curve. Since the beginning of the weekend, I’d been having difficulties braking at the right moment and I had to take a bigger risk every time to be ahead of Marquez. I lost some points and am currently a little bit further away from Morbidelli. But the championship is still on for quite some time. Franco was able to drive his rhythm and I have to congratulate him on that. Everyone knows that he’s difficult to beat but a lot of things can happen in the remaining time.”
Spielberg (Austria). GP of Austria Moto2: 1. Morbidelli (ITA, Kalex), 25 laps, 37’39.370 (172.000 km/h); 2. A. Marquez (SPA, Kalex), + 1.312; 3. Lüthi (SWI, Kalex, carXpert Interwetten), + 2.544; 4. Bagnaia (ITA, Kalex), + 3.070; 5. Pasini (ITA, Kalex), + 3.745; 6. Nakagami (JPN, Kalex), + 8.827; 7. B. Binder (RSA, KTM), + 9.018; 8. Navarro (SPA, Kalex), + 13.692; 9. Aegerter (SWI, Suter), + 14.955; 10. Syahrin (MAL, Kalex), + 18.997; 11. Corsi (ITA, Speed Up), + 21.887; 12. Nagashima (JPN, Kalex), + 22.028; 13. A. Pons (SPA, Kalex), + 23.008; 14. E. Pons (SPA, Kalex), + 23.290; 15. R. Gardner (AUS, Tech3), + 25.128. Further: 18. Raffin (SWI, Kalex, Garage Plus Interwetten), + 40.110 ; 21. Lecuona (SPA, Kalex, Garage Plus Interwetten), + 2 Runden. 21 classified.
World Championship (11/18): 1. Morbidelli, 207 Points; 2. Lüthi (carXpert Interwetten), 181; 3. A. Marquez, 153; 4. Oliveira (POR, KTM), 133; 5. Bagnaia, 100; 6. Pasini, 84; 7. Nakagami, 79; 8. Corsi, 68; 9. Aegerter, 57; 10. Marini (ITA, Kalex), 54. Further: 27. Raffin (Garage Plus interwetten), 5. 32 classified.
