While the lion's share of the attention at Sunday's MotoGP round at the Masaryk Circuit in Brno, Czech Republic was on the premier class, the Moto3 category saw Mahindra Racing score a 1-2 finish with its MGP30. One was racing under the colours of its sister brand Peugeot in the hands of John McPhee and the other was an Aspar Mahindra bike ridden by Jorge Martin.
Both riders are normally not victory contenders - lying 15th and 18th in the Moto3 rider's standings even after the Czech GP - but Sunday saw anything but normal conditions as rain lashed the 5.403km circuit, allowing lower placed riders to overcome their bikes' dry weather weaknesses and steal a march on their rivals through strategy. Not unlike MotoGP's Cal Crutchlow, who managed to best the factory Yamaha and Honda machines ridden by Valentino Rossi and Marc Marquez on board his LCR-Honda.
It is not the first win for the MGP30, however, as Mahindra has tasted victory at Assen earlier in the year. But a double podium finish not too long after their first win came as encouragement for the Indian manufacturer's maturing motorcycle racing program.
Martin's second place finish was the fifth podium of the year for the Spanish owned Aspar Mahindra outfit, for whom Franceso Bagnaia scored the afore mentioned victory at Assen.
The factory Mahindra Racing team, however, has only competed in one round of the championship so far when Stefano Manzi and Marco Bezzecchi competed at the Austrian GP. Manzi finished 20th while Bezzecchi retired from the race.
Write your Comment