Brian Uriarte scored a sensational victory with a 6th to 5th gear masterstroke on the final, incredible, passing inundated lap of Assen. Taking Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Race 1 in the Netherlands and the Cup lead.
The 15-year-old Spaniard led Rico Salmela (2nd) and Valentin Perrone (3rd) in a flash across the line with just one second covering the top 8 KTMs.
9 riders went into the race needing to perform long lap penalties after issues in practice, mainly slow and inconsiderate riding. This reorganised the lead group in the early laps but the fastest riders like pole man Alvaro Carpe, Salmela and Perrone soon got back to the front.
Carpe fought to hold the lead for much of the race but had shown his cards and got trumped on the final lap.
Uriarte had the answer up his sleeve
“As I said yesterday, there was no plan before the race because it just gets so crazy. I rode a lot on my own in practice and I felt I had a really good flow here. I felt that in the race too, I was really comfortable. I did have a big front wheel slide, saved it, a bit of skill, a good bit of luck.”
“Alvaro was fast through the final section but as I followed him I realised that he was doing the last very fast left-hander in 6th and I was doing it in 5th. That gave me the better drive down to the chicane.”
“I didn’t want to show him earlier, on the last lap I went for it and got in front of him before that. I knew I had it then he would not get past.”
Salmela missed by 0.112 seconds
“It wasn’t easy starting with a long lap penalty but I felt confident all race and I didn’t need to rush to go to the front,” stated the 16-year-old Finn. “I tried to stick with Carpe and Perrone all race. Carpe had a good speed, I felt like I could have gone faster but I didn’t want to fight too much.”
“The last lap didn’t go like I wanted, I had a good slipstream down the back straight, got in a good position but was not quite close enough to Brian down to the chicane at the end to go for it. But still, P2 is not bad.”
Perrone podiums
“I’m happy about this race because yesterday I made some mistakes in Qualifying and I got a long lap penalty,” explained the Argentine 16-year-old. “But in the race, I did the long lap so fast and I caught the lead group back quickly and I was in P2 to P5 all the laps.
“In the last lap, I lost some positions in the last corner because there was almost a collision but I made a good exit and overtook Carpe and made the podium, for tomorrow I will try to do even better.”
Veda Pratama an impressive 4th
“I’m really happy with the result for Race 1,” enthused the 15-year-old Indonesian. “In the last lap, I tried to get on the podium but I missed a gear exiting a corner into the fast section before the finish and then I shifted and touched someone so lost places. I finished P4 and I’m still happy but I want more tomorrow.”
Ruche Moodley loses early advantage
“When I got to the front I tried to push hard so that it would break up the group a little bit,” explained the South African 17-year-old. “I thought that I had the pace from yesterday. But when they came back from the long lap penalty I got passed and dropped too far back. So tomorrow I need to pass someone as soon as they pass me and not allow myself to drop back.”
Carpe clipped at the finish
“I was running a good pace with a lot of confidence,” stated the Spanish 17-year-old who still holds 3rd in the points table.” I had to do the long lap but then in less than 2 laps I caught the group and I led almost all the race. But then on the last lap, 2 riders overtook me in the back straight out of the slipstream.”
“Then one more on the brakes into the chicane on the last lap. Then another rider touched me quite hard, at the last corner. I am happy to take P6 because it could be a lot worse, it could have been a nasty crash.”
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