Sensational double podium for Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS at Aragon
Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS riders Franco Morbidelli and Álex Márquez scored a sensational double podium in today's Aragon Grand Prix, the 14th round of the Moto2 World Championship.
It was a special day for local favourite Márquez with the 20-year-old Spaniard claiming a career first Moto2 podium with a superb second place. It was an emotional celebration in parc ferme for Márquez both with his team and elder brother Marc Márquez, the double MotoGP World Champion.
In a breathtaking finish Márquez edged his fast-finishing teammate Franco Morbidelli by just three hundredths of a second at the end of the 21-lap encounter at Motorland Aragon.
Márquez rode a fast and tactical race from the front row of the grid to control second place from the opening lap behind eventual race winner Sam Lowes. He only came under threat with three laps remaining when Morbidelli closed to within 0.7s as he began his late race dash.
The final corner on the last lap was a nervous moment for Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS as Morbidelli briefly went ahead before Márquez reclaimed second place as the pair took the chequered flag virtually side-by-side.
Morbidelli's third place was his fourth podium of the season and a deserving reward for a tenacious performance from eighth on grid against main rivals Thomas Lüthi, Takaaki Nakagami and Álex Rins.
Álex Márquez: 2nd
“I am really happy to finally be on the podium now in my second season in Moto2, last year was not easy for me. I know that a result like this can really build my confidence so this is an important moment for me. At the beginning of the race I felt really good and was able to follow the pace of Sam Lowes. At the end I was struggling a little with rear grip and it was difficult but I was prepared for Franco when I saw him inside on the final corner. I want to thank the team for believing in me; I know it is not easy when a rider has had a lot of crashes. Now I want to keep this level for the next race in Japan.”
Franco Morbidelli: 3rd
“I had just one chance to try and overtake Álex and it was at the final corner on the last lap and it was a great feeling to arrive to him because I was far behind early in the race. My start position was not the best and this was a pity because I had the race pace but I'm happy because this result shows the team is capable of being constantly at the top level.
Michael Bartholemy: Team Principal
“This has been a fantastic day and our first double podium since 2014 and flashback to that great season. The pace was very high early in the race and Álex did an excellent job to control second and I'm very happy for him to secure his first podium in Moto2. Franco was penalised by his starting position but he rode a very strong race from eighth and for sure if he had qualified on the front he would have been challenging for the race win today.”