STRONG RECOVERY AFTER TOUGH START FOR ARBOLINO IN AUSTIN

Tony Arbolino produced a good fightback from a tricky first corner to finish in 11th place, while Filip Salac came home in 15th.

Austin’s iconic Circuit of the Americas played host to the 3rd race of the 2024 Moto2 World Championship, and boasted a strong race day attendance on Sunday.

Elf Marc VDS Racing Team riders Tony Arbolino and Filip Salac had to race in slightly cooler, conditions compared to the previous days, under an overcast sky and in ambient temperatures of 24 degrees.

Having salvaged 11th place in qualifying on Saturday, Tony ran in hot to the race’s 1st turn and was shuffled back to 18th as a result.

The 23-year old lost another place on the 2nd lap, but then launched his comeback. Despite not feeling totally comfortable, Tony managed to gain 8 places to finish 11th.

The result puts Tony 15th in the World Championship with 9 points.

 Starting from 20th, Filip knew a strong start was key to his chances of scoring points. He got away well, and gained 3 places on lap 1, and found himself in 16th on lap 2.

In his first race in 5 weeks, the 22-year old was cautious not to burn up his rear tyre in the early laps and managed to pick up a further place by the chequered flag.

Filip’s 1st point of the season puts him 22nd in the World Championship standings.

TONY ARBOLINO, 11th

“Honestly, it was a strange Sunday. I made a big mistake on the first lap in the first corner, where I went really wide. I looked back, came back on the racing line and there was almost no one behind me! This made my race really difficult and I had to fight hard from there. The feeling on the bike was a bit better than yesterday so we definitely made an improvement. We’ll start the, let’s say, second stage of the championship in Jerez with a different mindset. We’ll try to work this week with the crew and the crew chief to make a plan for there but I’m confident we can turn this around!”

 FILIP SALAC, 15th

“It was a difficult race. It almost felt like the first race for us this season, as I was fully fit for the first time. I had a good start and then I tried to keep calm in the laps that followed and not be so aggressive with the rear tyre. Maybe I was a little too calm! In the end we scored our first point of the year but this isn’t the position we want to be in – not just for me, but the team as well. We need to keep working hard in Jerez. Thanks to the guys for all the hard work they’re doing and I’m really excited to get to Spain now. The Jerez test after the race will also be very important for us so we’ll keep our heads held high and head to the next one!”