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A complicated race in Australia for the Leopard Racing Team: Dalla Porta makes a great comeback from the 20th on the grid until the provisional leadership of the race, before making a mistake at the Corner 2; Bestia resists and fight in the large leading group by crossing the finish line in eighth place.
Sunday morning opened once again in this weekend with low temperatures (12°c air / 19°c ground) on 4,4 km of the Phillip Island Circuit, venue of the seventeenth round of the 2018 season. The Leopard Racing Team duo, Enea Bastianini & Lorenzo Dalla Porta, started the day on the right foot and closed the Warm Up session side by side in 5th and 6th.
At 13 o’clock local time, the traffic lights of the Australian Grand Prix switched off and the battle began, with Bestia & Lore trapped inside the traffic of the large group of Moto3 class. On Lap3 Dalla Porta overtook his teammate and faced the Top10, also scoring the fastest lap of the race.
The Tuscan rider challenged to a duel with the Spaniard Masia, then, with a series of amazing breaking, he jumped ahead very close to the Top5. From behind, the rivals didn’t give up and closed the gap: among these guys, also Enea Bastianini who fight within the points zone. On the Lap10, Dalla Porta took over the lead in, followed by his compatriots Arbolino & Foggia.
But in the following lap, at the Corner 2, Lorenzo lost the front and must say goodbye to his dreams of glory. There were falls and twists, with the 17 leading riders enclosed in +0.3s only! Within 5 laps to go, Bastianini entered the Top10 fighting against the championship leader Martin. The Leopard Racing struggled with the knife between his teeth, but he was on the outside throughout the last corner and crossed the finish line in eighth.
In the World Championships Bastianini raises to 150 points, followed by his teammate Lorenzo Dalla Porta who, despite today's zero, retains his 5th overall position. The MotoGP show returns next week at the Sepang International Circuit, where the 2018 Malaysia Motorcycle Grand Prix will be held.
#33 Enea BASTIANINI – 8th
“It was a really complicated race, I had a few grip and I didn’t exit from the corner at my best: in these conditions it was difficult to get the right slipstream. In the last three laps I got back well, but I was outside on the last corner and I couldn’t do more.”
#48 Lorenzo DALLA PORTA – NC
“Such a shame because I started from behind but I was able to get a good rhythm coming up to the front. Unfortunately I made a mistake while I was leading the race: I want to apologize to whole my team. The bike was very fast and I felt at ease, I was sure I could conquer another podium today. We will make it up in Malaysia!”
Moto3™ Race – Australian Grand Prix 2018:
1 – A. Arenas / SPA / Angel Nieto Team / KTM / 23 laps
2 – F. Di Giannantonio / ITA / Del Conca Gresini / Honda / +0.052
3 – C. Vietti / ITA / Sky Racing VR46 / KTM / +0.059
8 – E. Bastianini / ITA / Leopard Racing / Honda / +0.235
NB – L. Dalla Porta / ITA / Leopard Racing / Honda / +11 laps
Moto3™ Riders World Standing 2018:
1 – Jorge Martin / 215
2 – Marco Bezzecchi / 203
3 – Fabio Di Giannantonio / 195
4 – Enea BASTIANINI / 150
5 – Lorenzo DALLA PORTA / 131
Moto3™ Teams World Standing 2018:
1 – Del Conca Gresini / 410
2 – Redox Pruestel GP / 318
3 – LEOPARD RACING / 281
4 – Angel Nieto Team / 176
5 – Estrella Galicia / 164
Source: Leopard Racing
Photo Credit: Leopard Racing