Back

AUSTRIAN LUKAS TRAUTMANN STEALS CLOSE RACE TWO AT SACHSENRING!

published at 08.07.2012 / created by Marcia Hill

Austria’s Lukas Trautmann emerged the winner in a heart-stopping finish against Italy’s Stefano Manzi who crossed the line 0.003 second ahead of his rival to take victory in one of the most exciting Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup battles ever. Third was Saturday's winner Scott Deroue ahead of Cup leader Florian Alt.

This was a 16-lap race that was unpredictable and thrilling with reversals of fortune at almost every turn. Championship leader Florian Alt led at the start of the final lap in front of Czech rider Karel Hanika and Belgian Livio Loi. The lead pack of more than 10 riders had traded places all the way through the race and there was no let-up in the final circuit.

Loi took the lead and defended well for the first half of the lap but through the ultra fast change of direction before the downhill drop to the final corners he came together with Alt and Deroue. This allowed to Trautmann to seize the advantage and he charged down the hill ahead of the pack. Trautmann then had a huge slide exiting the penultimate corner and Manzi slipped into second at the last turn. The two flashed past the finish so close to each other than no-one was really sure who had won the race.

Lukas Trautmann: "Such hard fighting all the way, I have never been in a race like this. I know the lap times were not as quick as we did in free practice and I think that it is because the thunderstorm washed all the rubber off the track and the grip wasn't there. Also by the end of the race the rear tire was well worn.”

German Willi Albert, second yesterday was in the running for another finish but he clipped the back of Trautmann's bike and crashed out. Philipp Oettl who had started the race just 10 points behind Alt had to retire with technical problems and relinquished second place in the standings to Deroue who trails Alt by nine points.

Results Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Sachsenring Race Two
All riders on KTM 125 RR machines
1. Lukas Trautmann (A), 29:34.923 min
2. Stefano Manzi (I), 29:34.926
3. Scott Deroue (NL), 29:35.395
4. Florian Alt (D), 29:35.556
5. Marcos Ramirez (E), 29:35.650
6. Ivo Lopes (P), 29:35.793
7. Livio Loi (B), 29:35.894
8. Jorge Martin (E), 29:36.006
9. Karel Hanika (CZ), 29:36.031
10. Bradley Ray (GB), 29:36.089

Standings Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup after 10 of 15 races
1. Alt, 157 points
2. Deroue, 148
3. Philipp Oettl (D), 134
4. Ramirez, 97
5. Lopes, 90
6. Hanika, 87
7. Ray, 78
8. Trautmann, 70
9. Kyle Ryde (GB), 66
10. Lorenzo Baldassarri (I), 64