LOI WINS CAREER FIRST RED BULL MOTOGP ROOKIES CUP RACE AT BRNO

As usual for the Rookies, the race provided non-stop drama right from the opening staged but unfortunately was eventually red flagged following an accident after 11 of the planned 14 laps. Following Loi was American Joe Roberts in second and Italian Stefano Manzi finished third.

It was clear from the outset that the race would be a typical hard fought, tooth and nail affair with riders like Loi, who have emerged as front runners this weekend, jostling alongside the main title contenders as the competition goes down to the wire.

The first shock of the afternoon was when local hero and winner of yesterday’s race, Czech rider Karen Hanika made an undignified exit in the opening phase. He hit the edge of the wet Astroturf lining the circuit and exited the track. Hanika scrambled back into the race but he was never going to be a contender from that point on.

Early front runners were the championship favorites Florian Alt (Germany) and Scott Deroue of Netherlands, but Roberts, who won here last year, Jorge Martin (Spain), Lukas Trautmann (Austria) and a number of others made sure no-one was able to make the break in the first half of the race. The young riders swept into the wide curves of the circuit on their identical KTM 125 RR machines in multiples of four or five in what was shaping up to be another nail biting affair.


But then in Lap 8, Loi found something extra and, looking relaxed on the bike he slipped into the lead and immediately went more than a second in front. From then on he steadily built on his lead and when he was four seconds in front it was Deroue’s turn to exit the race and end his chances of closing the gap on points leader Alt in this race. Shortly after, another crash resulted in the race being red flagged after eleven of 14 planned laps.



The red flag incident was when Spain’s Jorge Martin and Willi Albert crashed and required medical attention at the trackside. Martin broke his left collarbone and bones, Albert was concussed in the same incident and complained of pain in his right shoulder so has been taken to hospital for further checks.

A more serious accident occurred in Saturday’s race when 15-year-old French rider Simon Danilo crashed on the last lap. He was air lifted to the Brno Hospital for further treatment.


Results Red Bull Rookies MotoGP Cup Brno – Race 2
All riders on KTM 125 RR machines
1. Livio Loi (B), 22:26.725 min
2. Joe Roberts (USA), +5.947 sec
3. Stefano Manzi (I), +5.990
4. Florian Alt (D), +6.037
5. Lukas Trautmann (A), +6.093
6. Lorenzo Baldassarri (I), +6.228
7. Bradley Ray (GB), +6.287
8. Ivo Lopes (P), +7.626
9. Hafiq Azmi (MAL), +7.675
10. Diego Perez (E), +7.692

Standings Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup after 12 of 15 rounds
1. Alt, 186 points
2. Scott Deroue (NL), 155
3. Philipp Oettl (D), 140
4. Marcos Ramirez (E), 114
5. Karel Hanika (CZ), 112

Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup