Salač scored 14th again in the abbreviated Grand Prix of Portugal

The Moto2 race in Portimao was significantly affected by the weather. At the beginning of the ninth of the 23 laps on the wet track, almost a dozen riders in the leading group crashed and the race was stopped. He was restarted for seven laps, but the competitors involved in the accident could no longer go to it because they did not reach the depot within the set limit. One motorcycle even caught fire.

Only 17 competitors, including Salač, set out on the track again. The Czech rider started the original race from 19th place and fell into the top ten, but he avoided the fall and could continue after the break. After the restart, however, Salač, like his Gresini Racing teammate Alessandro Zaccone, probably paid for the wrong choice of tires and lost significantly. They finished in the last two places and scored only due to the falls of the riders in front of them. Twenty-year-old Salač repeated his best result in 14th place after transferring to Moto2, which he recorded two weeks ago in Austin.

“We agreed with the team to ride on wet tires. It was a mistake, I prayed it would rain, but it didn’t work out. Now we’re the whole team behind fools, but if it rained, we’d be on the podium. to seduce anyone, we are one team, “Salac said in a press release.

He did not have a “slicky” chance with his wet tires against his opponents on the dry track, he lost almost two minutes on the forehead. “It was impossible to ride on wet tires, it slipped a lot. Whoever experienced it knows what it is like. I am glad that I at least overtook my teammate,” added the only Czech participant in the World Championships.

Joe Roberts, who became the first American middle class winner since 1990 and the first in 11 years in any category, finished first in his non-standard race. Italian Celestino Vietti increased his lead in the World Cup to 20 points thanks to second place.

Quartararo won the MotoGP race ahead of compatriot Johann Zarc. Thanks to the first victory of the season, the defending champion has moved to the top of the world championships. With a gain of 69 points, he shares the lead with the Spaniard Álex Rins, who, after starting from 23rd position, fought his way to fourth place in Portimao.

Quartararo finished his first victory since last August with a sovereign lead of more than five seconds over Zarc, who started from pole position. The fight for the podium for Jack Miller and the previous year’s champion Joan Mira, who chased Quartarar with Zarc, ended in a collision and a fall, but seven laps before the end the Australian fell in a turn and knocked down the Spanish rider.