Ducati Team scores a fantastic 1-2 victory at Silverstone. Nika Raskov takes the chequered flag ahead of Alex Castori at first race of 2045.
It was an all-Italian podium at the premier race of MotoGP. Newly promoted long-time Ducati test rider and two-time MotoGT Champion Nika Raskov won the day followed by Pole-setter Castori and Yamaha’s Antoni Rizza. Five-times MotoGP Champion Castori and reigning Champion Rizza picked up where they left off last season and battled tightly for most of the race leaving Raskov to pull away alone at the front after a wide pass against the two in the early stages of the day.
Honda’s Yoshi Taka was next in fourth followed by KTM rider Thomas Jorgenssen, Team Suzuki’s Pierce Dakkett and ousted Ducati rider James Hargrave on the second Yamaha Works bike. If the season’s first race is any indicator, 2045 is set to be a thrilling year for motorcycling’s premier racing class.
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Castori back on top in Qatar as Honda’s Yoshi Taka splits Ducati duo.
Round 2 under the lights of the Losail International Circuit lived up to the hype as just two-tenths separated the top three. Alex Castori rode a brilliant race from Pole while teammate Nika Raskov traded laps to end in third as Taka managed to hold on to second at the end.
Rizza battled fading tyres but managed to hold onto fourth followed by a gapped pack of Jorgenssen, Dakket, Honda’s Anna Hamilton and Hargrave.
Ducati riders maintain three straight podiums at Argentina GP while field shuffles in wet weekend.
Nika Raskov continued to impress at Autodromo Termas do Rio Hondo as she looked very comfortable in the wet. Ducati teammate Alex Castori turned in a slippery race ahead of Antoni Rizza of Yamaha Works. The podium trio again ran away from the rest of the pack, a good chunk of whom fell out in a chaotic turn five scrum midway through. Honda’s Anna Hamilton emerged unscathed to pilot her way into fourth while Yamaha satellite rider Payton Mathiasson was right behind...
Raskov holds clinic at Circuit of the Americas.
The front markers finished well spaced for the podium. Rizza and Castori again chasing Nika Raskov who at 3.5 seconds clear of the dueling pair, pulled her front wheel up to cheering fans as she crossed the line. Perhaps the new kid in town is winning friends in the stands after all.
Yoshi Taka just missed out on...
Italian Grand Prix sees Raskov take fifth at home circuit of Mugello.
The Italian Grand Prix crowned another native victor as Nika Raskov extended her consecutive winning streak to five. The day also saw Alex Castori take home a trophy while Antoni Rizza squared off the all-Italian podium for the seventh time this season. Raskov sits comfortably atop the Rider’s Championship board while Ducati also enjoy the lead in the manufacturer’s category.
Assen TT sees Castori, Rizza and Taka take top spots at drama-filled weekend.
Alex Castori and Antoni Rizza ran away from the field once more with Taka unable to do anything but chase for a distant third. Notably missing was Ducati frontrunner Nika Raskov, who was taken out in a horrific crash during Friday’s FP1; a rude ending to her run of five straight victories.
Having inspected the machines involved and finding no mechanical cause to fault, Race Direction imposed a five-grid penalty on Yamaha’s James Hargrave for causing the incident as well as adding a point to his racing license for unsafe maneuvering. Raskov was released from hospital early Sunday but was not cleared to race after failing to clear MotoGP concussion protocols.
Heated words were said to have been exchanged between the Ducati and Yamaha sides after Hargrave’s dismissive comments during Friday’s press conference were lacking any sort of apology. Raskov’s statement given Sunday about the collision was ‘...to wish James all the luck in the world as he learns how to ride a racing bike.’ Hargrave was absent from a scheduled press conference post-sanction and Yamaha PR has declined to comment beyond their initial statement made Friday; ‘Hoping Raskov recovers fully from her accident.’
MotoGP action returns at the legendary Sachsenring after a three-week testing break.