Foggia Battles To Important Top-Ten Finish
Autódromo Internacional do AlgarveItalians Andrea Migno (Rivacold Snipers Team Honda NSF250RW) and Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing Honda NSF250RW) were Honda’s top performers in today’s fifth round of the 2022 Moto3 World Championship, finishing seventh and eighth at the end of a hectic 21-lap race.
Today gave the Moto3 grid its first taste of a dry racetrack this weekend, after both days of practice and qualifying were spoiled by heavy rain and strong winds.
Foggia went into the race leading the title chase following consecutive podiums at the last three races – victory in Indonesia and runner-up finishes in Argentina and the USA. However, the 21-year-old struggled to find a good feeling in Friday’s and Saturday’s soaking conditions, leaving him 12th on the grid.
The early laps of the race were even more complicated – on laps two and three Foggia had slipped back to 17th. Once into the groove he did start moving forward. Finally he joined the huge pack of riders fighting for sixth and made some great passing manoeuvres to finish eighth, 2.4 seconds behind Migno. He is now second on points, only one point off the lead and 16 races still to go.
Migno had to work hard just as hard for this result, because he started the race alongside Foggia on the fourth row. The 26-year-old now holds fourth in the championship, with the leaders very much within reach.
Impressive rookie Scott Ogden (VisionTrack Racing Team Honda NSF250RW) finished 13th, equalling his second-best result after finishing 12th in the USA, the 18-year-old Briton learning plenty as he battled in the group of much more experienced riders. He crossed the finish line a fraction behind Riccardo Rossi (Sic58 Squadra Corse Honda NSF250RW) and Tatsuki Suzuki (Leopard Racing Honda NSF250RW).
Front-row starter Lorenzo Fellon (Sic58 Squadra Corse Honda NSF250RW) completed the race in 14th.
Rookie Mario Suryo Aji (Honda Team Asia Honda NSF250RW) also scored a front-row start in yesterday’s wet qualifying session and ran with the leaders in the early laps of today’s race. However, the 18-year-old Indonesian couldn’t quite match the pace of his rivals in the dry and he slipped back to 16th, one place and less than two tenths of a second outside the World Championship points.
Fellow rookie Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia Honda NSF250RW), riding in his third Grand Prix, had to start from the back of the grid after falling at the start of qualifying and therefore not recording a qualifying lap. Riding the Algarve International Circuit for the first time in the dry today didn’t make life any easier for the talented 16-year-old from Kanoya. He finished 25th.
The 2022 Moto3 series continues next weekend, with the Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez.
-thumb.png)
A tough race for me, but there have been many positive things this weekend. Maybe the final position doesn't reflect it, but I'm pleased with our work. At the beginning of the race, I stayed with the front group; it was my first time fighting with them. But in the second part of the race, the rear tyre dropped a lot because I pushed too hard in the corners. I repeat I’m happy; we keep working on a big handicap that we need to fix. We will be more often in front; we need time.
Today I enjoyed a lot on the race, after a complicated weekend. This morning, I rode in Portimao on the dry track for the first time. After three crashes during the weekend, it wasn't easy to push, finding the limits on dry. There have been a lot of first times this weekend. First time here, my first-time riding in the wet. As experience, it’s hard, but at the same time, it’s fantastic. It will help me a lot for the next rounds.
