Mike Jones celebrates his first point in MotoGP with Avintia Racing

Australian Mike Jones played a starring role today at the Michelin Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix, finishing the race in 15^th place and celebrating his first ever MotoGP World Championship point. It was only the second race weekend for “Mad Mike” in the premier class with Avintia Racing, after taking the opportunity to replace Hector Barberá, who in return enjoyed two races with the official Ducati factory Team, replacing Andrea Iannone. After a good debut with the bike and the team in Japan, 22-year-old Jones did another impressive job at home, fighting to grab one point.

Jones’ MotoGP adventure comes to an end after this weekend, as Andrea Iannone will be back with Ducati in Sepang, which means Barbera’s return to the Avintia Racing garage. The Spaniard was unlucky and crashed in the race whilst fighting for the Top 10 with local hero Jack Miller. But in the last two races riding the Desmosedici GP 2016, he gained valuable experience with the bike that he will race next season.

The Michelin Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix was a nightmare for Loris Baz. He struggled during practice and qualifying to find the best set up of his bike in ever-changing conditions. His performance in today’s warm-up session was quite promising, but after just one lap in the race, the Avintia Racing rider was forced to retire due to some electronic issues on his bike. The Ducati engineers will check all the data to try to identify the problem and make sure it won’t happen again.

“It is an incredible feeling to get my first World Championship point in MotoGP, especially here at Phillip Island, my home track and in front of my home crowd. I’m very, very happy and very excited. It was a really great race for me. I made a big improvement in comparison to Motegi, I got a much better start and I got away with the guys at the back of the field. All in alI, I was able to gain a lot more experience and improve as a rider on this bike. On Friday and Saturday, it was difficult due to the mixed conditions and today really was the only dry day, so I just got 30 minutes in the warm-up to get ready for a dry race. It was difficult, but thanks to everybody in Avintia Racing and especially my crew, I was able to learn quick and adapt to the bike. This weekend has been good, and all I can say is thank you!”.

“It was a difficult race, because I was only able to lap in the dry in this morning’s warm-up and so for me all the race settings were completely new. After the start I made a recovery that took me into the group with Redding and Petrucci fighting for seventh place, but three laps from the end I made a mistake trying to pass Miller: I went too long, finished on the grass and crashed. It was really a pity, because today I tried to do my best, but it wasn’t sufficient. Again I’d like to thank Ducati, my team Avintia Racing, and everyone who gave me this chance. I didn’t have much luck but now I must look ahead and try and do better in the next two races”.

“Overall the weekend has been tough for me. The first two days, the weather was crazy and we couldn’t really work on the set up. After the warm-up today I had some good expectations, as my pace was quite encouraging. But then we had some electronic issues and my race was finished after just one lap. It is a real shame because today I had the pace to fight for a top 12 result. Now I have to forget this weekend and think about Sepang, where I want to score a good result to boost my confidence ahead of the final round in Valencia.”

Hector Barbera with Ducati Team once again – home GP for Mike Jones with Avintia Racing

Avintia Racing has arrived on Phillip Island and is ready to start the preparations for the Michelin Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix. As in Japan, Hector Barbera will be racing with the official Ducati Team, replacing Andrea Iannone, whilst Mike Jones will get a second ride with Avintia Racing and he will enjoy his first ever home race in the MotoGP class. The disciple of Troy Bayliss is extra excited ahead of this weekend and after a quick learning progress in Japan, he is aiming for further improvements on the island.

Loris Baz is also looking forward to get back to action, as Phillip Island is his favourite circuit. A good result on the ultra-fast track would be a welcome relief, since a lack of confidence prevented him from showing his true potential during the last few races.

“Phillip Island is a track that is good for my riding style, and it’s also good for the Desmosedici GP, because it has fast corners and other corners where the engine counts a lot. When I joined the Ducati Team at Motegi, it was all new for me: now I know the team and the bike better, and I know that we have everything we need to do well. The reality is that for me this is an incredible opportunity, and I’d like to thank Ducati and Avintia once again. Over the past few days I’ve been very calm, trying to take in all the information I picked up last weekend, but it’s obvious that we will be aiming to make a further step forward at Phillip Island.”

I’m looking forward to start the weekend, because this is my favourite race in the entire calendar. I love the circuit and we will see if we can get a good result. As usual at this time of the year, the weather conditions will be crucial at Phillip Island. There is a chance of cold temperatures that can make things difficult. We have to be smart and try to get the best set up for these conditions and we will have to work hard to get the best of Michelin’s tyre allocation. I’m sure that this track can help me to regain my confidence and I’ll push hard to get a good result for the team.”

“I’m very excited to be racing the second time in MotoGP at my home circuit on Phillip Island. It is fantastic to be racing with Avintia Racing and Ducati again, because I got to know the team last week when I raced with them at Motegi. It’
s great to have another opportunity with them on Phillip Island this weekend. I think things should be a little bit easier for me, as I know the circuit and I also know the bike, so hopefully things will go a bit smoother this weekend. I’m very excited because since it’s my home GP, there will be a lot of support and the atmosphere will be fantastic. I can’t wait to jump on the bike and get the weekend started.”

Avintia Racing riders leave Japan without reward

Avintia Racing started the Japanese Grand Prix with high expectations, as Hector Barbera was rewarded for his good season and rode injured Andrea Iannone’s Desmosedici GP inside the official Ducati Team. After qualifying eight yesterday, Barbera was aiming at a good result in the race today, but he lost the front in turn one on the ninth lap, when he was fighting with Pol Espargaro for the seventh place. He picked the bike up and finished the race, but without any options for the point rankings. Next week in Australia he will have another chance to show his potential with the factory team.

The race was not easy for Loris Baz either. He started from the back of the grid and although he improved his pace and reduced a gap of three seconds with Hiroshi Aoyama to just 0.8s on lap 19, he had to realize that he still isn’t in his best physical condition after two consecutive injuries. Finally, he was not able to fight for the championship point that seemed within reach in the battle with the Japanese rider. On positive result from this race is the fact that Loris got his confidence back, right in time ahead of the next race at Phillip Island, one of his favourite tracks where he did a great winter test.

Mike Jones, who got the opportunity to replace Barbera this weekend, finished his first race in MotoGP. The 22-year-old Australian got 18^th place and was really happy with the experience he had in Motegi. “Mad Mike” will ride Barbera’s bike at his home race in Phillip Island.

“For me it was a fantastic opportunity to ride the 2016 Desmosedici GP and race for a factory squad like the Ducati Team and so I want to thank both Ducati and Avintia Racing for giving me this opportunity. For me it was all new: in fact, I didn’t know either the bike or the guys in the team, but after every session the situation improved a lot. Unfortunately in the race I was not able to get a good start, especially because the clutch is very different to the one I normally use, and I immediately lost two positions. I took a bit of time to pass Petrucci and then I caught Pol Espargaro, who I tried to overtake several times, until I tried with even more decision and unfortunately I crashed. I feel bad about it because I think that today I could have finished in fifth or sixth place. In any case I picked the bike up to finish the race, but in the crash the two wings had broken off and I was no longer able to ride it well. However it was a great experience and I am very happy that I have been given another chance next week at Phillip Island.”

“I got my confidence back during the first ten laps. But when I’m riding the bike I feel that I’m on the limit, and then I see the lap times and I’m far away from the pace. One positive thing from today is that I gained a better feeling and my race pace was better than ever this weekend. Negative is that we are still far from where we should be. I also realized that my physical condition is not at 100%, because when I caught Aoyama, I had no more energy left. Now we go to Phillip Island, a track I love and where I was fast during the winter test. I’ll have some days to relax and train before the race, so I hope to improve and to be competitive again.”

“I’m very happy and I can’t believe the experience of finishing my first ever MotoGP race. It was fantastic to be part of the Avintia Racing Ducati team this weekend. They worked so hard to help me learn so much, but definitely I gained more experience through the race. My start wasn’t very good. We tried a practice start in the warm-up this morning and I felt really, really good, but we changed the clutch for the race and when I went to do the race start it felt different, so I really struggled with the start. Once I got going, I tried to follow the guys in front of me, but I had a few small problems and I couldn’t get the bike stopped like in qualifying. But I just wanted to finish the race, no matter how, and I did it. I really want to thank Avintia Racing and Ducati for this opportunity and I hope to do it better at Phillip Island.”

Avintia Racing rider Hector Barbera joins Ducati Team at Motegi

Avintia Racing rider Hector Barbera will switch from blue to red this weekend at Motegi. From tomorrow on, he is going to ride injured Andrea Iannone’s Ducati Team Desmosedici GP. Riding the official version of his own successful Desmosedici 14.2. is a big chance for the Spaniard and also a reward for his great season so far with Avintia Racing. At the same time, this race weekend is a welcome opportunity to test and familiarize himself with the bike he will be riding next season for Avintia.

In Avintia Racing, Barbera will be replaced with Australian Mike Jones, who will give his debut in the MotoGP class in Japan. Jones is Australian Superbike Champion 2015 and finished fifth overall this season riding for Desmo Sport Ducati Team, the structure of the former Australian World Superbike champion and MotoGP winner Troy Bayliss.

“I’m really happy. I have been waiting for this opportunity for many years and finally my dream comes true this weekend. First of all I want to say big thanks to Avintia for allowing me to join the factory team, because without their support and all the sponsors behind the team this wouldn’t be possible. Right now I feel excited, motivated and eager to get the best possible result. But until I jump on the bike tomorrow, I keep scratching myself because it’s so hard to believe. Today I did interviews and this kind of the things like a factory rider, but I still feel like a child on Christmas day and it takes time to realise that it is the reality and not only a dream. I’m sure this will be a special weekend and I will do everything in my power to justify Ducati’s faith in me with a good result”.

Avintia Racing starts the triple at Motegi

Avintia Racing team riders Hector Barbera and Loris Baz head to Japan for the 15^thround of the 2016 MotoGP World Championship this weekend. Sunday’s 24-laps encounter will mark the start of the overseas triple, and after the Japanese round, teams and riders will fly to Australia and Malaysia. Twin Ring Motegi is a typical stop and go circuit and Barbera and Baz are looking forward to get the best out of their Ducati Desmosedici GP14.2.

The 29-year-old Spaniard is currently tenth in the standings, with a gap of only 12 points to eighth place, so he is eager to climb some positions before the end of the season. He will start his attack this weekend in Japan, and then continue at Phillip Island and Sepang, where he was really fast during the winter test.

Loris Baz heads to Japan in best physical shape after his foot injury, so he will start the triple with highest expectations.

“I head to Japan really strong after two weeks of training. Motegi is one of my favourite tracks and I’ve been always fast there, so I’m ready to start the triple. It will be crucial to get a good result this weekend, because if you make a good start, then everything else comes easily. Last year I rode one of the best races of the season at Motegi and I got the Open Class lead back, so I’m really confident and looking forward to get a good result. The track has many hard braking zones and this is one of the strongest points of our bike, so we have to work hard from Friday to get the best package forSunday.”

“I head to Japan really motivated. The season has been tough for me and with two consecutive injuries, I was physically and mentally exhausted. I was able to ride my bike at Aragon, but I was far from the physical shape you need to ride these bikes. But I’m more fit now, not at 100%, but much better than three weeks ago. To have three races in three weekends is perfect for me, as I’ll be able to get the rhythm back. Last year, my race at Motegi was not good, but I think that it will be different with Ducati. This bike is very stable under braking and although we don’t have winglets to avoid wheelies, I think that we can be competitive. We’ll see how the weather will be as rain is quite common in Motegi.”

Avintia Racing riders finish a difficult race at Aragon

Avintia Racing riders Hector Barbera and Loris Baz finished 13^th and 18^th in a really difficult race for all Ducati riders. The lack of grip has been the main concern during the weekend, with the engineers trying to find the solution every day, without success.

Hector Barbera finished the race in the same position he started, but he was forced to recover during the 23 laps of the race, after touching with another rider in the first lap and dropping back to the last place. In the last two laps, he won an intense battle with Eugene Laverty and took three championship points to keep tenth place in the point rankings.

His teammate Loris Baz returned to action this weekend after missing the race at Misano. Avintia Racing’s French rider knew that the race was going to be really tough in his physical condition, but he has shown a big determination to finish the race and he got a vast experience before heading to the triple flyaway races, which will start in three week’s time with the Japanese Grand Prix.

“It was a difficult weekend and our main handicap was the lack of grip on the rear tyre. We tried to find more grip over the three days, but it was not possible. During the race I’ve been sliding all around the track and, without traction, the bike was not fast on the straights. Pirro touched me on the first lap and I was blown off the track. Then I had to recover during the race and it was difficult, but I don’t think the result would have been different without that incident. I hope Michelin will bring some new tyres for the next races, because all Ducati riders had the same problem here. It’s not normal to see Dovizioso just four seconds ahead of us.”

“It was a tough race from the first lap to the end. My target was to finish, to gather some data and to take this race as a training session. We finished far, almost twenty seconds behind Hector. He was one second per lap faster than me. I’m not physically fit enough to finish a race or even half a race riding these bikes, so today we did something positive. Now I have to work hard during the next two weeks, train with the bicycle and do some specific work for my leg. I’ll try to go to Japan, Australia and Malaysia in the best possible shape, because I love two of these tracks and I think it will be possible to get good results.”

Barbera scores three points at Misano, Fores does not finish the race

Avintia Racing scored a bitter-sweet result at the Grand Prix of San Marino. Hector Barbera’s performance had been quite positive over the weekend, but the bad feeling he had during the first part of the race forced him to settle for 13^th place. Barbera scored three valuable MotoGP World Championship points today, and he is currently tenth in the standings with just five rounds to go. Next round will be in Aragon in two weeks time, where he is determined to get back into top ten positions.

His maiden debut in MotoGP has not been easy for Xavi Fores, who raced at Misano replacing Loris Baz. After 16 laps he was forced to retire due to arm pump issues in his right forearm. He struggled during the weekend to get used to the carbon brakes and a completely different bike to the one he rides in WSBK. This together with the mental tension made racing difficult for him. Baz aims to return to action in Aragon, but his comeback depends on a speedy recovery.

“It was a really difficult race. The feeling during the first laps was not good, and I was not able to brake well because the suspension seemed to be too soft for dry conditions. The front end was closing everywhere, and I was close to crashing twice and I had to support the bike with my elbow. But then, as the fuel got less, the feeling came back and my pace was faster. The problem was that after losing too much time in the first five laps, the group with Bautista, Petrucci and Bradl was too far away. The only positive thing this weekend is that we found back to the right direction and the way we used to be before Silverstone. Now we need to focus on the next race which will be on home soil.”

“My start was quite good, but from the second lap I felt a lack of grip on the rear tyre compared to the rest of the weekend, and my pace in the race was slower. With that feeling, it was hard to ride the bike and I had to be more aggressive on the brakes, which stressed the front tyre too much. But the worst part was the arm pump in my right forearm. I had two big moments because the front was closing, and my lines got wider and wider, so I decided that the best decision was to stop, as it was getting dangerous. It was a difficult weekend, but at the same time I enjoyed riding the Desmosedici a lot. If I got a new chance in the future, I would be able to get a better result with the experience I gained this weekend with the bike and the team. I want to thank the team for this opportunity, because it was an amazing weekend.”

Baz fourth and Barbera fifth: Avintia Racing celebrates a dream weekend at Brno

Expectations were high for Avintia Racing ahead of the Czech Republic Grand Prix. Hector Barbera showed his speed as early as Friday and confirmed his grat shape yesterday, securing a second row grid position with the fifth fastest lap time. Loris Baz was 17^th and on the sixth row of the grid, but with rain forecasted for the race, he was quite optimistic. The forecast proved to be true and the Frenchman was third fastest in the Sunday morning warm-up. The rain then stopped just before the MotoGP 22-lap-race, which made the tyre choice crucial.

Hector Barbera made a good start and when he got the pace, he began to overtake riders and moved up to second place. But ten laps before the end, he felt something was not working well on his bike. Although there were vibrations and a lack of power, he managed to finish the race in fifth position, but it would have been possible to get an even better result. Starting from the rear of the grid, Baz waited until a dry line appeared on the track, and after recovering many positions, he passed his teammate to secure a fantastic fourth place. This result confirms that Avintia Racing took the right decision signing a new contract with Baz for 2017. It’s also a big boost for his confidence ahead of the last seven rounds of the championship.

Loris Baz and Hector Barbera gave Avintia Racing the best team result in MotoGP, and they also were the best Ducati riders at Brno, celebrating a dream weekend for the Spanish team.

“We rode a great race and we took the right decision with the tyre choice. As I’m heavier than the rest of the riders, I always have to use harder compounds, and before the race we decided for the hard rear wet tyre, which was perfect. You never know if you took the right decision because you never know if the rain comes back. But we recovered from the rear step by step and with some more laps, we could haven even gone further. I think we needed more experience with this tyre, the bike was a little bit hard and it was difficult to overtake the other riders. But I’m extremely happy and this is the best way to thank the team for the new contract for next year. I was also looking forward to get a good result to dedicate to Luis Salom, and finally we did it”.

“I’m happy because we did a good race. After 12 laps, I had a technical problem and I had limited performance from the bike during the last ten laps. I tried to do the maximum to stay at the front, I saved the tyres, I was riding really smoothly, but I finished the race with some difficulties. Anyway, I’m happy, because every race we get closer, and sooner or later, we’ll get the result we deserve. I want to say a big thank you to the team, because they made this possible. Big congratulations to Loris, I’m really happy for him, because he’s a good rider and an even better person, and he needed this result. To be honest, the season started to turn really difficult for him. I always support him, I encourage him, but when you get inside a hole, the best way to get out is like he did, with a good result”.

Brno, next stop for Avintia Racing

Breathless, the MotoGP paddock packed up to take the road and drive from Austria to Czech Republic for the eleventh round of the MotoGP World Championship, at Brno circuit this weekend. The Avintia Racing riders, Hector Barbera and Loris Baz head the Czech venue eager to get a good result. Hector wants to forget his mistake at the Austrian Grand Prix start with a great performance at Brno; while Baz wants to build his confidence after last weekend Red Bull Ring race, where he scored some valuable points. His aiming for a Top 10 result on Sunday’s 22-lap-race.
Brno is a technical 3.36 miles track and it features 14 corners and 15 metres width, constantly changes in elevation as it sweeps across forested hillsides and its fast undulating corners test rider talent to the limit. It’s also one of most popular of the calendar with 100,000 people crowds coming every year watch the races at the Czech venue.