The 2022 Malaysian Grand Prix at the Sepang International Circuit saw a GASGAS double podium across Moto3 and Moto2, with Sergio García and Jake Dixon battling to third place in their races respectively.
Sergio García grabs 3rd in Moto3 to extend an eight point advantage in the battle for the runner-up slot for 2022. Moto3 champion Izan Guevara finishes 12th.
Jake Dixon takes his sixth podium of the season - finishing 3rd - while Albert Arenas holds station in 13th
Just one Grand Prix remains in ‘22 - setting up a thrilling Valencian showdown; where GASGAS looks set to finish the season in epic style on home soil across the Moto3 and Moto2 standings
From the fresh winds of Phillip Island to the pressure cooker 36°C humidity of Sepang; the 2022 Grand Prix season’s final trilogy of races has, and is set to be, nothing short of a roller coaster for GASGAS. What’s more, with the champagne spray only just drying after Izan Guevara locked in the 2022 Moto3 title last time out, it was time to go racing again in Malaysia; and then look ahead to the final flag at Valencia.
Better still, the Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Moto3 squad holds an enviable position in all of the championships available. Notwithstanding Izan’s incredible title success, GASGAS leads the Constructor standings by a significant 47-point margin, and also enjoy a massive 306 point lead in the Team contest. What’s more Sergio García is in prime position to lock in second place in the Moto3 rider table to make it a historic GASGAS 1-2.
García's blistering 3rd at Sepang, which the 19 year old rider battled hard for, over the Malaysian weekender, was the perfect step in the right direction for the team’s total domination of the Moto3 classifications.
Over an edge of the seat 17 lap race, García maintained his position as one of the leading riders, shuffling between fifth and first place multiple times per lap. The ultimate aim was to finish ahead of his nearest championship rival Dennis Foggia - who only managed 6th place.
Meanwhile 2022 Champion Izan Guevara looked set to finish the penultimate Grand Prix of the year in awesome style - until a frightening incident on lap 14 unseated him and pushed him down the order. A small mistake from rival Ayumu Sasaki, caused a sudden cut in acceleration out of the exit of turn 14, causing Izan to take avoiding action and swerve off track. Although the heroic save from Guevara could easily qualify for one of the recoveries of the season, it meant Guevara missed out on the opportunity to take his 7th win of the year.
In Moto2, Jake Dixon lined up on P4, opting to miss morning warm up due to the ever changing wet-dry-damp conditions. Dixon made a ballistic start, initially circulating in third. Despite slipping to fifth by the mid race distance, Dixon turned up the heat on lap nine; taking out six-tenths of a second over fourth placed Augusto Fernandez.
A relatively muted race for the majority of the 18 lap distance, exploded with a handful of corners remaining. Championship challenger Ai Ogura crashed out while making a late brake lunge for the lead, gifting Dixon a welcome 3rd position after he passed Augusto Fernandez. While it was all-action up front, Inde GASGAS Aspar Moto2’s Albert Arenas rode a stoic race from P13 lights-to-flag.
After 19 hard fought weekends, the final Grand Prix is set to go live on the 6th November with the Gran Premio Motul de la Comunitat Valenciana.
#11 - Sergio García: “I felt really good on the bike this weekend, but at the end of the race I think my speed at the end of the straights was really bad unfortunately. It was really difficult; I pushed as hard as I could but I think it was impossible for me to win the race today. I gave it absolutely 100% - and even though I didn't win, I can be happy in some ways because the points are important for the championship. Let’s keep working and let’s keep improving!”
#28 - Izan Guevara: “Crazy race and we made a great start but there were a lot of passes and changes in rhythm. I tried to keep the gap and the distance with the riders in front and everything was going smoothly, then on lap ten I started to get faster and returned to the lead even though the tires were obviously not as good as they were at the start of the race. With five-six laps to go Sasaki made a mistake, I think he missed a gear, I almost crashed into him and it was a close one. Luckily, I could continue and saved something from the race. We’ll look to Valencia now and try to achieve the target that I put into place yesterday!”
#75 - Albert Arenas: “That’s a wrap for the Malaysian Grand Prix and some more points to take home. It’s not really what we want but it was difficult today because I couldn’t really find any feeling with the rear tire. It’s like there was no grip at all, even though the bike felt great under braking and corner entry. A weird feeling because the rear was so loose, like we were riding on water. Anyway, all the points count.”
#96 - Jake Dixon: “It was a crazy race right? I let them go at the beginning, and then slowly tried to catch them back up. I think I left it too far initially though, and used too much energy. Unfortunately for Ogura; he went down on the last lap, so that meant I got on the podium. People can see that I fought hard for every position I got - this one is for my darling wife and my baby-on-the-way; I love you both!”
Results - 2022 Moto3 World Championship, Round 19:
1. John McPhee (Husqvarna) 17 Laps; 2. Ayumu Sasaki (Husqvarna) +0.048, 3. Sergio García (GASGAS) +0.146, 12. Izan Guevara (GASGAS) +9.148
Moto3 Championship Standings - After Round 19:
1. Izan Guevara (GASGAS) 294pts, 2. Sergio García (GASGAS) 241pts, 3. Dennis Foggia (Honda) 233pts
Results - 2022 Moto2World Championship, Round 18:
1. Tony Arbolino (Kalex) 18 Laps; 2. Alonso Lopez (Boscoscuro) +11.411, 3. Jake Dixon (GASGAS / Kalex) +11.802, 13. Albert Arenas (GASGAS / Kalex) +34.448
Moto2 Championship Standings - After Round 18:
1. Augusto Fernandez (Kalex) 251.5pts, 2. Ai Ogura (Kalex) 242pts, 3. Aron Canet (Kalex) 200pts, 6. Jake Dixon (GASGAS / Kalex) 159.5pts, 14. Albert Arenas (GASGAS / Kalex) 79pts,
