#John McPhee and Ayumu Sasaki face the Italian GP at Mugello off the back of the Briton’s extraordinary win in France.
Just under two weeks after John McPhee achieved PETRONAS Sprinta Racing’s first ever Moto3 victory, the team arrive in Mugello for the Italian GP in excellent form, thanks to both the win at Le Mans and a positive two-day test in Barcelona.
Mugello, one of the most demanding tracks on the World Championship calendar, will challenge McPhee and Sasaki at a Grand Prix in which both seek to continue climbing positions in the standings.
McPhee now holds two victories in Grand Prix racing, and his first triumph this season brings him into the top ten in the overall classification. The Briton faces the Italian GP with a good feeling as Mugello is a track that suits his style well, with his best result there sixth in 2017.
Sasaki took a big step forward in the private test held last week at the Barcelona-Catalunya Circuit. The Japanese rider has renewed confidence and the aim of marking a turning point in his season in Italy.
Sasaki has fond memories of Mugello, where he took his first top ten – with eighth in 2017 – and qualified on the front row for the first time in the World Championship last season.
The 20-lap Moto3 race will take place on June 2nd at 11am local time.
#71 Ayumu Sasaki
“We had a good test in Barcelona, so we are ready for Mugello. It’s one of the circuits that I like the most and it’s different from the rest. It was there that I got my first front row in the World Championship and also my first top ten finish. It suits my riding style very well and I have a lot of confidence for this race, because in testing I found a good geometry setup. I hope that this Grand Prix can be a turning point for us this season and that from then on we can get better results. It will be an important race, but I will do the same as always: Be focused and do my job during the weekend. I think that this could be a good GP.”
#17 John McPhee
“We arrive at Mugello full of confidence and ready to enjoy another Grand Prix. I achieved the first win for the team last time out so that’s shown everyone what we’re capable of. I think we are very strong heading to Mugello and last week’s test underlines that. I honestly think that we can be as competitive as we were last time out. It’s a unique circuit, but its fast and flowing corners suit me much better than Le Mans, for example. This makes me even more positive about the weekend. I’m looking forward to seeing what we can do in Italy.”
