Ferrandez out of sight in wet Mugello Rookies Cup win

Alberto Ferrandez totally dominated a soaking wet Race 1 at Mugello. The 15-year-old Spaniard won by over 30 seconds while a string of pursuers fell off while nowhere near able to match his pace.

Local hero Guido Pini fell from 2nd place at the first corner of the last lap leaving Jakob Rosenthaler no chance of avoiding his sliding KTM, gifting 2nd to Casey O’Gorman. Marco Morelli took a well deserved 3rd ahead of points leader Angel Piqueras.

Alberto Ferrandez in a class of his own: “I can’t believe it, what an incredible feeling,” he beamed. “The whole race was all about concentration, almost from the start I was just thinking, don’t crash, don’t crash, at every corner. It was a long and hard race for the mind.I do enjoy riding in the rain so I was confident going into the race but of course also nervous about what might happen. I am so happy.I am also getting a better and better feeling with the KTM every time I ride it so for tomorrow I hope we have a dry race, I want to be able to do the same thing on a dry track.”

Casey O’Gorman finally on the right side of fortune:“It’s certainly a bit better than last year and I’m happy with that,” enthused the 15-year-old Irishman referring to the fact that he fell while leading 12 months ago. “I had a lot of luck in the race with people falling off in front of me but that’s the first bit of luck I’ve had all year so I’ll take it. I didn’t want a repeat of last year, I was OK as long as I could see the podium places because that was where I wanted to be. Every time I saw someone in front of me in a podium place they crashed out so…Finally, on the last lap I was 4th, I was planning how I was going to overtake Pini and Rosenthaler and then they both crashed on the first corner. So the rest of the lap was the slowest I did all race,” he chuckled.

Marco Morelli continues to show his class:“It’s incredible, my first podium in the Red Bull Rookies Cup, that’s fantastic.” stated the 15-year-old Argentine. “The race was so so difficult because the rain made it very tricky conditions.In the first laps I did not feel so good, I couldn’t get a good feeling with the tyres but lap by lap I got some confidence and started to go a bit faster and I could gain positions.I need to thank everyone supporting me. For tomorrow if the result would be the same as today that another wet race will be good but really I need to succeed in the dry to be competitive. So I look forward to doing just as well in a dry race.”

Angel Piqueras turned caution into success:“The track was so slippery, a lot of water and a bit dangerous,” explained the 16-year-old Spaniard who went backwards from pole on lap 1. “At the start of the race I just didn’t have any good feeling from the track and the tyres, I had to go slow. Then after a few laps I warmed the tyres a little and I started to feel what they were doing.That gave me a bit of confidence and I could push a little more but I still wasn’t fast. I was feeling better and better as the race went on and I could get some points. I’m happy because the gap to the second in the championship has increased..”

Jakob Rosenthaler robbed of a brilliant podium:“I already felt in the sighting laps that I could run at the front and battle with the fastest riders,” explained the 17-year-old Austrian. “I knew from last year more-or-less who is fast and I could go with them and overtake a lot of guys.I was really feeling confident and all the way I could gain places and get to the front. I think that from about lap 4 or 5 I was fighting for the podium and then battling, swapping, 2nd and 3rd place.In the last lap I tried to get into 2nd because I knew that there were 3 riders fighting for 2 podium positions so it is always better to be in front,” he laughed. Then Pini overtook me going into Turn 1 and had a small highside. I couldn’t avoid him, just bad luck. I picked the bike up but the engine had stopped and I couldn’t restart it. I am looking forward to tomorrow, wet or dry, I know from qualifying in the dry that I did a good lap more or less alone and I have a good feeling. So I think I have good possibilities to fight in the front group also in the dry.”

Guido Pini makes last lap mistake:“The race, before that last lap….. was good,” admitted the 15-year-old Italian ruefully. I was in 2nd position. “Ferrandez was too far in front, I tried to stay in 2nd, with another 2 riders. On the last lap, in the 1st corner I lost the rear and I crashed. I’m not happy for the crash but I think the race was good. A dry race for me is better tomorrow but as we saw today I can also be fast in the wet.”

Max Quiles crashes out of an early lead: “It was a great race and in the first laps I was quite fast,” enthused the 15-year-old Spaniard. “I made an error on the first lap going for my long lap penalty, I was nervous and forgot that you can’t do it on the first lap. I did another on the second lap and would have done a third, I was still fast and in front. I was comfortable but in water, one little movement and you crash. I was quite unlucky.Next time I will try to be more calm.”