The Catalan Grand Prix ended in disappointment for the DRIVE M7 SIC Racing Team with Czech rider Jakub Kornfeil crashing out on lap one and teammate Zulfahmi Khairuddin unable to progress through the pack, crossing the line in 24th place.
Feeling more confident with the set-up of his #84 machine in morning warm up, Jakub Kornfeil was determined to salvage a good result from a tough weekend. As the race began the 22 year old made a good start off the line, but his hopes of a point scoring finish were soon dashed as a racing incident saw Gabriel Rodrigo crash into the Czech rider at turn three. With the 2015 Moto3 KTM too badly damaged, Kornfeil was unable to re-join the race, forcing a premature end to his Grand Prix.
Starting from row eleven Zulfahmi Khairuddin faced a difficult job to work his way through the Moto3 field. Posting his fastest lap of the weekend, the Malaysian rider pushed to pick up the pace, but still struggling with his feeling on the#63 KTM, was unable to close in on the group ahead.
Johan Stigefelt – Team Manager
“We’ve had a very bad race today and this follows an incredibly tough weekend. After a positive Grand Prix in Italy, this is not what we were expecting at all. It has been very difficult for both riders, who have struggled from the very first practice. We’ve tried so many things, so now we have to use this time before the next race to study everything and really understand what went wrong. At this moment we don’t know why we have been so slow here, so for sure we have a lot of work to do. We must make sure that we come back stronger for Assen.”
#63 Zulfahmi Khairuddin – P24
“It’s been a really difficult weekend for us. I struggled a lot with the bike, especially with the grip in the rear. We improved some but still not enough. In the race I knew my pace was not enough to catch the guys in front so I was unable to achieve the results that I had hoped for. We have to keep working hard and do all that we can to improve. I am not giving up and I will continue to push to be better. I believe we can achieve more in Assen.”
#84 Jakub Kornfeil – DNF
“This morning in warm up we finally found a good setting and I was feeling more comfortable on the bike. After such a tough start to the weekend, I was a little nervous for the race but I was also quite looking forward to it. I made a good start but unfortunately in the third corner of the first lap Rodrigo crashed and took me with him. This is very unlucky and I know there is nothing I could have done about it, but still I’m very disappointed. Overall this has been one of the toughest weekends of my racing career; I’ve never been so far behind so for sure I cannot be happy. I must try to put this behind me and focus on the next race. Now we have to keep positive and look to Assen where I know we can be stronger.”
