Barely got off their machines at the end of the Algarve Grand Prix, the three drivers on the podium delivered their first impressions to the microphone of the MotoGP official website.
We report their comments here without any formatting.
Remy Gardner (Red Bull KTM Ajo/winner):
« It was one of the toughest races I've done so far, and probably one of my best performances I've ever had. I was convinced that the hard tire was the right option and that it would pay off at the end of the race, but it was very difficult for me at the start of the race to stay with Raúl Fernández who was riding the soft tire. It was a really difficult race, and I really suffered a lot, and frankly I don't even know how I managed to win it.
Raúl Fernández (Red Bull KTM Ajo/second):
« I'm not happy, because in the end it's not a very positive result. Today the race was quite strange because yesterday we were able to do 25 laps with the soft tire, and it went very well because I was able to do my two best laps at the end of my run. But today when we saw that the temperatures were higher, it was much more difficult. »
« Ten laps from the end I almost had no rear tire left, and it was very difficult to continue riding the bike, especially in the last sector, where there is heavy braking combined with slopes. It was really difficult because I didn't have the grip to slow the bike down. Result of the races I am unhappy because I lost too many points now to win the championship. »
In this sense, I would like to congratulate Remy Gardner because he had an incredible race, as well as to my team who provided me with a good bike. In the end the tire decision was made at the last moment and was ill-advised. At least I managed to get another podium. »
Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team/third):
« I had a good feeling with the hard tire, even if I told myself it would be hard at first. But luckily I qualified at the front, because if I had started from further back on the grid, it would have been harder. »
