After historic pole position Assen and the hopes it had raised, the meeting from the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Germany delivered a solid verdict for the French camp made up of Guillem Planques et David DaCosta at the Sachsenring .
Optimism was the order of the day as they approached the Sachsenring, a challenging track on which Several winners of the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup went on to become world champions, including
Jorge Martín,
Toprak Razgatlıoğlu, Peter Acosta, David Alonso et Jose Rueda.
Unknown to most young hopefuls, it represents an exceptional technical challenge for aspiring pilots.
Two weeks earlier, at the Assen circuit,
Guillem Planques had secured his first ever pole position in the Rookies Cup, a performance that followed a promising podium finish at MugelloThis gives us reason to have high hopes for the German leg…
However, qualification would bring the clan back Franceis to a more measured reality, Guillem Planques et David Da Costa qualifying 11th and 12th respectively, seven-tenths of a point behind the local 15-year-old, Fynn Kratochwil.
A mixed Saturday
What followed was, in fact, to unfold in the worst possible way. for the 18-year-old from LyonFrom the very first lap of race 1 on Saturday, the nightmarish scenario unfolded: Guillem Planques crashed heavily, flying into the gravel trap, forced to retire immediately in front of German spectators.A brutal disappointment for someone who had set the bar so high two weeks earlier.
David DaCostaFor his part, he took up the mantle and put in a very good performance despite a long lap, finishing 7th in the same second as the winner, the Japanese driver. Ryota OgiwaraThe latter having started only 12th on the grid before appearing in the lead by the end of the third lap.
Sunday, redemption! Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Germany
On Sunday, they had to redeem themselves. And Guillem Planques He did it with the style of a competitor. Determined not to let the weekend slip away, number 24 settled into the leading group, battling hard at the front.For several laps, he even held 2nd and 3rd place, in the midst of an intense battle within a pack of seventeen drivers also David DaCosta.
The scenario, however, took an unexpected turn. While the battle raged for the top spots, a collision involving the championship leader occurred. Benat Fernandez et Fernando Bujosa caused the race to be definitively stopped by a red flag on lap 14 of the scheduled 19..
Race control froze the positions at that moment, offering Guillem Planques a solid 5th place, a welcome result after the disappointment of the previous day, as well as a fine 8th place at
David Da Costa!
Guillem Planques: "Today, it was absolutely essential to finish the race." I rode in the lead group throughout the race, between second and third place.
When I dropped back down to fifth, the red flag appeared. Despite everything, I am satisfied with my race. I was ready to attack in the final laps and I think I had enough tires left to achieve a very good result.
A promising record Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup Germany
With this very solid weekend, Guillem Planques et David DaCosta This demonstrates once again that the level of French hopefuls is rapidly improving. Less than a second behind the winners at the end of the races, only the final step remains to be climbed…
