Dear John, that’s costly
McPhee misses podium and says sorry to team for mistake
PETALING JAYA: The tough weekend continues for Petronas Sprinta Racing Team when John McPhee paid dearly for a mistake in the Moto3 race at the Grand Prix of Styria.
McPhee slipped one rung to third in the overall championship standings after failing to finish the race at the Red Bull Ring Circuit yesterday.
The Scotsman endured a sad end in his bid to claim a spot on the podium for the second week in a row when he crashed on the penultimate lap.
McPhee was fighting for third place with two other riders when he lost the front of his bike.
He has 67 points, behind Japan’s Ai Ogura, who overtook the Scotsman on 81 points after finishing third.
McPhee started the race from sixth and was the team’s only rider on the track as teammate Khairul Idham Pawi pulled out due to a fractured finger.
Spaniard Albert Arenas, who finished fifth, heads the championship battle with 106 points.
“I’m absolutely gutted. It was my mistake. I was on the inside line and trying to be a bit defensive,” said McPhee, who finished third in the Austrian Grand Prix at the same track a week ago.
“That corner has been slippery because of the dust left over from clearing the oil spillage. It seemed alright in the race but I lost the front there.
“I didn’t really have any warning, it went quite rapidly and there was nothing I could do about it.
“I just want to say a massive sorry to the team because they worked really hard. It’s a shame not to be able to reward all their hard work with a good result.
“I feel like we made a step forward with engine performance today as I was able to hold my own in the race. We’ll be back strong in Misano to fight for the podium or even the win,” he added.
The action resumes in Misano, Italy from Sept 11-13.