After another weak qualifying performance, LCR Honda‘s Toni Elias looked to the race in Estoril to bring some joy, and after a good start it looked as though he could have stayed up in the pack, however the low temperatures meant that the current Moto2 champion could not generate enough heat in the rear tyre.
After hanging on to a seasons best 11th place finish sees the Frenchman score 5 championship points, and will head to the next round, his home round, at Le Mans in a few weeks on a high.
Speaking after the race, Elias said, “Well… it has been a difficult and hard race for me. In the beginning I have struggled a lot because the bike was pushing a lot in the front in the braking points but then Capirossi and Randy have slowed down and I could catch them. I have beat Loris and could have passed Randy with 2 further laps as my pace was consistent.”
He continued, “I am not satisfied about my position but I am pleased with my performance because I pushed hard till the end. In my opinion we have got a big potential and we took a step forward on Friday so in tomorrow's test we must develop the data we have gathered to improve the bike”.
