Aegerter: One point with a lot of sweat
15th PLACE IN MALAYSIA While Tom Lüthi achieved his seventh podium finish in the 2019 Moto2 World Championship in Sepang, Dominique Aegerter scored one point. It was the most exhausting race of the year. The penultimate Grand Prix of the season also marked the end of the motorcycle world championship's long Asia/Australia tour. Sepang has always been regarded as the most exhausting Grand Prix on the calendar. [...]
The penultimate Grand Prix of the season also marked the end of the long Asian/Australian tour of the Motorcycle World Championship. Sepang has always been regarded as the most exhausting Grand Prix on the calendar. The subtropical climate of Southeast Asia is not everyone's cup of tea.
Aegerter's fight for survival
For the Swiss rider at MV Agusta Temporary Forward, race day was more or less a fight for survival to get his racing machine to the finish line in one piece.
Dominique Aegerter: "This race was mega exhausting. The humid heat was almost unbearable. On top of that, there was the heat emitted by the engine. So it was a brutal 18 laps. But I think that all the other riders had to struggle with the same problems because of these conditions."
At the end of their tether
Starting well from 24th on the grid, "Domi" quickly moved into the top 15, but from halfway through the race the heat was more of a problem for him than taming his MV Agusta. This thwarted a potentially better position.
Dominique Aegerter: "I just couldn't push any harder because I could hardly breathe. That's a shame because twelfth place was within reach today. On the other hand, we benefited a little from crashes. Many riders crashed over the front wheel. I myself also had a few moments where I almost lost the front. But I was able to handle every situation well."
Harder to the limit
His conclusion after the penultimate World Championship race is therefore positive.
Dominique Aegerter: "Points are always the target, and we scored one point. But we have to significantly improve our qualifying performance. If we started further forward, this task would be easier to accomplish. Next, I have to push this bike harder to the limit."
Binder or Lüthi?
Aegerter is now 23rd in the Moto2 World Championship with 15 points. Alex Marquez secured the championship title early with his second place.
After Brad Binder's second consecutive victory, Tom Lüthi slipped back to third place in the standings. Lüthi and Binder will still battle it out for the runner-up title in Valencia in two weeks' time.
domi77.com
