MotoGP Portimao: ‘I believed I could fight for the win’ - Ogden

A stellar weekend for the VisionTrack Racing squad saw Scott Ogden consistently running in the Moto3 top ten at Portimao.

Having qualified a career-best eighth - after a front row worthy effort was denied due to yellow flags - Ogden fought hard with the experienced group around him throughout the 21-lap Portuguese Grand Prix before succumbing to the slipstream in the second half. Crossing the finish line in 13th for a further three championship points, the Brit now has ten to his name after five races in his rookie career.

“The race was really good for us, I finally sorted out the first few laps,” Ogden explained from Portugal. “I believed I could fight for the win and got in a good position early on. Once some of the other bikes came by me it was difficult as they’re so strong.

“At the end of the day we’ve got the pace and I’m fast enough so the results will come. As a team we’re getting stronger and I’m confident we can fight for a podium in Jerez.”

Teammate Josh Whatley had a similarly strong Saturday as he qualified into Q2 for the first time in his World Championship career before a crash in the changeable conditions saw him line up in 18th on Sunday’s grid. With limited dry running, the race was a gamble for the 16-year-old with a long lap penalty due to track limits dropping him to 27th before he reclaimed a position in the closing stages.

“I really enjoyed this weekend,” Whatley said on Sunday evening. “It was the first weekend I’ve had a lot of wet sessions and it was great to see myself higher up the leaderboard.

“This gave me more confidence in the dry and I’m sure we can build on this weekend next time out in Jerez.”