How did the penultimate Moto3 Championship race at the Silverstone GP play out this weekend?
Wins and no placements have been Taz’s weekend results for some of the latter half of the season. The last round he came first then didn’t place. The same occured at Cadwell Park. These contrasting results, boosting Taz then knocking his confidence back down again, were abandoned this weekend at the Silverstone GP. Taz finished second, then second again. Consistent success for the Mansfield rider! Though it wasn’t without its pitfalls…
Race number one he fought Dutch Deroue and Ed Rendell, his two major rivals throughout the Hel Performance Motostar GP this season, for the top spot. The race was close, Deroue in first, then Taz, now Rendell. They revved their Moto3s and swapped and switched for eight laps. After the almost impossible call, it was Deroue who dived over the line, a smidge of a second (0.04) ahead of Taz.
After race one at the Silverstone GP, with a podium celebration and some confidence for the second race. Taz became injured. No race induced injury, Taz was riding around on his Oset. Riding around in the Paddocks until he came off and injured his elbow. “I had a small crash on Saturday night in the paddock and after an x-ray they told me I’d broken my elbow. On Sunday morning I had very little movement in my arm and I was going to pull out of the race.”
That was until Aidan Robinson, a chiropractor from ICRM, turned up at the Silverstone GP to sort him out. “A quick call to Aidan and he came to my rescue. He taped me up and got the movement back and did an incredible job.” Taz was ready for a second race. Starting in third, he took the lead for 6 of the laps, until Deroue just snipered past him for the win. An even smaller smidge of a second, 0.03, this time.
The season witnessed many battles between the top two riders. “We’ve had a really good season riding against each other…” And now Deroue is the crowned champion, with Taz accepting defeat gracefully “…and I would like to congratulate him on winning the Championship.”
The champion is declared, yet there’s still one more showdown at Brand’s Hatch in 2 weeks. Once the curtain has fallen on the season, what’s next for Taz? “Dad and I need to sit down and make a decision on what I ride next season and where we will be looking for sponsors over the off season and hope to be competitive again in wherever we end up.” If any sponsors are interested, please contact them through Taz’s website.
Photo credit goes to Johnny Wills for capturing Taz’s Silverstone GP race.
