An intense weekend in Malaysia for the Fantic Racing team, which returns to the podium with Barry Baltus and strengthens its lead in the team standings.
Sunday at the Malaysian Grand Prix in Sepang began with a major scare for the entire paddock, following a serious Moto3 crash that caused the Moto2 race to be postponed until after the MotoGP.
The start of the intermediate class race was also eventful: after two laps, the race direction displayed the red flag to allow Joe Roberts’ bike to be safely removed. At the restart, with the same starting positions but a shortened distance of 11 laps, Barry Baltus got off the line well from the front row, remaining consistently in the leading group.
The Belgian rider managed his pace perfectly, despite the extremely high temperatures that made tyre management particularly challenging. Lap after lap, he consolidated his position, securing a well-deserved third place at the finish – his seventh podium of the season – which now places him just 35 points from the world championship leader, in third position in the overall standings.
Aron Canet, on the other hand, faced a more difficult race than expected. After a tough start from eighth on the grid, he lost several positions in the opening laps and, despite his efforts, was unable to move back up the field, partly due to the challenging conditions for maintaining a high pace. He finished 15th, still earning an important point for the championship.
Overall, a positive result for Fantic Racing, which continues to lead the team standings: with a 54-point advantage and two races remaining, the Italian squad could already play its first match point for the Team World Championship in two weeks at Portimão.
Barry Baltus:
“It’s been an amazing weekend, but honestly one of the toughest Sundays of my career. After what happened this morning in Moto3, it was really hard to stay focused and race just a few hours later. This podium is for them – I hope everyone involved is okay. It was incredibly hot, and managing the front tyre was a real challenge. Together with the team, we worked smartly, and I understood exactly what I needed to do on the bike. I stayed calm when the front was sliding, managed the situation, and fought back with a good rhythm until the end. Finishing on the podium again feels great – it’s a fantastic result for the championship. If someone had told me last year that I’d be fighting for the title, I would have called them crazy. We’re still in the game, still fighting, and that’s amazing. This result is for my family, my girlfriend, and my team. Now it’s time to recharge before the final two rounds.”
Aron Canet:
“It was a tougher race than expected. Starting from eighth didn’t make things easy, and despite my efforts, I wasn’t able to move up as I hoped. The conditions were particularly challenging for keeping a high pace, but I’m happy to take home an important point. Now we need to look ahead and prepare as best as we can for the final two races of the season.”
Roberto Locatelli, Fantic Racing Team Manager:
“It was a great race for Barry, who managed a short, hot, and demanding race with determination, securing an excellent third place. A very positive performance in tough conditions. Aron, on the other hand, had some contact in the opening laps that caused him to lose positions, and with such a short race, recovering was really difficult. Now we look ahead to Portimão, a special track where he won last year: we want to finish the season in the best possible way with both of our riders.”
