Aussie Wrap: Our quartet of MotoGP racers give their verdict on their Czech Republic Grand Prix

AUSSIE WRAP: WE’LL have just one Australian in Moto3 for the rest of 2014, Mahindra dumping Arthur Sissis after the Czech Republic GP.

THERE’S a definite lack of cheer around this weekend’s wrap of the fortunes of Australia’s MotoGP riders following the Czech Republic Grand Prix.

One is definitely out of a job, another looks set to leave the MotoGP grid, while another feels like his bike’s engine just isn’t up to the task.

Jack Miller was again the shining light among the Aussie brigade, which will diminish to three between now and the next race at Silverstone.

We talked to three of our soon not-to-be four after the race.

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The last time we’ll see this.

Moto3

Arthur Sissis, 26th
Mahindra Racing
Arthur Sissis’s Moto3 career appears to be over.

Soon after the race Mahindra Racing announced that they had parted ways with Sissis, replacing him with 18-year-old Andrea Migno, a product of Valentino Rossi’s rider development academy, for the rest of the season.

It’s clear that neither side has been particularly happy with how the year has gone, with Sissis struggling to get his head around the Mahindra machine. He has managed just four finishes inside the top 20 while teammate Miguel Olivera has been regularly among the front runners.

Sissis’s ride to 13th just prior to the summer break had us hoping that he was on the cusp of a breakthrough, but his Brno qualifying and race results were his worst of the season.

The 19-year-old has plenty of talent — he was a star in Red Bull Rookies, and you don’t finish on a Moto3 podium by accident — but now looks likely to return to Australia and his first love.

“I’m happy,” he told Australian Motorcycle News after Brno. “I want to go back to speedway. I’ll go back to Australia to try to get back up to speed, then go and race in Britain.”

It has been hard to watch his struggles this year, illustrated by his defeated demeanour in his post-race chats with SPEED. Arthur, we wish you all the best in the next phase of your career.

Jack Miller.

Jack Miller, 5th
Red Bull KTM Ajo Motorsport
On Thursday, I wrote that Miller’s fortunes at Brno could hinge on the stretch from the final corner to the finish line. A tiny slip at the start of that stretch saw him fall from second to fifth by the time he reached the line.

Fortunately for Miller, only one of his title contenders finished ahead of him, that being Alex Marquez just 0.017 seconds up the road in fourth.

It meant that Miller actually extended his margin on top of the championship to 23 points, the Spaniard moving up to second while eighth-finishing Efren Vazquez slips back to third in the standings.

That Miller managed to both finish so high and stay out of trouble, when the leading group consisted of a whopping 16 trigger-happy riders, shows his increasing maturity.

While the nine-point swing between second and fifth isn’t ideal, it’s still better than getting involved in a silly clash with a rival and ending up with none.

Anthony West.

Moto2

Anthony West, 22nd
QMMF Racing Team
A new engine wasn’t the magic elixir Anthony West was hoping for. In fact, almost the opposite.

The Czech race was one of West’s worst results of the year and he’s not too rapt about it, as you’ll see in the video of his chat with us, below.

Another cracking start from the veteran saw him improve six places on the opening lap, but that was as good as his race got.

As the laps wore on, West slipped off the tail of the group that was battling for the final points-paying positions, settling into the battle for what would be 21st position at the finish.

He traded spots with Josh Herrin in the closing stages, losing out to the American on the final lap.

Broc Parkes.

MotoGP

Broc Parkes, 19th
Paul Bird Motorsport
Parkes’ race weekend at Brno was overshadowed by the news that his team is set to exit MotoGP at the end of the season.

Paul Bird is cashing his chips and selling his grid spots back to the International Road Racing Teams Association, telling Motorcycle News last week that his team’s British sponsors view an expanded program in the British Superbike Championship more favourably.

The good news for Parkes is that Bird is keen on retaining his services. Nevertheless, it seems a shame that, after waiting so long to get a call-up to MotoGP and turning in a solid rookie year, that it could well be one-and-done for the 32-year-old.

Originally published as Aussie Wrap: Our quartet of MotoGP racers give their verdict on their Czech Republic Grand Prix