Source: MotoGP.

QMMF Racing’s Anthony West salvaged 12th position at the Termas de Rio Hondo circuit in Argentina after surviving an ongoing oil leak during the Moto2 race.

West was again competitive on Sunday in a continuation of his strong start to the season, battling on despite a slowing engine aboard his Honda-powered Speed Up.

“We had a problem with the engine that started after the seventh lap,” West said. “After fighting with Kallio, I had opened up a gap to the group behind me and I already could see the group in front of me. I was catching up to Folger who rode in sixth position, when the engine started to slow down.

“Kallio caught me, we fought for a bit, then I started to realise that my bike was now really slow. I also lost traction and then, for no reason, my foot started slipping from the footpeg. I looked down and realized there was a lot of oil coming out of the engine. In the right-hand corners, I almost ran over my own foot a few times, because I slipped off so often and so suddenly.

“That lost me a lot of time in the middle of the race. There was so much oil coming out all over my boot and onto the rear wheel that riding was really dangerous and I was very lucky to stay on the bike and to finish the race.

“When I finally managed to find a better position with my right foot and to adjust my riding style, I could catch one more rider in the end, Jonas Folger. But by the time I realized that I could somehow ride around the problem, it was too late to catch the whole group in front of me and I had to settle for 12th!”

West is now eighth in the championship standings, entering the fourth round of the season this weekend at Jerez, Spain.