Moto3: McPhee in line for Petronas Honda?

Scottish rider John McPhee looks set to jump onto one of the best bikes on the Moto3 grid for 2019, with a new deal believed to be announced imminently that will see him join the Petronas Sprinta Honda team. One of the best-funded and most professional squads in the lightweight class – and one that potentially offers him a route straight to MotoGP in the future – it could well be the move that he needs to launch himself into title contention.

Still to be officially confirmed, he did admit to MCN after Sunday’s race that he’s in the best place he’s ever been, saying: “There’s a couple of options, which is nice, and I’ve probably had more offers in the last three weeks than I’ve ever had. It looks like I’ll be continuing in Moto3, although it was nice that there are Moto2 offers too.”

The CIP Moto KTM rider’s race ended in unexpected circumstances on Sunday, though, when a collision with Marcos Ramirez in the final corner dropped him not only out of the fight for the win but out of the race with a punctured tyre.

“I didn’t feel like I did anything wrong, because I was on the right line when I got collected by him. I felt strong and had been able to lead the race and come back to the front quickly when I got shuffled back, which is nice. He came across and took the line away from me, and he hit me that hard that his footpeg popped my front tyre off the rim! I didn’t crash immediately, but the front tyre went flat and there was nothing I could do. It’s easy to say there was a win, but I felt strong enough to definitely fight for it.”