Petronas SRT’s John McPhee ended a positive Moto2 debut in 20th after deputising for Jake Dixon at MotorLand Aragón.

McPhee experienced a difficult start as the race got up to speed, finding himself dropping from 29th to 32nd on the opening lap. Working hard to try to stay with the back of the pack, the Scot made steady progress in what became a race of attrition.

Although the 27-year-old found himself adrift of the main field, he was able to enjoy battles with the riders around him culminating in a drag race to the line to claim a credible 20th place at the chequered flag.
 
“Honestly I’ve enjoyed this weekend so much,” said McPhee on his debut showing. “It’s been such a steep learning curve for me but I feel like we’ve made really good progress throughout the three days.

“The race was a big experience for me. I wanted to be stronger at the start because I thought there were one or two guys that I could stick with but with the full fuel tank and my lack of experience, I pushed the front a little too much and had a few warnings.

So I relaxed into it, thought about gaining the experience and made sure I didn’t crash, while learning lap after lap. I was able to go faster at the end of the race and I just really enjoyed the weekend. I want to say a big thank you to the team for giving me this opportunity.”

Seeming to have impressed the boss, Johan Stigefelt confirmed the team’s appreciation of his efforts.

“John was able to learn more things about this new category for him in the race,” he said as the weekend drew to a close. “He was making his way through and was able to pick up some important knowledge. I’m happy that he finished the race in 20th; it’s a good result for him."