From exam room to podium for Taz!

With dad on hand to whisk him back to the circuit, Taz arrived just in time to get out and complete six laps in FP 2 to get his mind out of the exam room and onto the business of qualifying.

Taz’s Q1 performance was a stirling display, knocking a second a lap off his time with each successive lap, leaving it until the final one to set his fastest lap of the session to place him 10th.

In Q2 Taz reduced his lap time by almost two seconds, but was unable to improve on his grid position and with the improved time by Ed Rendell he was forced into 11th on the grid.

Lining up for the race Taz was as relaxed as they come, but he couldn’t make the breakthrough amid all of the traffic on lap one to bridge the gap towards the leaders.

This left Taz with the battle of overtaking riders who were clearly holding him up.

He passed James Hobson and Dutch Championship rider Mike Brouwers (both on Moto3 machinery) as he went from 11th up to eighth with James Hobson sat in his slipstream until the final lap.

Using the torque of the Moto3, Hobson was able to push Taz back into ninth as they passed the chequered flag.

This still meant Taz was third in the 125GP class, taking his second podium out of three and he is now second in the 125GP championship, just 16 points off leader Ed Rendell.

Taz said: “Missing Friday, didn’t help and in all honesty the second free practice was rubbish.

“We had a problem with the clutch basket in qualifying that made the clutch really severe.

“So to get this podium, I am really happy with how it went. Thanks to the team who got the bike spot on for when I really needed it.”