Team CatalunyaCaixa Repsol’s Márquez took the
holeshot, as an almighty scrap for second place ensued behind. Turn one
already saw S/Master Speed Up’s Mike di Meglio, Blusens Avintia’s
Julián Simón, Federal Oil Gresini’s Gino Rea and Italtrans Racing’s
Claudio Corti involved in a crash, with only Corti making it back out on
track. None of the riders were hurt.
Márquez’s good jump from the line was short lived as Speed Master’s
Iannone took advantage of the Spaniard running wide. He led the initial
stages from Technomag-CIP’s Dominique Aegerter and Mapfre Aspar Team’s
Toni Elías, in front of Márquez and Interwetten-Paddock’s Lüthi. Elías
soon took second with a bold move, though was immediately taken by
Márquez, who hunted down Iannone.
With 18 laps to go, Lüthi had made it into third, and a group with
Iannone, Márquez and the Swiss rider soon started pulling out a led. On
the same lap, Technomag-CIP’s Roberto Rolfo received a ride through
penalty after a jump-start.
The scrap at the front was getting fierce with 18 laps left as
Márquez passed Iannone down the straight, though the Italian stuck to
the Spaniards rear wheel and took him back two laps later. Lüthi took
advantage of this and put in a brave move on Márquez to take second. The
scrap did however let Pons 40 HP Tuenti’s championship leader Pol
Espargaró catch up to the back, making it a four way battle 11 laps from
the end.
One lap later, Márquez retook Lüthi on the home straight to hunt down
the Italian at the front. The pursuing group was being led by
Espargaró’s teammate Esteve Rabat ahead of Aegerter, Elías, Came
IodaRacing Project’s Simone Corsi and the Marc VDS Racing Team pair of
Scott Redding and Mika Kallio.
Back at the front with nine laps to go Márquez got past Iannone on
the straight, yet the Italian fought straight back and re-took him three
corners later. Yet with seven laps to go Iannone ran wide, letting the
Spaniard through once more. This was again short lived as the Italian
fought back and re-took the lead. On the same lap, Elías crashed out of
sixth place, yet walked away unscathed.
With five laps left, Espargaró started his charge through the pack,
as he went past Lüthi to take third. However, with three laps remaining
Lüthi overtook the local down the strait, as the four at the front were
involved in an engrossing battle at the front.
With three laps left there was huge drama for the home crowd, as
Lüthi went past Márquez, who subsequently almost lost the front of his
bike. As he saved a near crash, he pulled back in front of Espargaró who
was thrown off his bike in a violent fashion. He fortunately escaped
any serious injury, though was visibly upset at loosing out in front of
his home fans.
The last lap was equally as tense, as Lüthi, who had passed Iannone
for the lead, was re-taken by the Italian in a brave move into turn one.
The pair tussled fairing-to-fairing in the last lap, yet it was Iannone
who held his nerve to take the win ahead of the Swiss rider and Marc
Márquez. The top ten were completed by Esteve Rabat, Simone Corsi,
Italtrans’ Takaaki Nakagami, Dominique Aegerter, GP Team Switzerland’s
Randy Krummenacher, Mika Kallio and Scott Redding.
The crash involving Espargaró and Márquez was subsequently
investigated by Race Direction, which issued Márquez with 60-second
penalty, relegating him to 23th spot. His team however appealed the
penalty with the FIM Stewards, who did not confirm the decision, meaning
it was consequently overturned. This leaves Márquez in second place in
the championship, two points behind Lüthi. Protocol dictates that an
appeal may be lodged with the FIM CDI.
Moto 3: Viñales seals dominant home win at Catalunya
Blusens Avintia’s Maverick Viñales won his home race from pole
position at the Gran Premi Aperol de Catalunya in dominant fashion, in
front of Sandro Cortese and Miguel Oliveira.
Having started in dry conditions, it was
AirAsia-SIC-Ajo’s Zulfahmi Khairuddin who got the holeshot, yet it was
Racing Team Germany’s Louis Rossi who bravely pushed his way to the
front in turn two, to lead the opening stages. Pole-sitter Viñales did
not get a great start, as he was passed down to fourth by Red Bull KTM
Ajo’s Sandro Cortese.
RW Racing GP’s Luis Salóm also struggled at the start as he dropped
to 11th place, while Bankia Aspar Team’s Hector Faubel was making his
way up to the front group. An initial tussle ensued between Rossi,
Cortese, Viñales, as well as Khairuddin, which was soon joined by JHK
T-Shirt Laglisse’s Efrén Vázquez, who had a tremendous start.
Khairuddin led for a lap, yet was passed on the home straight by
Viñales and Rossi. The Malaysian rider soon appeared to be struggling,
as more riders passed him after running wide. With 18 laps to go,
Viñales, Rossi and Vazquez started to pull out a small lead, ahead of
the following group led by Cortese.
IodaRacing Team’s Jonas Folger retired with 18 laps to go after a
problem with his quick shifter mechanism, while Salóm’s teammate Brad
Binder crashed out a few laps later after trying to avoid an incident
with Caretta-Technology’s Jack Miller. Ongetta Centro Seta’s Isaac
Viñales had a ride through penalty after being sighted for a jump start.
With 13 laps to go the leading group had grown to seven riders
fighting it out, with Viñales leading from Rossi, Estrella Galicia 0,0’s
Alex Márquez, Vázquez, Márquez’s teammate Miguel Oliveira, Cortese and
Faubel. Viñales soon put the hammer down and was starting to pull away
slightly, as he left the pursuing six to fight it out, with Cortese and
Rossi passing aggressively going into turn one.
With 11 laps left, Team Italia FMI’s Alessandro Tonucci crashed out
of the race, putting an end to his bid for points. A few laps later,
Khairuddin, who came onto the straight in eighth place, pulled a
stunning move into turn one to take second, though was pushed back to
third a lap later by Rossi.
There was drama seven laps from the end as Vázquez crashed out of the
fight for second, while Oliveira’s teammate Alex Rins also crashed out
of his home race. Caretta Technology’s Alexis Masbou had joined the
group and was making a bid for second place five laps before the end,
although positions kept swapping frequently throughout. A lap before it
was misery for Mahindra Racing Team, as Danny Webb crashed out and
Marcel Schrotter retired with a mechanical issue.
With three laps remaining, the fight for final podium positions was
fierce, with none of the Moto3 chargers wishing to budge. Adding yet
another twist, Rossi’s exhaust was dangling off his bike, while
early-season sensation, Team Italia FMI’s Romano Fenati, caught up to
the back of the group.
After a thrilling last lap, during which eight riders were scrapping
it out for the final two podium spots, it was Viñales who took the
chequered flag by over seven seconds ahead of Cortese and Oliveira, who
recorded his first ever top three spot. They were closely followed by
Louis Rossi, Alexis Masbou, Alex Márquez, Hector Faubel, Zulfahmi
Khairuddin, Romano Fenati, with Luis Salóm completing the top ten.