Category: Moto3

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Moto3: Close and frantic in Mugello as Holgado snatches victory

On a glorious day in the Tuscan hillside, Daniel Holgado stamped his authority on the Moto3 championship with a slipstreamed snatching victory in Mugello. Holgado now heads to the Sachsenring next weekend with a 35 point lead in the championship. With no victory from pole position so far this season, an ongoing curse causing major heartache for our Turkish teenage wonderkid, Deniz Öncü. Losing a race in the last few metres can’t be easy to take, and I’m sure Öncü will be gunning for revenge next weekend in Germany.

Image Credit: Leopard Racing 

AS IT HAPPENED

With no threat of rain and the track temperature at 36°, we all know that Moto3 at Mugello produces a blistering slipstreaming battle at the front and this race was no exception.

Before we got going, Romano Fenati stalled at the start having to start in the pit lane watching the rest of the pack blast down to San Donato (turn 1) with Holgado moving up to 2nd. Pushing hard on lap 1, Öncü managed to create a  bit of a gap in his favoured sector 3, only to be swallowed up, caught and past on the straight by Holgado and Ayumu Sasaki closing out the first lap of the race.

Approaching the end of lap 3 and into lap 4,  a snaking slipstreaming train of Moto3 riders dicing into turn 1 was becoming common practice for the race. A leading group of 8 riders now lead by Öncü onto lap 4, and it was anyone’s guess at this point as to who would come out on top.

Each time Öncü tried to break free from the pack, the group of riders behind had other ideas, especially Sasaki in the early stages of the race. Sasaki clearly comfortable sitting in second place and dicing with Holgado, Öncü and Jaume Masia at every opportunity. Could any rider break free and build a lead?


As the laps ticked by it was becoming clear that whoever was leading this race after the last turn of the last lap, it was going to be difficult to win the race.  A special mention to Öncü and the overtake around the outside of Masia at the start lap 6 into San Donato it was definitely my favourite overtake of the race.

 

As we move past half distance, we had a tightly bunched up group of 5 riders continuing to dice and swap places at every opportunity. With 7 laps left to go any of the 5 riders could take victory in the Tuscan hillside. Öncü, Sasaki, Masia, Holgado and David Alonso all showing what they’re made of as the Italian crowd looked on with awe as to who would come out on top.

Snaking along the straight with 3 laps to go, it was clear that this was shaping up to be a last lap thriller of a finish and we weren’t disappointed. Even as the leading pack all received conduct warnings, it wasn’t going to stop any of them in pursuit of victory in Mugello.

Now heading into the last lap of the race, Sasaki was 3 bike lengths ahead heading down into San Donato and leading the race coming out of turn  1. Out of turn 2 and into turn 3, Holgado didn’t wait any longer to make a move and take the lead of the race. Holgado holding station for now in the next few corners until Öncü made a move in his beloved Arrabbiatta 2 (Turn 9). Now with only 5 corners left, Öncü clearly desperately clinging on to first as we headed into the final few corners. As the group wound round the last corner to take the straight for the final time and with only a few metres to go for Öncü,  the slipstream blasted Holgado by Öncü taking the chequered flag and first win away from Öncü, gifting Holgado’s 3rd win of the season. A cruel and thrilling finish to an action packed Moto3 race in Mugello.

As we move on to Germany this week in the second race of our triple header of back to back races, will Öncü manage to finally get his maiden victory? Will anyone manage to put a dint in Holgado’s championship lead?

Image Credit: MotoGP

Feature Image Credit: MotoGP

 

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Moto3: Öncü Takes Mugello Pole

With dark clouds lurking in the skies over the circuit in the Tuscan hillside, we headed into the Moto3 qualifying session here in Mugello unsure if the sunshine would hold out for the riders. After nothing short of perfection so far this weekend, could anyone put a stop to Red Bull KTM rider Deniz Öncü taking pole position?

With the longest straight on the MotoGP calendar, as always it’s a battle of the slip stream in Moto3. In Q1, we saw Ryusei Yamanaka dragging Joel Kelso along to post the fastest time. Kelso, with a fantastic lap of 1:57.282, returned to the pits confident of his Q2 slot which was later proved to be right.

As all of the riders took to the track for a final run at getting into Q2, and with only 5 seconds left of the session, Jose Antonio Rueda moved up into 2nd in the timings only to be quickly booted out of the top 4 by a swarm of riders crossing the finish line. Taiyo Furusato, Stefano Nepa, Vicente Perez and Kelso ended Q1 as your top 4 riders. 

As we headed into Q2 the battle for pole was on. Deniz Öncü has been outstanding so far this weekend and quickest in every session. Sat in the pits, the riders all picked who to follow out onto the circuit to get the best slip stream possible.

In the early stages of Q2, Daniel Holgado and Öncü were dicing with each other during their first runs, nearly coming together at one point and resulting in Öncü diving into the pits to wait for a better spot to go back out.

With 8 minutes of the session left and all of the riders were now posting flying laps. It was Kelso who set the fastest lap with Diogo Moreira, Ayumu Sasaki  and Jaume Masia rounding up the top 4. All riders headed back to the pits after their first attempts at pole, only to leave Öncü and Sasaki still pushing on track.

With the track empty and taking full advantage, Öncü quickly posted the fastest time of 1:56.135, nearly half a second clear of Kelso in 2nd. As the riders now made their way back out of the pits for the second attempt, they had a mountain to climb to claim pole position here in Mugello. Coming to the end of their out laps and half the pack blasting down the long straight into turn 1 , could anyone challenge Öncü’s time with only a minute remaining in the session?

Despite having provisional pole, Öncü wasn’t slowing down for anyone, again going faster and posting a 1:56.020 chasing that elusive 1:55 lap time. As the swarm of riders crossed the line on their next flying laps it was Kelso hanging onto 2nd with Sasaki in 3rd and Moreira 4th.

A brilliant qualifying for Kelso but an even better performance from Öncü who showed total dominance and ended the session half a second quicker than anyone else. Sasaki, true to form, ended up on the front row of the grid, his fifth front row start of the season. Rounding off the front row for the race tomorrow is championship leader Holgado promoted to 3rd on the grid after the penalties.

Top 10:

1. Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) – 1:56.020
2. Ayumu Sasaki (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) + 0.591
3. Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Tech3) +0.780
4. Matteo Bertelle (Rivacold Snipers Team) +0.844
5. Ricardo Rossi (SIC58 Squadra Corse) +0.983
6. Jaume Masia (Leopard Racing) +1.077
7. Andrea Migno (CIP Green Power) +1.323
8. Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia) +1.338
9. Scott Ogden (VisionTrack Racing Team) +1.454
10. David Alonso (GASGAS Aspar Team) +1.498 

 

Feature Image Credit: MotoGP

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Holgado holds off Sasaki’s pressure to take Moto3 victory in France

Daniel Holgado took victory in the Moto3 French Grand Prix with a well-executed ride and handed Tech3 Racing their first ever victory on home soil.

With that, the Spaniard increased his lead in the championship to 21 points and added a second victory to his tally for 2023.

Ayumu Sasaki put in a very strong qualifying performance to start from pole position, with Diogo Moreira and Holgado completing the front row.

But Sasaki couldn’t hold onto his lead at the start, quickly losing out to Holgado who made a nice move down the inside at the first braking zone of the Le Mans track.

The Japanese rider tried to conjure up a reaction as the first lap went on but couldn’t make anything stick for the time being.

Credit: Gold & Goose/Red Bull

Meanwhile behind the top two it was Deniz Oncu who settled into third as he got the better of Moreira on the opening lap.

Moreira then lost another position on lap seven as Ivan Ortola moved his way into fourth with a nice move at Turn 3.

The battle at the front then stabilised for the following few laps as the riders settled into the race.

But it all began to unfold at the halfway point however, as Moreira crashed out at Turn 12 – the Brazilian had continued to drop back as the race progressed and was in seventh at the time of the incident.

Sasaki then pulled the pin and made his move back into the lead with a pass on Holgado along the pit straight, but Holgado quickly responded at Turn 3 to hang on to first place.

Elsewhere Jaume Masia moved up into third with six laps to go after taking advantage of Oncu running slightly wide at Turn 8.

The Spaniard then attacked Sasaki for second place and the pair were engaged in a back-and-forth battle – which allowed Holgado to sit comfortably out in front as those behind him jostled for position.

Sasaki was able to retake second at Turn 3 with three laps remaining, and quickly tried to shake off Masia in an attempt to chase down the leader ahead.

But ultimately it was to no avail – despite closing the gap to just 0.150 seconds Sasaki had to settle for second as Holgado took victory after a very strong race to hold off the pressure.

Speaking after the race, Holgado said it was a good ending to an event where he’d showed strong pace throughout the three days.

“The feeling is amazing. I am so happy because this Grand Prix was very important for my team as it was their home race, and winning it for them is just incredible,” he said.

“I was fast all weekend, and today we were just really strong and confident. What a weekend, thank you to my team.”

Masia ended the race in third but had to fight for it as Ortola piled on the pressure in the final two laps.

Oncu went from being third to ending up sixth in the final few laps of the race, finishing behind Ryusei Yamanaka.

Credit: Gold & Goose/Red Bull

Xavier Artigas finished in seventh, with David Alonso and Jose Rueda some distance behind in eighth and ninth.

Stefano Nepa managed to get the better of Joel Kelso, Kaito Toba and Tatsuki Suzuki in what was a close fought battle for 10th.

David Salvador and Collin Veijer rounded out the points finishers.

Among the other fallers, Syarifuddin Azman was the first victim to crash in the race on the third lap at Turn 12 – a disappointing end to what was a strong weekend for the Malaysian where he qualified 10th.

Andrea Migno also fell at Turn 12 a few laps later and was shortly followed by Scott Ogden at Turn 7, as well as Taiyo Furusato who fell on the last lap at Turn 9.

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2023 ARGENTINA MOTO3 GRAND PRIX – QUALIFYING

Following Daniel Holgado’s win at the last round in Portimao, all eyes were on the Tech3 rider coming into this qualifying round, but it was not to be for the first race winner of the season.

A damp third practice, meant the riders who were in the top 14 combined times from Friday, went through to qualifying 2 directly. So although Romano Fenati was the fastest on Saturday, Ayumu Sasaki topped the combined times before qualifying began.

When the track was dry, there was no other rider who came close to Sasaki and this was proven in the final moments of qualifying 2. He sat fifteenth on the timing board and following Jose Antonio Rudea’s fall, Sasaki knew that he needed to show his speed sooner rather than later.

Going out alone, Sasaki put together an almost perfect lap when considering the drying track and popped a 1:48.539 onto the time sheets giving him a second pole of the season. Sasaki was the only rider who made it into the 1:48’s.

Ayumu Sasaki pole setter for Autodromo Termas de Rio Hondo 2023 Moto3 Race. Image courtesy of IntactGP/R. Lekl & S. Wobser

Coming through from qualifying 1 was beneficial to Deniz Oncu as it gave him knowledge of the drying track, and this allowed him to slot himself into the middle of the front row. He did have to contend with some traffic on his fastest lap which meant that he finished 0.603’s slower than Sasaki.

Finishing off the front row was Diogo Moreira who used his track position to finish the session with a 1:49.214.

Ivan Ortola, who has the fastest time early on in the session, heads out the second row along with Jaume Masia and Tatsuki Suzuki.

The best rookie of the session was David Alonso in seventh after he was able to gain some time on the final lap he produced.

Scott Ogden produced a lap that slotted him into eighth on the grid and he will be using the confidence gained from his fast times in practice to help propel him up the field during the race. His teammate in the VisionTrack Team, Joshua Whatley starts 28th.

Andrea Migno is replacing Lorenzo Fellon who dislocated his shoulder in Portimao and Migno’s experience served him well allowing him to place his bike in ninth place.

Daniel Holgado was able to close out the session with a tenth-place finish in qualifying.

Kaito Toba was at the front of the pack, proving the tow for Oncu, and was often in some of the fastest groups during the session but could only finish the session in eleventh.

After coming through qualifying 1, Rueda was able to cross the line with only a few seconds left on the clock and pulled himself up the grid to thirteenth place.

After missing the start of the session, Collin Viejer was unable to progress any higher up the grid than 17th.

After topping the third practice session, Romano Fenati was only able to place his bike in 18th place.

2023 ARGENTINA MOTO3 GRAND PRIX – QUALIFYING RESULTS
POS RIDER NAT TEAM BIKE TIME
1 Ayumu Sasaki JPN Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP (Husqvarna) 1m 48.539s
2 Deniz Öncü TUR Red Bull KTM Ajo (KTM) 1m 49.142s
3 Diogo Moreira BRA MT Helmets – MSI (KTM) 1m 49.214s
4 Ivan Ortolá SPA Angeluss MTA Team (KTM) 1m 49.314s
5 Jaume Masia SPA Leopard Racing (Honda) 1m 49.344s
6 Tatsuki Suzuki JPN Leopard Racing (Honda) 1m 49.417s
7 David Alonso COL Autosolar GASGAS Aspar M3 (GASGAS) 1m 49.454s
8 Scott Ogden GBR VisionTrack Racing Team (Honda) 1m 49.545s
9 Andrea Migno ITA CIP Green Power (KTM) 1m 49.642s
10 Daniel Holgado SPA Red Bull KTM Tech3 (KTM) 1m 49.665s
11 Kaito Toba JPN SIC58 Squadra Corse (Honda) 1m 49.673s
12 Matteo Bertelle ITA Rivacold Snipers Team (Honda) 1m 49.678s
13 José Antonio Rueda SPA Red Bull KTM Ajo (KTM) 1m 49.766s
14 Stefano Nepa ITA Angeluss MTA Team (KTM) 1m 49.778s
15 Xavier Artigas SPA CFMOTO Racing PruestelGP (CFMOTO) 1m 49.904s
16 David Muñoz SPA BOE Motorsports (KTM) 1m 50.025s
17 Collin Veijer NED Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP (Husqvarna) 1m 50.028s
18 Ryusei Yamanaka JPN Autosolar GASGAS Aspar M3 (GASGAS) 1m 50.342s
19 Riccardo Rossi ITA SIC58 Squadra Corse (Honda) 1m 50.659s
20 Syarifuddin Azman MAL MT Helmets – MSI (KTM) 1m 50.784s
21 Filippo Farioli ITA Red Bull KTM Tech3 (KTM) 1m 50.838s
22 David Salvador SPA CIP Green Power (KTM) 1m 50.953s
23 Mario Aji INA Honda Team Asia (Honda) 1m 51.011s
24 Romano Fenati ITA Rivacold Snipers Team (Honda) 1m 51.358s
25 David Almansa SPA CFMOTO Racing PruestelGP (CFMOTO) 1m 51.697s
26 Taiyo Furusato JPN Honda Team Asia (Honda) 1m 51.729s
27 Ana Carrasco SPA BOE Motorsports (KTM) 1m 52.114s
28 Joshua Whatley GBR VisionTrack Racing Team (Honda) 1m 52.142s

Featured Image courtesy of IntactGP/R. Lekl & S. Wobser

 

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Guevara Bows Out With a Dominant Win

guevara wins in valencia crew on two

The World Champion led every lap en route to his seventh win of the Moto3 season.

After taking pole position on Saturday, Moto2-bound Izan Guevara was showing no signs of going quietly into the night. Having won the previous three Spanish rounds, he was the clear favourite to take victory in Valencia.

The polesitter was joined on the front row by KTM Tech3’s Deniz Öncü and Aspar teammate Sergio Garcia, who was battling Dennis Foggia and Ayumu Sasaki for second place in the championship.

As the race began, Guevara led the field down to turn one, immediately trying to breakaway from the swarm of bikes behind him. The Spaniard quickly settled into rhythm with the KTM of Öncü in tow.

The leading pair were evenly matched for pace in the opening laps and Öncü seemed content to tuck in behind Guevara as they pulled away from Garcia in third.

Italian rider Riccardo Rossi ended his season early on lap nine, crashing out at turn six.

With the leading duo two seconds clear of Garcia on lap 10, Öncü appeared to be distracted by something on the bike. He pulled what looked like tape off and discarded it, adding some intrigue to what was an uncharacteristically dull Moto3 race.

On lap 14, turn six claimed another victim as Visiontrack Racing’s Scott Ogden crashed out. A lap later, the Brit was joined by Taiyo Furusato who fell at the same corner. Three laps passed before turn six saw its fourth and final rider fall, as Xavi Artigas lost the front of his CFMOTO machine.

With the race heading towards its conclusion, Foggia lunged from sixth to fourth, passing Sasaki to seal third in the championship standings.

Meanwhile at the front, it was a last-lap showdown between Guevara and Öncü. The Turkish rider showed his hand on turn eight with a stunning move to take the lead for the first time in the race. However the Champion showed his class and composure with a measured pass at the final corner to re-establish his lead and take his seventh win of the 2022 season.

Öncü was second, agonisingly close to his first win in Moto3. Interestingly he managed to finish every race this season, and was the only rider in the class to do so. Garcia came home in third to seal a historic 1-2 in the Championship for Team Aspar.

Foggia held onto fourth to take third in the world standings and Brazilian rider Diogo Moreira was named Rookie of the Year.

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Valencian Moto3 Grand Prix Preview

deniz oncu crew on two

The final curtain is about to fall on the 2023 season as Moto3 returns to Europe for one last dance.

A bumper crowd is expected at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo for the season finale this weekend (4/5/6 November).

With the championship already decided, you could be forgiven for expecting the Valencian Grand Prix to be somewhat uneventful, but there’s still plenty of motivation for the riders.

Izan Guevara heads to Valencia having secured both the riders title and a promotion to Moto2. He will be joined in the intermediate class by teammate Sergio Garcia and Leopard Honda’s Dennis Foggia. All three riders would love to add one last Moto3 victory to their illustrious CVs.

It’s the final race in the class for the surprise winner in Malaysia, John McPhee. The Scotsman stunned everyone with a brilliant move to grab the lead on the last lap in Sepang to secure a career-defining victory.

At 28 years of Age, McPhee is too old to compete in Moto3 beyond this season. Unlike many of his peers who have secured their Grand Prix futures, the Max Racing rider is yet to confirm his seat for 2023, at least publicly.

With McPhee moving on, Britain’s hopes will be pinned on the Visiontrack Racing duo of Scott Ogden and Josh Whatley. Both riders have had their share of adversity this season, but the experience will be invaluable for their fledgling careers.

Interestingly only one rider has finished every race so far this season, Red Bull KTM Tech3’s Deniz Öncü. The Turk has shown good pace all year but is still searching for his first win in Moto3. To finish all 20 races would be an impressive feat, so it’s certainly worth keeping an eye on the 19-year-old.

Another rider who has been impressive this year is Japan’s Ayumu Sasaki. His stunning victory in Austria was a real highlight and he has been one of the only riders able to keep up with the pace of Guevara, particularly in the second half of the season.

Whatever happens, the final chapter of the 2022 campaign promises to be a cracker. The forecast for the weekend looks good with clear skies and temperatures expected to be in the mid-20s. The race is scheduled to start at 11:00am local time (10:00am GMT).

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McPhee Wins a Classic in Malaysia

mcphee and sasaki moto3 malaysian grand prix

John McPhee battled his way through the field from 22nd on the grid to take a well deserved win in his penultimate race in Moto3.

It was a difficult weekend for the Scotsman who admitted that after a disappointing result in qualifying, he felt like giving up there and then.

It’s been a brutal season for the 28-year-old who broke his back in a training session before round two in Indonesia, an injury that could have ended his career.

As the lights went out, polesitter Dennis Foggia got bogged down on the damp side of the track, allowing Izan Guevara to lead the field into turn one. The newly crowned champion was unable to break away and was engulfed by a swarm of riders before the end of the first lap.

On lap two Angeluss MTA rider Stefano Nepa suffered a nasty highside at turn nine. Fortunately everyone managed to avoid the Italian who was helped off the track by the marshals.

With the championship decided, all eyes were on the battle for second. Sergio Garcia bolstered his claim by battling with David Muñoz, Jaume Masia, Diogo Moreira and the aforementioned Foggia for the lead.

Muñoz crashed out on lap four, just behind him Tatsuki Suzuki also fell, but was able to continue. The fastest man on track was Max Racing’s Ayumu Sasaki, who was reeling in the lead group lap by lap.

It was scrappy at the front with several riders exchanging positions, allowing Sasaki to join the party. The Japanese rider made short work of his rivals and was soon behind Guevara at the front of the field.

The drama continued at the start of lap 13 as Riccardo Rossi fell at turn one. Further back Carlos Tatay pulled into the garage, ending his day early. Sasaki made his move for the lead at turn 15, sliding underneath Guevara but a poor exit from the corner caused the Spaniard to shunt the back of his bike. It was a scary moment, but fortunately both riders stayed upright.

The constant battling at the front allowed McPhee to latch onto the lead group and it wasn’t long before he was in a tussle with teammate Sasaki. With just a few laps remaining Garcia led from Masia, Foggia, Sasaki, McPhee and Moreira.

Taiyo Furusato crashed at the start of lap 16 as Foggia moved up to second, hot on Garcia’s tail. With just one lap remaining, victory was there for the taking.

Foggia took the lead at turn 10 but it only lasted for a matter of seconds before Masia muscled his way to the front. Moments later McPhee capitalised on the melee and snatched the top spot.

There were desperate lunges into the final corner, but the Scot held his nerve and the lead to take his fourth win in Moto3, in what is expected to be his penultimate Grand Prix. Sasaki was second to secure a 1-2 for Max Racing with Garcia in third.

The results mean Garcia retains second place in the standings with 241 points, Foggia stays in third with 233 and Sasaki is just behind in fourth with 227. Only one round remains in the 2022 season, the Grand Prix of Valencia in a fortnights’ time.

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Malaysian Moto3 Grand Prix Preview

Izan Guevara Australian GP Moto3

Moto3 has a new world champion, but there’s still plenty of excitement building as the series returns to Malaysia for the first time since 2019.

The Sepang International Circuit hosts round 19 of the 2022 Moto3 World Championship this weekend (21/22/23 October).

The popular 5.543 km circuit has just about everything. Fast sweeping bends, tight technical sections and two mammoth straights held together by the famous hairpin combine to form an excellent racetrack.

As with most of the recent Moto3 venues, it’s been a while since the last Grand Prix at Sepang, and only a handful of the current riders have competed at the circuit.

After confidently securing the Moto3 title in Australia, Izan Guevara is clearly a favourite for the win this weekend. The GASGAS Team Aspar rider has simply been a class above this season, particularly since the summer break. With two victories in the last three races, both at tracks he hadn’t visited before, it’s hard to bet against the Spaniard being on the podium on Sunday.

Max Racing’s Ayumu Sasaki has been one of the few challengers anywhere near Guevara’s pace in recent times. The Japanese rider has established himself as one of the top competitors in Moto3 this season. It was confirmed recently that he will retain his seat for next season as part of his team’s merger with Moto2’s Intact GP.

Italian rider Dennis Foggia has blown both hot and cold this season. One week he’s on the podium, the next he couldn’t be much further from it. The Leopard Honda rider is moving up to the intermediate class next year and will be determined to add to his Moto3 win tally before he does so.

Britain’s John McPhee is also leaving the class at the end of the season. At the grand old age of 28, he is no-longer eligible for a permanent ride in Moto3. With his future still unconfirmed, at least to the public, it is expected that his Grand Prix career is coming to an end, at least for now. If that is the case, he will want to go out on a high.

The weather forecast for the weekend looks bleak with thunderstorms expected throughout the event. That said, the eagle-eyed readers will be aware that I’ve touted rain for the last few races and it hasn’t materialised, so take my weather warning with a pinch of salt.

Viewers in the UK will have to set their alarm clocks once again. The race is scheduled to start at 12:00pm local time (05:00am GMT).

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Guevara crowned Moto3 champion with victory in Australia

Izan Guevara has been crowned Moto3 World Champion after taking victory on the Australian Grand Prix!

After a tough outing in Thailand two weeks ago, Guevara came to Phillip Island hoping to get back on the podium, with the chance to wrap up the title early well within his grasp.

Qualifying for the Spaniard ended with a seventh-place result, meaning there was work to do on Sunday to get to the front.

The race began with damp areas present around the track, but not enough to force the riders on to the wet tyre, with slicks being the choice for all.

Guevara quickly made his intent clear from the start: to get to the front. As the lights went out it was Garcia who took the lead early on ahead of Diogo Moreira and pole-sitter Ayumu Sasaki.

Sasaki made a move for the lead on the third lap as Garcia dropped to third behind Ivan Ortola who had made a good start to find himself in second during the early stages.

Meanwhile the champion in waiting was still on the move, quickly getting up to second on lap four with an impressive move past both Moreira and Garcia, with his eyes firmly set on the lead.

By the eighth lap an exciting battle for first emerged between Garcia, who had taken first a few laps prior, and Guevara.

This battle went on for the rest of the race, with Sasaki and Deniz Öncü joining the fight.

The race went right down until the final lap, with the four riders separated by almost nothing!

Guevara had the pace to find a couple of tenths over his rivals, and crossed the line as winner ahead of Öncü, Garcia and Sasaki, crowning him champion!

With that, Guevara can now breathe a sigh of relief as he heads to the final two rounds of the year with the title already wrapped up.

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Foggia wins in Thailand with faultless performance

Dennis Foggia took a dominant win on the Thai GP making it his third in the past six races, leaving a glimmer of hope that his fight for the championship is still on.

While his championship rivals struggled in qualifying, with Izan Guevara 11th and Sergio Garcia further down in 20th, Foggia lined up on Sunday’s grid with clear track ahead on pole position.

The start couldn’t have gone any better for the Italian, holding his lead and having a clean getaway as Stefano Nepa moved his way up to second after a good start from fourth.

Meanwhile there was drama almost straight away as the first lap came to a close, when championship contender Garcia found himself on the ground after a collision with Adrian Fernandez.

There was a couple of other crashes as the race unfolded, Kaito Toba and John McPhee fell down in separate incidents which brought both of their races to an early close.

Back at the front it was still Foggia out in first as a group of six riders formed in the lead pack. This number slowly began to fall as Jaume Masia, Diogo Moreira and David Muñoz dropped back down the field.

Garcia’s day continued to get worse as he went a lap down at the beginning of lap 12, there was nothing he could do as he let rival Foggia by when the blue flags waved.

Garcia eventually retired to the pits shortly after the halfway point in the race, with the opportunity to score any points well and truly gone.

Credit: Gold & Goose/Red Bull Content Pool

There was little standing in Foggia’s way as the race went on, leading quite comfortably throughout the entire race bar one slight mistake at the end of lap 13 which allowed Ayumu Sasaki into the lead, albeit very briefly as the Italian quickly moved back ahead two corners later.

With a few laps to go and with Foggia pulling away, Sasaki and Riccardo Rossi battled it out for second place which went on right until the final corner on the last lap as Rossi made a last effort move up the inside on his Japanese rival, but had to settle for third after running wide.

But out front there was no stopping Foggia, his win putting on stamp on what was a strong performance at Buriram, winning the race by over 1.5s from second placed Sasaki.

A tense fight for fourth place ended with Nepa taking the position at the line, ahead of championship leader Guevara who took a good haul of points despite a tough weekend.

Three rounds remain and there’s 49 points separating the top two in the championship, but anything can happen as Moto3 heads to Australia in less than two weeks’ time.

Image credit: Gold & Goose/Red Bull Content Pool

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