Category: Crew On Two

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Moto2: Wild Weather Suits Winner Arbolino

A drama-filled weekend on Phillip Island resulted in a change in time for the Moto2 race due to the strong winds and heavy rain predicted.

After being the pacesetter for all the qualifying sessions, Fermin Aldeguer set the Moto2 lap record in the second qualifying session, after breaking it in practice three. His time of a 1:31.888 was 0.4s ahead of his countryman Aron Canet. He was joined by Alonso Lopez on the front row.

Joe Roberts had a brilliant qualifying session, putting his Italtrans Racing Team bike at the head of the second row alongside championship leader, Pedro Acosta, and Jake Dixon. Tony Arbolino, second in the championship, qualified in eighth place.

The weather on Phillip Island was cold, rainy, and windy and this resulted in the riders struggling to keep warm on the grid. That was, if the riders made it to the grid.

Acosta crashed on the sighting lap at turn four and even with the help of the marshals was unable to get the bike restarted. Due to this, he had to start the formation lap from the pit lane and the race from the back of the grid.

Canet got a good start from the middle of the front row and was able to take the lead from Aldeguer however the Beta Tools SpeedUp rider took the lead back at the southern loop. Arbolino was able to get past almost all the riders in front of him to end up in second place at the turn three.

Lopez was able to recover from his poor start and was leading the race until he had a big crash at turn four which meant that the riders had to weave around him. Following this, Sergio Garcia was at the front of the field.

Acosta improved from 31st place to 26th after the first lap.

Arbolino passed Dixon for third place on the second lap and Sam Lowes was sitting patiently behind his countryman, looking to get past. On the second lap, the Italian rider was the fastest rider on the circuit.

At turn one on lap three, Darryn Binder crashed and Zonta vd Goorbergh also crashed on the same lap at turn four. His teammate, Barry Baltus also crashed at the same corner on the same lap.

After leading for a few laps, Garcia crashed at turn eight on lap four. Lowes crashed at turn ten on the same lap.

By lap five, there were yellow flags out at all sectors due to all the crashes that had occurred. Dixon went down at the southern loop, keeping the yellow flags out in the first sector.

Arbolino had extended his lead to 11.380s from Aldeguer due to setting laps three seconds faster than the rest of the field. He was unstoppable at the front of the pack.

Mattia Casadei crashed at Miller Corner, causing another yellow flag.

By lap six, Acosta had made it into the top ten following his back of the grid start and Izan Guevara made a double overtake on Alcoba and Chantra.

On the ninth lap, Celestino Vietti crashed out of thirteenth place and following this, a red flag was called due to the weather conditions. The race was not restarted, and half points were awarded because two-thirds race distance was not completed.

This meant that Arbolino took the win in the horrific weather in Australia from Aron Canet and Fermin Aldeguer. Pedro Acosta was able to improve from his back of the grid start to finish in ninth place.

Feature Image Credit: Tony Arbolino on X (@TonyArbolino)

AUSTRALIAN MOTO2 GRAND PRIX, PHILLIP ISLAND – RACE RESULTS
POS RIDER NAT TEAM BIKE TIME
1 Tony Arbolino ITA Elf Marc VDS Racing Team (Kalex) 16m 22.970s
2 Aron Canet SPA Pons Wegow Los40 (Kalex) 16m 38.058s
3 Fermín Aldeguer SPA Beta Tools SpeedUp (Boscoscuro) 16m 38.584s
4 Jeremy Alcoba SPA QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2 (Kalex) 14m 58.401s
5 Joe Roberts USA Italtrans Racing Team (Kalex) 14m 59.122s
6 Izan Guevara SPA Inde GASGAS Aspar Team (Kalex) 14m 59.124s
7 Somkiat Chantra THA IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia (Kalex) 14m 59.908s
8 Bo Bendsneyder NED Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team (Kalex) 15m 3.659s
9 Pedro Acosta SPA Red Bull KTM Ajo (Kalex) 15m 8.067s
10 Marcos Ramirez SPA OnlyFans American Racing (Kalex) 15m 9.110s
11 Taiga Hada JPN Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team (Kalex) 15m 9.263s
12 Rory Skinner GBR OnlyFans American Racing (Kalex) 15m 14.974s
13 Manuel Gonzalez SPA Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46 (Kalex) 15m 17.292s
14 Albert Arenas SPA Red Bull KTM Ajo (Kalex) 15m 17.379s
15 Ai Ogura JPN IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia (Kalex) 15m 18.900s
16 Kohta Nozane JPN Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46 (Kalex) 15m 29.599s
17 Dennis Foggia ITA Italtrans Racing Team (Kalex) 15m 38.590s
18 Alberto Surra ITA Forward Team (Forward) 15m 42.647s
19 Alex Escrig SPA Forward Team (Forward) 15m 42.945s
20 Lukas Tulovic GER Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP (Kalex) 16m 3.249s
  Alonso Lopez SPA Beta Tools SpeedUp (Boscoscuro) DNF
  Celestino Vietti ITA Fantic Racing (Kalex) DNF
  Mattia Casadei ITA Fantic Racing (Kalex) DNF
  Jake Dixon GBR Inde GASGAS Aspar Team (Kalex) DNF
  Sam Lowes GBR Elf Marc VDS Racing Team (Kalex) DNF
  Sergio Garcia SPA Pons Wegow Los40 (Kalex) DNF
  Filip Salac CZE QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2 (Kalex) DNF
  Barry Baltus BEL Fieten Olie Racing GP (Kalex) DNF
  Zonta Vd Goorbergh NED Fieten Olie Racing GP (Kalex) DNF
  Darryn Binder RSA Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP (Kalex) DNF

 

 

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Moto3: Stunning Sasaki Pole in Australia

Feature Image Credit: Husqvrarna - Polarity Photo

Ayumu Sasaki (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) was back to his best in qualifying to take pole position here in Australia – the first pole position for Sasaki since the Sachsenring weekend way back in June.

Home favourite Joel Kelso (CFMOTO Racing PruestelGP), to the delight of the home crowd, qualified on the front row in 2nd. “Full gas” was the message from Stefano Nepa (Angeluss MTA Team) as he took his first ever front row start, qualifying in 3rd.

AS IT HAPPENED

Qualifying 1

Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Tech3) and Ivan Ortola (Angeluss MTA Team) were the surprise names in the Q1 session. Holgado was under a mountain of pressure to stay in the championship fight with Jaume Masia (Leopard Racing) and Sasaki.

As always here at Phillip Island, the conditions could have turned at any moment but it thankfully remained dry for the session. The battle for a top 4 spot, and to progress in to Q2, got under way with Holgado leading the pack out onto the circuit.

Ryusei Yamanaka (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) was quickest after the first set of flying laps. Holgado was just getting warmed up to the fast paced circuit and immediately got up into the top 4 on the next flying lap.

With 8 minutes left of the session, Holgado was quickest with Yamanaka 2nd, Filippo Farioli (Red Bull KTM Tech3) in 3rd and Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia) in 4th.

 

Ortola, with just 20 seconds left of the session, crossed the line with one last effort to get through to Q2 remaining. He was red through sector 1, but came out of the Miller corner, at turn 4, and nearly lost the rear. The team looked nervous, but Ortola just managed to save his weekend and scraped into the top 4 to get through to Q2.

The top 4, and going through to Q2, were Holgado, Yamanaka, Farioli and Ortola.

Qualifying 2

The battle for pole position commenced and the Husqvarna riders stayed in the pits as the rest of the field poured onto the circuit. Sasaki wasn’t keen to tow his rivals round in qualifying.

Teenage rookie sensation David Alonso (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) was on provisional pole as the first batch of flying lap times were posted. However, this didn’t last as Sasaki posted a time nearly half a second quicker to take provisional pole with 7 minutes left of the session. Sasaki was ahead with a lap time of 1:36.654. Alonso was 0.492 seconds behind, in 2nd. After their first runs, Sasaki’s title rivals of Masia and Holgado were 8th and 17th respectively.

Home favourite Joel Kelso (CFMOTO Racing PruestelGP) put in a stunning lap, splitting Sasaki and Alonso, and moved up to 2nd place. He was onto the front row of the grid with 2mins left of the session.

Masia was in 9th place and left the pits with just 90 seconds to spare for a final attempt at pole. This would end up being a big mistake from the championship leader, as he left the pits without enough time on the clock to go for pole position. Masia will have to start tomorrow’s race from 13th on the grid.

It was all change in the starting order as the riders came through to finish the session. Nepa took his first ever starting row qualifying in 3rd place. Last weekend’s winner Diogo Moreira (MT Helmets – MSI) heads up the second row in 4th place.

Sasaki, with a blistering lap, takes pole position here in Phillip Island. Sasaki has been missing for a few weeks with below par qualifying performances. Today though, Sasaki was back to his best with title rivals Holgado starting 11th and Masia 13th tomorrow.

Last season here in Australia, Holgado crashed out on lap 2, Masia finished down in 15th and Sasaki narrowly missed out on a podium finishing in 4th. Will it be a similar story tomorrow?

Starting Grid

Image Credit: MotoGP

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MotoGP: Zarco Finally Takes Maiden Victory at Phillip Island

Everyone loves MotoGP at Phillip Island but, today, no one loves it more than Johann Zarco. The Australian track has given us some historic races over the years and today was no exception.

After 258 races in MotoGP, Johann Zarco has won his maiden race. It was a stunning performance from the Frenchman as he fought his way back from a poor start and calculated the final laps to perfection.

However, it wasn’t all joy in the Prima Pramac garage as their championship contender, Jorge Martin, lost a comfortable lead on the final lap. He dropped back from 1st to 5th as his gamble of running on soft tires failed to pay off. He spent 20 of the 27 laps with a 3+ second lead but wasn’t able to hold off the chasing pack.

As Martin’s championship hopes faded, Pecco Bagnaia came up in 2nd place. He remained within the chasing pack for most of the race and made a stunning move with only a few corners remaining. He will certainly be celebrating extending his championship lead when it looked to likely that this wouldn’t be the case.

The final podium place was taken by Fabio DiGiannantonio who is fighting for a place on the MotoGP grid next year. This maiden podium couldn’t have come at a better time and his aggressive, confident riding through the race, will have undoubtedly helped his cause.

The race was packed with drama from start to finish, with big moves and plenty of overtakes happening up and down the grid. It is certainly a race that will be talked about for years to come but its effect on the final championship result are yet to be known.

Image Credit: MotoGP
AS IT HAPPENED

Jorge Martin and Brad Binder, starting from 1st and 2nd respectively, flew off the line and quickly put clean air between them and the rest of the field. Despite Binder pulling up alongside Martin, it was the Prima Pramac machine that was quicker and able to keep the lead. Pecco Bagnaia then slotted himself in to 3rd. Jack Miller, the home hero, had a great start going from 8th on the grid to 4th.

It was a tricky start for Marc Marquez who slipped back from 7th to 10th, as well as Johann Zarco who dropped from 5th to 8th.

Martin was quick to pull a gap out between himself and Binder. Meanwhile, in to turn 11, Miller made a move up the inside of Bagnaia to take 3rd away from the championship leader. However, on the following lap, Miller goes wide and drops back to 6th. This allowed Fabio DiGiannantonio and Marquez to gain positions.

All this battling allows Binder to pull a 1.2 second gap over Bagnaia in 3rd. Martin was then a further 0.5s down the road.

In to turn 2 on lap 3, DiGiannantonio makes an aggressive move to steal 3rd place from Bagnaia. Further back on the same lap, Marquez goes wide thanks to pressure from Zarco. This lets through Zarco, who is now up to 5th and Miller, who is up to 6th. Marquez remains close behind Miller but isn’t able to get back past.

With drama unfolding up and down the field, the leading trio of Martin, Binder and DiGiannantonio are all enjoying comfortable gaps. Behind them is where the drama is unfolding. It seems like Bagnaia is riding slower than others and that sees him backing up the pack somewhat.

The battles between 4th and 10th are hotting up and, on lap 6, there are moves happening up and down the field. Zarco makes his way past Marquez for 5th, Aleix Espargaro takes 7th from Miller and Marco Bezzecchi takes 9th away from Alex Marquez. Zarco continues battling with Marc Marquez throughout the lap, with the pair jostling back and forth. Eventually, it is Zarco who comes out on top and instantly sets his sights on Bagnaia in 4th.

A few laps later and there seemed to be spots of rain falling across the track. It isn’t heavy enough to affect the riders but it was certainly visible on their visors. By this point, Martin was now leading by 2.4 seconds.

On lap 11, Joan Mir crashed out of 15th place. Going in to turn 4, he bumped in to Luca Marini and ended up in the gravel. The incident was reviewed by the stewards deemed that no further action was necessary.

The following lap and the battle behind the leading pack continues. Espargaro gets past Marquez for 7th and, a few corners later, Miller makes a similar move. This pushes Marquez back down to 8th.

On lap 13, turn 4 takes another victim as Augusto Fernandez slides out of contention.

Bagnaia, by lap 15, is the fastest rider on the field and catching up to DiGiannantonio. However, with Zarco breathing down his neck, the reigning champion is forced to turn his attention to defending and that allows DiGiannantonio to pull a 1 second lead over his rivals.

With rubber flying off everyone’s tires – even the medium tires – Martin’s lap times were dropping significantly. However, he had been able to maintain a steady gap. Just behind, and despite being close on his tail for a few laps, it wasn’t until lap 19 when DiGiannantonio was able to get past Binder for 2nd. Their battle allows Bagnaia to close the gap and he is now hot on the tail of Binder.

With DiGiannantonio now in second, he gets his head down and starts to chase down Martin in the lead. He quickly brings down the gap from 3.4 seconds to 2.8, and brings Binder (in 3rd), Bagnaia (in 4th) and Zarco (in 5th) along with him.

On the following lap, the gap is cut by a further 0.3 seconds and DiGiannantonio has even managed to pull out a 0.5 second lead over Binder.

On lap 22, Zarco takes 4th place away from Bagnaia – he came up alongside the Italian on the start-finish straight and had shut the door on him but turn 1. At the same time, Martin reacts to the mounting threat behind him and stabilises the gap – DiGiannantonio is now no longer closing in on him.

The following lap, Binder is able to pull up alongside DiGiannantonio and regain 2nd place. It’s Binder who now significantly closes the gap at the front and, within 2 laps, this is reduced to less than 1.2 seconds.

On lap 26, Zarco is able to get past Binder for 2nd place. The attack forces him slightly wide and as the pack bunches up, Binder ends up dropping from 2nd to 5th. Now, the chasing pack are just 0.4 seconds behind Martin.

On the final lap of the race, we have an exciting 5-way battle for the win with Martin in 1st, Zarco 2nd, Bagnaia 3rd and DiGiannantonio 4th. But Zarco is able to pull away from Bagnaia, leaving him vulnerable to DiGiannantonio who makes his move up to 3rd. Zarco then makes a move for the lead, which he times to perfection. He brings Bagnaia with him who makes a stunning move for 2nd place. The chaos lasts for a few final corners, in which Martin drops from 1st to 3rd.

As the checkered flag falls, it’s Zarco who claims the victory, ahead of Bagnaia in 2nd and DiGiannantonio in 3rd. Just behind them, on the final straight, Martin loses 4th place to Binder. Bezzecchi is the “best of the rest” in 6th, whilst Miller snatches 7th place away from Espargaro on the line.

FULL RESULTS
1 Johann Zarco Prima Pramac
2 Pecco Bagnaia Ducati
3 Fabio DiGiannantonio Gresini
4 Brad Binder Red Bull KTM
5 Jorge Martin Prima Prama
6 Marco Bezzecchi Mooney VR46
7 Jack Miller Red Bull KTM
8 Aleix Espargaro Aprilia
9 Alex Marquez Gresini
10 Enea Bastianini Ducati
11 Maverick Vinales Aprilia
12 Luca Marini Mooney VR46
13 Miguel Oliveira CryptoDATA RNF
14 Fabio Quartararo Yamaha
15 Marc Marquez Repsol Honda
16 Raul Fernandez CryptoDATA RNF
17 Franco Morbidelli Yamaha
18 Pol Espgararo GASGAS Tech3
19 Takaaki Nakagami LCR Honda

DNFs = Augusto Fernandez (GASGASG Tech 3), Joan Mir (Repsol Honda)

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
1st Pecco Bagnaia 366 points
2nd Jorge Martin 339 points
3rd Marco Bezzecchi 293 points
4th Brad Binder 224 points
5th Johann Zarco 187 points

Feature Image Credit: MotoGP

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Moto3: Moreira with Bonkers Win in Indonesia!

Image Credit: MTHelmets - MSi

The Moto3 Indonesian Grand Prix was one to remember and a race that you could write a book about. It was Moto3 madness at its very best, as Diogo Moreira (MTHelmets-MSi) won an incredible race in Mandalika. He is the first Brazilian rider to win in any class since Alex Barros at the 2005 Portuguese Grand Prix.

In the hottest conditions of the year so far, the 3 title contenders of Jaume Masia (Leopard Racing), Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Tech3) and Ayumu Sasaki (Husqvarna Intact GP) arrived at the circuit separated by just 9 points.

At the end of the race, and the all of the chaos, the top 8 riders were separated by less than a second. Thanks to his victory, Masia now leads the championship by 16 points as we head to Phillip Island in Australia next weekend. 

Image Credit: MTHelmets-MSi

AS IT HAPPENED

We had drama here in Indonesia before the lights went out, with the Husqvarna team scrambling to fix Sasaki’s bike on the grid. Sasaki had a fall during the sighting lap which seemed to hinder him throughout the Grand Prix. It was the last thing he needed, being 1 of the 3 main contenders fighting for this year’s Moto3 championship.

Sasaki also had an issue off the start and dropped way back. At the same time, Moreira shot off from pole position and led the race after turn 1. Moreira led with Collin Veijer (Husqvarna Intact GP) up in 2nd with David Alonso (GASGAS Aspar Team) in 3rd. Veijer was enjoying a great start to the race.

Holgado seemed more determined than ever to get to the front and went up the inside of both Alonso and Ivan Ortola (Angeluss MTA Team) at turn 16. It was a superb start for Holgado, going from 7th to 3rd on the opening lap of the race. Holgado was desperate to take back control of the championship.

On lap 2, Veijer ran wide to let Holgado go through into 2nd. Holgado wasn’t stopping there, getting by Moreira and taking the lead of the race. Sasaki dropped all the way back to 22nd from the opening lap.

Masia posted the fastest lap of the race as they started lap 3 and quickly moved up into 4th, getting by Alonso at turn 1. Masia was picking his way back through the field after a poor start from the front row.

Into turn 10, Veijer took the inside line getting by Holgado to retake the lead of the race. Masia then went by Moreira up into 3rd. As per usual in Moto3, we had a tonne of overtakes and after a few laps this was shaping up to be another fantastic battle for the win in Mandalika.

As Stefano Nepa (Angeluss MTA Team) took his long lap penalty at the start of lap 4, Holgado led with Veijer and Masia just behind dicing with each other for 2nd. Sector 3 and yellow flags waved as Ana Carrasco (BOE Motorsports) had a nasty crash at turn 10, her first crash of the 2023 season. Hopefully Carrasco will be ok after that one.

With the first quarter of the race completed, Holgado was leading from Masia 2nd and Alonso in 3rd. Holgado had a few tenths of a second gap to Masia in 2nd, but still with a long way to go in the race.

Lap 7 and into turn 10 the riders fan out 6 abreast going into the corner as Masia was the last on the brakes and took the lead of the race. Masia only led for a few corners as Holgado, yet again with another overtake at turn 16, retook the lead from Masia. Alonso and Veijer continued to swap places with Alonso now back up into 3rd.

Coming up to half race distance, into the favourite turn 16, Veijer went up the inside of both Alonso and Masia. The second double overtake of the race. David Munoz (BOE Motorsports) went by Alonso up into 5th with Moreira setting the fastest lap of the race. It was still all to play for at this point and it was anyone’s guess as to who would come out on top at the end. Holgado led from Veijer in 2nd and Masia in 3rd at this stage.

Yellow flags waved as Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing) crashed out of the race in sector 2. Moreira dove and Munoz barged their way by Masia in the fast sector 2. Masia was going backwards from 3rd to 5th with 10 laps to go. As it stood, Holgado would retake the lead of the championship.

8 laps left and we had a six-way shootout for victory at the Mandalika circuit. Holgado led but not for long as Moreira went by and back to the front of the race. Moreira lead from Holgado 2nd, Veijer 3rd, Alonso 4th, Masia 5th and Munoz in 6th. Any of the top 6 still had a chance of winning this race in an ever changing order at the front.

Into the final phase of the race, with 7 laps to go, Holgado dove up the inside of Moreira into turn 1 with Moreira back passed Holgado into turn 2. Into the fast sector 2 and Holgado cut the corner and into the lead of the race. Holgado was his own worst enemy and was handed a long lap penalty as a result. There was no room for Holgado to get by Moreira but, with a bit of patience, Holgado could have avoided that. With Sasaki way down in 19th place and Holgado with a long lap penalty to serve, this was all playing into the hands of Masia in the championship.

Masia was gifted the lead as Holgado slotted back into 10th place after serving the long lap penalty. Masia lead from Alonso in 2nd and Veijer in 3rd. Up to the end of lap 16, Munoz went up the inside of Veijer into 3rd place with just 4 laps left to go.

Munoz and Alonso diced and swapped positions throughout the lap in the battle for 2nd place. Holgado set the fastest lap of the race after his long lap penalty and fought his way back up to 8th. Holgado recovered rapidly and was not far off catching the leaders.

2 laps to go and down into turn 1 Masia led from Munoz 2nd, Moreira 3rd and Veijer in 4th. Masia made a mistake into turn 3 and opened the door for Munoz to go by and into the lead at turn 4. Another long lap penalty was issued for Holgado just as he went for the lead of the race and ran too deep, almost colliding with Masia. Moreira now led with Alonso 2nd, Munoz 3rd and Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) up to 4th. Holgado, in 5th, has a long lap penalty to serve and Masia was down in 6th.

THE LAST LAP

Pole sitter Moreira led into turn 1 with Munoz 2nd and Alonso in 3rd. Holgado refused to take the long lap penalty and instead took the time penalty that would be issued at the end of the Grand Prix. Holgado quickly dispatched Alonso and Munoz and then up the inside of Moreira into the lead with half a lap to go. Holgado was just too good through the fast, sweeping sector 2. Holgado, at this point, could have been totally unaware of his 2nd long lap penalty.

Both Moreira and Alonso swooped by Holgado at turn 12 and into turn 13 the carnage continued. 3 abreast they went and Masia squeezed Holgado wide. Moreira led into the final sector of the race with Alonso in 2nd and Munoz in 3rd. Veijer went from 7th to 3rd in one corner, an incredible performance from the Dutch teenager Veijer.

Into the final corner we went, Moreira led and Munoz tried all he could to get by Alonso, who clung onto 2nd as they crossed the line. That race was Moto3 in its purest form. Madness in Mandalika from start to finish. It’s for races like this that we watch Moto3 and why we love it so much. What a race and what a win for Moreira!

After all of the chaos, Holgado was relegated from 9th to 14th, salvaging 2 points after failing to comply with the 2nd long lap penalty. After the troubles for Sasaki and the penalties for Holgado, Masia is now 16 points clear in the championship as we head to Philip Island in Australia next weekend.

Race Classification

Image Credit: MotoGP

Championship Standings

Image Credit: MotoGP

Feature Image Credit: MotoGP

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Moto2: Lucky Win Number Seven for Acosta

It was lucky race win number seven for Pedro Acosta in Mandalika as he stood on the top step once again. He was joined by polesitter Aron Canet and Fermin Aldeguer on the podium. Tony Arbolino, who is second in the championship, finished this race in sixth place.

Acosta got a brilliant start from the head of the second row and was up to second place before the first corner. At turn one, he was able to get past Canet and take the lead of the race.

Towards the back of the pack, there was an incident involving Alonso Lopez and Alberto Surrra. The Spanish rider was able to rejoin the pack but was unable to make up any places.

Canet and Acosta continued to trade the lead until the middle of the second lap when the Red Bull KTM Ajo rider was able to settle into the lead and started to increase the gap to the rest of the field.

Manuel Gonzalez was sat in behind the battling front pair with the harder tyres strapped to his Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46 bike. He knew that his tyres would improve towards the end of the race and with the riders in front of him battling for the lead, he was hoping they would continue to lose grip on their softer option tyres.

Further down the field, Arbolino had made his way into fourth place and set the fastest lap on the second lap.

Also on the second lap, Filip Salac and Ai Ogura made contact and this meant that Salac went down at turn 17. Ogura was given a long-lap penalty because of this.

Aldeguer continued his rise up the field by getting past Somkiat Chantra for fifth place on lap three, then two laps later squeezed past Gonzalez for fourth.

Jeremy Alcoba received a double-long lap penalty for irresponsible riding.

On lap seven, Japanese rider Kohta Nozane crashed at turn 16.

Aldeguer and Gonzalez got past Arbolino for third place on lap six but on the following lap, the Italian rider was able to make up one spot before running wide. This allowed Gonzalez to make his way back through.

Zonta van der Goorbergh crashed out of eleventh place on lap ten at turn sixteen and was unable to rejoin.

Arbolino and Dixon had a good battle during the fourteenth lap trading fifth place until Dixon ran wide at turn sixteen and rejoined just in front of Chantra.

By lap 16 Acosta had brought out his lead to two seconds ahead of Canet.

On the penultimate lap, Arbolino made a mistake, and this allowed Dixon to get past him.

Over the finish line it was Acosta, Canet and Aldeguer who stood on the podium. Dixon passed Gonzalez at the final corner for fourth place. Arbolino crossed the line ahead of Chantra, Sergio Garcia, Joe Roberts and Sam Lowes rounded out the top ten.

Feature Image Credit: Pedro Acosta (@37_pedroacosta) on X

INDONESIAN MOTO2 GRAND PRIX, MANDALIKA – RACE RESULTS
POS RIDER NAT TEAM BIKE TIME
1 Pedro Acosta SPA Red Bull KTM Ajo (Kalex) 34m 51.641s
2 Aron Canet SPA Pons Wegow Los40 (Kalex) 34m 53.685s
3 Fermín Aldeguer SPA Beta Tools SpeedUp (Boscoscuro) 34m 56.357s
4 Jake Dixon GBR Inde GASGAS Aspar Team (Kalex) 35m 0.723s
5 Manuel Gonzalez SPA Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46 (Kalex) 35m 0.950s
6 Tony Arbolino ITA Elf Marc VDS Racing Team (Kalex) 35m 3.362s
7 Somkiat Chantra THA IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia (Kalex) 35m 4.822s
8 Sergio Garcia SPA Pons Wegow Los40 (Kalex) 35m 6.736s
9 Joe Roberts USA Italtrans Racing Team (Kalex) 35m 9.937s
10 Sam Lowes GBR Elf Marc VDS Racing Team (Kalex) 35m 10.806s
11 Dennis Foggia ITA Italtrans Racing Team (Kalex) 35m 11.230s
12 Bo Bendsneyder NED Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team (Kalex) 35m 11.494s
13 Darryn Binder RSA Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP (Kalex) 35m 11.627s
14 Taiga Hada JPN Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team (Kalex) 35m 13.545s
15 Albert Arenas SPA Red Bull KTM Ajo (Kalex) 35m 14.673s
16 Marcos Ramirez SPA OnlyFans American Racing (Kalex) 35m 18.770s
17 Ai Ogura JPN IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia (Kalex) 35m 20.916s
18 Alex Escrig SPA Forward Team (Forward) 35m 23.218s
19 Rory Skinner GBR OnlyFans American Racing (Kalex) 35m 24.510s
20 Jeremy Alcoba SPA QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2 (Kalex) 35m 26.254s
21 Izan Guevara SPA Inde GASGAS Aspar Team (Kalex) 35m 28.498s
22 Lukas Tulovic GER Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP (Kalex) 35m 34.189s
23 Lorenzo Baldassarri ITA Fantic Racing (Kalex) 35m 36.287s
24 Mattia Casadei ITA Fantic Racing (Kalex) 35m 42.547s
25 Alonso Lopez SPA Beta Tools SpeedUp (Boscoscuro) +1 lap
  Barry Baltus BEL Fieten Olie Racing GP (Kalex) DNF
  Zonta Vd Goorbergh NED Fieten Olie Racing GP (Kalex) DNF
  Kohta Nozane JPN Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46 (Kalex) DNF
  Filip Salac CZE QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2 (Kalex) DNF
  Alberto Surra ITA Forward Team (Forward) DNF

 

 

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MotoGP: Mayhem in Mandalika as Bagnaia Reclaims Championship Lead

A chaotic race in Indonesia has seen Pecco Bagnaia reclaim the championship lead that he lost after yesterday’s sprint race. Jorge Martin, his nearest rival, made a painful error which saw him crash out of the lead. With just 5 races left, this season is far from over!

It was both a costly error from Jorge Martin and a calculated ride from Pecco Bagnaia that has firmly placed today’s Indonesian GP in the history books. Having lost the championship lead for a day, Bagnaia was able to quickly reverse this as he sailed to a phenomenal victory. He made his way from 13th on the grid to win what might be the greatest race of his career.

Meanwhile, it was an undoubtedly difficult day for Martin. Having enjoyed all the momentum and accolades over the last few races, he crashed out of the lead at a crucial point in the season. The costly error came despite him sitting comfortably at the front of the field for the first 20 laps.

Image Credit: MotoGP

Bagnaia was joined on the podium by Maverick Vinales and Fabio Quartararo who both enjoyed strong weekends but were frustrated to not finish higher after a close final few laps.

There was chaos up and down the field for most of the race, as we start our first of two triple-header weekends to round out the 2023 season.

AS IT HAPPENED

As the lights went out, Jorge Martin flew off the line and leapt from 6th to 1st before entering the first corner. It was a slower start for both Aprilia riders, as well as Luca Marini, who all slipped back down the field. This allowed both Brad Binder and Fabio Quartararo to make up some places on the first lap. However, Maverick Vinales was able to recover and slot in to 2nd.

There was chaos up and down the field across the opening laps of the race. This started with Aleix Espargaro going wide at turn 1. This let Pecco Bagnaia through but as Espargaro returned to the racing line, he nearly collected Marc Marquez.

Enea Bastianini also went wide, causing him to go off the track. He failed to rejoin in the correct way and was later given a long lap penalty as a result.

On lap 3, Binder gets out of shape at turn 10 and clatters in to the side of Marini, knocking him in to the gravel. Binder was just carrying too much speed in to the corner and wasn’t able to make it round. Like Bastianini, he also received a long lap penalty for this later on in the race.

On the same lap, Pol Espgargaro crashes at turn 15 and Franco Morbidelli heads in to the pits to retire.

Pecco Bagnaia and Aleix Espargaro then find themselves breezing past Quartararo to take 3rd and 4th respectively. Meanwhile the leading pair of Martin and Vinales were now 1.8 seconds ahead of the rest of the field.

As Binder takes his long lap penalty on lap 6, he drops from 5th to 10th. Espargaro, in 4th, is all over the back of Bagnaia, in 3rd, and forcing the Italian to ride defensively.

On lap 8, Marc Marquez is quickly overtaken by Jack Miller, Marco Bezzecchi and Brad Binder, shuffling him back from 7th to 10th. A few corners later, he then crashes at turn 13. It has been a difficult weekend for the Spaniard who is undoubtedly counting down to his move to Gresini for 2024.

 

This then sparks a 4-way battle for 6th place, with Miguel Oliveira, Miller, Bezzecchi, and Binder in 6th to 9th respectively. Miller is the first to make a move on the final corner of lap 9, followed by Bezzecchi on the first corner of lap 10.

On the following lap, Binder attempts to then make a move on Oliveira but bumps in to the side of him, knocks off his wings, and then sends them both wide. They are both able to rejoin but lose places at a crucial point in the race. Binder will receive his second long lap penalty of the race for this harsh move.

On lap 12, Augusto Fernandez crashes, followed by Joan Mir on the following lap.

Moments later, our race leader then crashes at turn 11. The bike slides out from under him and he is left looking down at his Prima Pramac machine in utter disbelief.

Image Credit: MotoGP

This promotes Vinales to 1st, with a 1.2 second gap to Bagnaia in 2nd. Quartararo, after recently making a move on Espargaro, is now promoted to 3rd.

On lap 16, Johann Zarco also crashes, again at turn 11. This leaves just 14 riders out on the track.

Meanwhile, at the front, Quartararo is closing in on Bagnaia who, in turn, is closing in on Vinales. We thought the chaos had calmed down but these three had other ideas.

At this point in the race, it is clear to see who opted for soft tires and who played it safe with the hard tires. Those on softs begin dropping back down the field as their tires struggle with the heat and soaring temperatures.

After closing the gap significantly over 4 laps, it was on lap 20 when Bagnaia was finally able to take control at the front of the race. He breezed past Vinales to take 1st place away from him.

For the final 7 laps of the race, the leading trio kept the pressure on each other. So much so that, by the final lap, there was barely a hair’s width between them. However, neither Vinales or Quartararo could make a move and they were forced to settle for 2nd and 3rd respectively.

FULL RESULTS
1st Pecco Bagnaia Ducati
2nd Maverick Vinales Aprilia
3rd Fabio Quartararo Yamaha
4th Fabio Gi Giannantonio Gresini
5th Marco Bezzecchi Mooney VR46
6th Brad Binder Red Bull KTM
7th Jack Miller Red Bull KTM
8th Enea Bastianini Ducati
9th Alex Rins LCR Honda
10th Aleix Espargaro Aprilia
11th Takaaki Nakagami LCR Honda
12th Miguel Oliveira CryptoDATA RNF
13th Raul Fernandez CryptoDATA RNF
14th Franco Morbidelli Yamaha

DNF = Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac), Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac), Augusto Fernandez (GASGAS Tech 3), Joan Mir (Repsol Honda), Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda), Luca Marini (Mooney VR46), Pol Espargaro (GASGAS Tech3).

Feature Image Credit: MotoGP

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Moto3: Moreira Magic in Mandalika

Image Credit: MT Helmets - MSI

Round 15 and with 6 races remaining, Diogo Moreira was back to his best here in Indonesia. The Brazilian showed everyone what he’s capable of and why he’s heading to Moto2 next season. A first pole position of the season for Moreira.

Championship leader Jaume Masia qualified in 2nd and David Alonso made up the front row qualifying in 3rd. Masia’s rivals Daniel Holgado 7th and Ayumu Sasaki way down in 11th place. We’re all set for another fantastic Moto3 race tomorrow at the Mandalika Circuit.

Image Credit: MTHelmets-MSi

AS IT HAPPENED

Qualifying 1

With all of the title contenders through to the Q2 session, it was Husqvarna’s Collin Veijer the stand out name taking part in the session. Xavi Artigas was the first rider out of the pits to get us started in the 15mins session.

As the first riders completed their first flying laps, it was Taiyo Furusato at the top of the timings with Mario Aji 2nd, Veijer 3rd and Adrian Fernandez in 4th.

Veijer lead with several minutes left of the session, with Furusato just behind, both riders over half a second clear of the rest of the field, with Aji 3rd and Yamanaka in 4th.

After a quick trip the pits we had just 2mins left of the session. Sector 1 was lit up in yellow flags as Nicola Fabio went down at turn 2. Fabio ok and the riders now only had 1 more attempt at getting into the top 4 for Q2.

Riccardo Rossi ran wide at turn 16 and ruined a great lap. Josh Whatley up to 4th was the only change to the top 4 going through to Q2, as Ryusei Yamanaka was unable to get his GASGAS into Q2.

 

End of the Q1 session and Furusato top with Veijer 2nd, Fernandez 3rd and Whatley in 4th.

Qualifying 2

After the battle in practice this morning between title rivals Masia and Holgado, we were all set for a great fight for pole position at the Mandalika circuit here in Indonesia.

With 10mins left of the session and the first set of flying laps completed. It was Moreira at the top with David Munoz second and Fernandez rounding off the front row currently in 3rd.

 

With the tyres now warmed up, the times were tumbling with an ever changing order at the front for tomorrow’s race. David Alonso currently in 2nd with Holgado moving up the order to 3rd in the timings. With Masia sat in the pits after his first run, we were yet to see any rapid time from the Spaniard. Deniz Öncü also yet to leave the pits and set a time with just 7mins left of the session.

5mins left of the session and title contender Holgado was currently sat in 3rd, Sasaki 4th and Masia was down in 11th. Masia at this point in the session had a lot of work to do.

Masia responded and up onto the front row. 2nd in the timings, just +0.223 tenths of a second back to the provisional pole time set by Moreira. Öncü was out of the pits and posted and a quick time up to 4th on his first attempt at pole position.

With 2mins left of the session, Scott Ogden had a painful highside crash coming out of turn 4. Sector 1 waved yellow flags with just a minute left of the session. Ogden was up and moving but will be in a lot of pain after that one.

Last laps now in the session and a key couple of minutes here in Indonesia.  Masia barged his way by the Brazilian Moreira and tried all he could to get pole position. Masia missed out on pole by just +0.040 tenths of a second.

With the rest of the field coming through and not improving, it was the first pole position of the season for MTHelmets – MSi team’s Moreira.

A great qualifying for Moreira. After the promotion to Moto2 next season, it seems to of definitely given Moreira the boost of confidence he needed.

Leopard Racing team’s Masia will be happy with that qualifying going from the front row of the grid in 2nd. David Alonso who is surely a clear contender for rookie of the year, rounded off the front row in 3rd.

In the 3 horse race for the championship this season, we have Masia starting 2nd, Holgado 7th and Ayumu Sasaki way down in 11th in tomorrow’s race. Masia will be keen to extend the championship lead at the top.

Starting Grid

Image Credit: MotoGP

Championship Standings

Image Credit: MotoGP

 

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Moto2: Canet takes Second Pole of Season

Aron Canet starts from pole position in tomorrow’s Indonesian Grand Prix at Mandalika, for his second pole position of the year. The Spanish rider is joined by his countryman Manuel Gonzales and Czechia’s Filip Salac on the front row.

Third third-placed man in the championship, Jake Dixon, had to go through the first qualifying session after not setting fast enough time in the combined practice times.  He set the fastest time in the first part of the session, a 1:34.406, and this was fast enough for him to feel comfortable enough to come into the pits before the end of the session.

And he was right to do so as that time was enough for him to finish the session in first place. He was joined in Q2 by Alonso Lopez, Jeremy Alcoba, and Bo Bendsneyder.

The green light went out for Q2 a few minutes later and all the riders left their pit boxes to get a feel of the circuit once more.

Following the first timed runs, Gonzalez was at the top of the timesheets with a 1:34.282, from Somkitat Chantra who was fresh off a win in Japan, and Canet. The Pons Wegow Los40 rider then took over the top spot with a 1:34.155 at the halfway point.

No rider was able to beat this time set by Canet, even though many riders were finding time in sectors towards the end of the session, they could not string them together.

Championship leader Pedro Acosta starts in fourth place, ahead of Fermin Aldeguer and Chantra who join him on row two. Dixon heads up row three ahead of Sam Lowes and Zonta van der Goorbergh.  The rider in second place in the championship, Tony Arbolino, starts tomorrow’s race in tenth place.

Feature image credit: SoloMoto.es

2023 INDONESIAN MOTO2 GRAND PRIX, MANDALIKA – QUALIFYING RESULTS
POS RIDER NAT TEAM BIKE TIME
1 Aron Canet SPA Pons Wegow Los40 (Kalex) 1m 34.155s
2 Manuel Gonzalez SPA Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46 (Kalex) 1m 34.158s
3 Filip Salac CZE QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2 (Kalex) 1m 34.174s
4 Pedro Acosta SPA Red Bull KTM Ajo (Kalex) 1m 34.198s
5 Fermín Aldeguer SPA Beta Tools SpeedUp (Boscoscuro) 1m 34.226s
6 Somkiat Chantra THA IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia (Kalex) 1m 34.316s
7 Jake Dixon GBR Inde GASGAS Aspar Team (Kalex) 1m 34.344s
8 Sam Lowes GBR Elf Marc VDS Racing Team (Kalex) 1m 34.382s
9 Zonta Vd Goorbergh NED Fieten Olie Racing GP (Kalex) 1m 34.388s
10 Tony Arbolino ITA Elf Marc VDS Racing Team (Kalex) 1m 34.411s
11 Joe Roberts USA Italtrans Racing Team (Kalex) 1m 34.529s
12 Sergio Garcia SPA Pons Wegow Los40 (Kalex) 1m 34.573s
13 Bo Bendsneyder NED Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team (Kalex) 1m 34.604s
14 Albert Arenas SPA Red Bull KTM Ajo (Kalex) 1m 34.613s
15 Jeremy Alcoba SPA QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2 (Kalex) 1m 34.774s
16 Dennis Foggia ITA Italtrans Racing Team (Kalex) 1m 34.788s
17 Marcos Ramirez SPA OnlyFans American Racing (Kalex) 1m 34.983s
18 Alonso Lopez SPA Beta Tools SpeedUp (Boscoscuro) 1m 35.084s
19 Ai Ogura JPN IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia (Kalex) 1m 34.732s
20 Darryn Binder RSA Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP (Kalex) 1m 34.762s
21 Alex Escrig SPA Forward Team (Forward) 1m 34.781s
22 Alberto Surra ITA Forward Team (Forward) 1m 34.795s
23 Barry Baltus BEL Fieten Olie Racing GP (Kalex) 1m 34.984s
24 Taiga Hada JPN Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team (Kalex) 1m 35.105s
25 Lorenzo Baldassarri ITA Fantic Racing (Kalex) 1m 35.163s
26 Lukas Tulovic GER Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP (Kalex) 1m 35.293s
27 Izan Guevara SPA Inde GASGAS Aspar Team (Kalex) 1m 35.352s
28 Rory Skinner GBR OnlyFans American Racing (Kalex) 1m 35.412s
29 Kohta Nozane JPN Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46 (Kalex) 1m 35.437s
30 Mattia Casadei ITA Fantic Racing (Kalex) 1m 35.839s

 

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MotoGP: Martin Wins Sprint Race in Indonesia, Giving Him The Championship Lead

For the first time this season, Pecco Bagnaia is no longer leading the championship standings. After winning today’s Sprint Race, Jorge Martin now leads the title race by 7 points! He was joined on the podium by both VR46 riders, Luca Marini and Marco Bezzecchi.

We have reached a crucial point in the season now – Indonesia is the first venue for the final 6 races of the season and marks the countdown to the end of the year. We have two triple-headers now, which can make or break a rider’s championship hopes.

Today’s Sprint Race was won by the rider who is currently riding high on momentum, and the points haul has given him the top spot in the championship standings. This is the first time in 2023 that Pecco Bagnaia has not topped the standings.

Jorge Martin showed his prowess today as he fought his way through from 6th on the grid to be leading the race by lap 5.

Joining him on the podium were both VR46 riders who have both had recent surgery on their collar bones, making their double podium even more impressive. Luca Marini, who started on pole, came home 2nd with Marco Bezzecchi less than a second behind him.

Image Credit: MotoGP

Maverick Vinales led the race in the early stages but eventually slipped back and ended the race in 4th. He looked to be struggling on his Aprilia machine, with the front of the bike not where he would want it to be. This saw him going wide in a number of corners and that’s what saw him ultimately miss out on a podium.

Fabio Quartararo came home in an promising 5th place, just ahead of Fabio Di Giannantonio. This was the best race result of the season for the Gresini rider who is, at the moment, without a ride for the 2024 season.

The two Ducati riders were next to see the checkered flag, with Enea Bastianini in 7th, returning from his crash in Catalunya and Pecco Bagnaia in 8th, unable to make any significant moves in the race. Rounding out the points-finishing position, in 9th, was Jack Miller and his Red Bull KTM machine.

AS IT HAPPENED

As the lights went out it was Luca Marini, our pole sitter, who flew off the line and led the field off the grid. At turn 1, Maverick Vinales made an aggressive move up the inside of the leader to take over at the front.

It was a bad start for his teammate Aleix Espargaro, who quickly dropped from 3rd to 6th. This promoted Fabio Quartararo up to 3rd but it was clear he was lacking pace and that held up the rest of the field behind him. With clear air ahead of him, Vinales and Marini were able to break away from the pack.

On turn 11 of the first lap, Marc Marquez found himself in the kitty litter as the rear end let go and the bike just slid out from underneath him.

Jorge Martin quickly made his way past Quartararo and in to 3rd, with a move at turn 10 on lap 2. He quickly got his head down and began chasing down the leading pair.

A few corners later, whilst making a move up the inside of Brad Binder for 5th place, Espargaro’s bike slid out from underneath him and he took Binder down with him. The incident was under investigation for a short while, before the Stewards quickly decided there was no penalty necessary.

Image Credit: MotoGP

These two DNFs promoted Pecco Bagnaia up to 9th and in to the points. Meanwhile, Martin, his championship rival was setting fastest laps and getting ever closer to the leading two riders.

On lap 5, Martin was finally able to make a move past Marini and took over in 2nd place.

At the halfway point, Vinales continued to lead the race and was 0.8 seconds ahead of the rest. Martin was in 2nd, with Marini and Marco Bezzeccho in 3rd and 4th.

By lap 9, the gap at the front was down to 0.2s and that allowed Martin to throw his bike down the inside of Vinales to snatch the lead with a very risky and aggressive move.

Vinales seemed to be facing a few issues in the closing stages of the race and was going wide in multiple corners as the front of the bike seemed to get away from him. This left him vulnerable to the two VR46 riders.

Exactly one lap after he lost the lead to Martin, Vinales then lost 2nd place to Marini. The move was an exact mirror image on Martin’s move, with Marini throwing it up the inside at turn 10.

Across the line to start lap 11 and Bezzcchi was now dicing with Vinales as the Aprilia rider continued to slip backwards. However, it wasn’t until turn 10 of the final lap when he was able to get past and take the final podium position spot.

FULL RESULTS
1st Jorge Martin Prima Pramac
2nd Luca Marini Mooney VR46
3rd Marco Bezzecchi Mooney VR46
4th Maverick Vinales Aprilia
5th Fabio Quartararo Yamaha
6th Fabio Di Giannantonio Gresini
7th Enea Bastianini Ducati
8th Pecco Bagnaia Ducati
9th Jack Miller Red Bull KTM
10th Miguel Oliveira CryptoDATA RNF
11th Takaaki Nakagami LCR Honda
12th Johann Zarco Prima Pramac
13th Augusto Fernandez GASGAS Tech3
14th Raul Fernandez CryptoDATA RNF
15th Franco Morbidelli Yamaha
16th Joan Mir Repsol Honda
17th Pol Espargaro GASGAS Tech3
18th Alex Rins LCR Honda
19th Brad Binder Red Bull KTM

DNF = Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia), Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda).

Feature Image Credit: MotoGP

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Round 11 WorldSBK Portimao, Portugal, Race 2

The earlier Superpole race saw Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing Ducati) claim his 2nd win of the weekend, followed by Pata Yamaha Prometeon team mates of Toprak Razgatlioglu, and Andrea Locatelli in 2nd, and 3rd respectively.

Would Bautista be able to make it 3 wins from 3?

WorldSBK Portimao 01.10.2023 Picture courtesy of Kawasaki Racing Team

Lights out for race 2, and Toprak aggressive as always from the off took the hole shot into turn 1, followed by Bautista, and Gardner (GYRT GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) who cut up the inside of Locatelli to take 3rd. Meanwhile further back, drama for Xavi Vierge (Honda HRC), who went off line, taking both Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK), and Redding (Rokit BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) off track along with him. All three riders however were able to rejoin.

Next lap of the 20 lap race, and Bautista attacked Toprak into turn 1, however he eased off the throttle and didn’t make the move stick. Positions were as follows: 1. Toprak 2. Bautista 3. Gardner 4. Locatelli 5. Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing Ducati) 6. Lecuona (Honda HRC) 7. Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW) 8. Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) 9. Vd Mark (Rokit BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) 10. Petrucci (Barni Spark Racing).

With 18 laps left, Rinaldi was looking quick and stuffed his Ducati up the inside of an unsuspecting Gardner to take 3rd. Locatelli 4th, and Gardner dropped down to 5th.

As was the case in the earlier Superpole race, both Bautista, and Toprak had pulled away from the rest of the field, the others unable to match the blistering pace being set at the front. Rinaldi in 3rd was 1.6s behind his team mate.

With 16 laps remaining, Bautista was rehearsing his overtake on Toprak, getting ahead down the straight, before easing off into turn 1. Meanwhile further back it was 7. Gardner 8. Bassani 9. Petrucci 10. Aegerter (GYRT GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team).

Next lap and Bautista made the move he rehearsed the previous few laps count. He eased into the lead down the straight and took the position into turn 1. Toprak however was having none of it, and stuffed his R1 under the Ducati into turn 5, rear sliding out as he retook the lead.

Meanwhile Garrett Gerloff put in the new fastest lap with a 1:40.829. Further back Rea was up to 14th, but was subsequently given a long lap penalty for dangerous riding. Rinaldi then put in the new fastest lap with a 1:40.738.

With 13 laps to go, it was the turn of Bautista to put in the new fastest lap with a 1:40.4, and extended his lead to 0.3s in the process. Meanwhile Rinaldi had a gap of 1.7s to Toprak.

Approaching the half way point of the race, and Toprak struck, slamming his R1 up the inside of Bautista’s Ducati into turn 13 with a perfect block pass. However, Bautista responded by blasting past the R1 down the straiight. As has been the story all season, the Yamaha had no answer to the outright speed of the Ducati. Toprak, late on the brakes into turn 1, somehow retook the lead. A real battle was unfolding.

Rinaldi in 3rd was struggling to match the pace at the front, and was losing contact, with the gap extended to 1.9s.

Just at the half way point of the race, and drama for the Aussie, Gardner who had a mechanical, and was forced to retire. Positions at the half way stage were as follows; 1. Bautista 2. Toprak 3. Rinaldi 4. Locatelli 5. Gerloff 6. Lecuona 7. Petrucci 8. Aegerter 9. Oettl 10. Bassani.

With 9 laps remaining, Toprak was back in front, the lead now swapping virtually every lap. The gap between them was only 0.2s, this would no doubt go down to the wire.

With 7 laps to go, Bautista again blasted past Toprak down the straight and back into the lead. Meanwhile further back, Rea was up to 13th, and Redding 14th. At the front Toprak cut under Bautista into turn 13, before Bautista retook the lead into turn 1 the next lap, however he ran wide and Toprak retook the lead. This was breathtaking racing!

With only 5 laps left, Gerloff was having another superb race, and was all over the back of Locatelli and looking for the pass. With the constant swapping of positions ahead of him, Rinaldi had managed to claw back ground, and was closing in. Toprak held a lead of 0.2s in front.

Next lap, and Bautista again retook the lead down the straight and into turn 1. Then into turn 13, a favourite for Toprak, he jammed it up the the inside of Bautista with a neat pass to retake the lead.

With 3 laps remaining, Bautista was back in front, powering down the straight and into the lead into turn 1. Toprak was in no mood to settle for 2nd and, stuffed it up the inside of Bautista into turn 5. The move caught the Spaniard out, and his bike jerked violently as he sat it upright briefly. This race was still anyone’s to call. Meanwhile further back Rea was up to 11th.

Down to the penultimate lap, and Bautista again took the lead down the long straight, however as he had done before, he went wide, and Toprak went through the gap he left. This was edge of your seat racing, incredible stuff from two champions giving it absolutely everything.

Last lap, and as they had been for the past 20 laps, they were both still locked together in a bitter dog fight. Bautista took the lead again down the straight, before Toprak dived up the inside, nearly losing the front end in the process. Approaching the last few sets of corners, and Toprak was ahead, ringing the neck out of his R1, then onto the long right hander, Toprak still ahead, Bautista got the drive out of the last corner and powered past Toprak and across the line to take the win. Sensational racing, Toprak however was furious, and smashed his screen repeatedly. He had given everything, and yet it wasn’t enough to beat the flawless pairing of Bautista, and the Ducati.

WorldSBK Portimao 01.10.2023 Picture courtesy of WorldSBK

Rinaldi 3rd, Gerloff 4th, Locatelli 5th, Petrucci 6th, Lecuona 7th, Aegerter 8th, Oettl (GoEleven Racing) 9th, Rea 10th.

Result top 5:

  1. Bautista (Aruba.it Racing Ducati)
  2. Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK Team)
  3. Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing Ducati)
  4. Gerloff (Bonovo Action BMW)
  5. Locatelli (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK Team)

Championship top 3:

  1. Bautista – 566
  2. Razgatlioglu -506
  3. Rea – 350

The championship will go down to the final round in Jerez, Spain.

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