Jun
15
Alex Marquez lead from flag to flag in the Moto3 Grand Prix in Catalunya to hand Honda its first win since the 2012 season.
The Estrella Galicia 0,0 rider held a massive 3.236 lead as he crossed the line and, bar one wobble on the soggy astroturf, the win looked assured as the Spanish teenager was untouchable on the way to securing his second career victory, his first back in Motegi last year.
Marquez was able to make a rare break at the front as the chasing pack of nine tripped over each other while tussling for position.
Rookie Enea Bastianini continued his strong showing converting his best qualifying into a first podium in an incredible second for the Junior GoFun rider, after a competitive and mature ride.
The Italian KTM rider outpaced Efren Vazquez who had battled hard to make up for the electrical problems he suffered in qualifying, the Spaniard taking the final spot on the podium in third for the SaxoPrint-RTG team.
Red Bull KTM rider Jack Miller exercised some great damage control sitting at the back of the chasing group for most of the distance, passing Romano Fenati for fourth on the final lap allowing the Australian to increase his world championship lead by two points to a slender lead of seven.
The Italian Sky Racing VR46 rider took fifth, still a massive eleven place improvement on his grid position of sixteenth.
Brad Binder fought hard in the leading group, the top Mahindra rider having his best finish of the year in sixth.
After two podium finishes at the last two rounds Team Calvo’s Isaac Vinales had less luck and was the last of the pack to cross the line in seventh.
A frustrated Niklas Ajo looked to be set for second when he lost control of his Ajo Husqvarna but managed an incredible save – his legs both on the same side of the bike at one point – though the Finn was unhappy to finish eighth after a promising weekend.
The speed of the pack shed a few riders off the back with John McPhee eventually losing touch, the British rider finishing ninth for SaxoPrint-RTG after winning a great battle to hold off Sky Racing Team VR46 rider Francesco Bagnaia in tenth.
Alexis Masbou was not far behind for Ongetta-Rivacold in eleventh as the second group caught up with the stragglers from the front in the closing laps.
Miguel Oliveira was next to take the flag in twelfth for Mahindra ahead of CIP rider Alessandro Tonucci in 13th with Karel Hanika 14th ahead of fellow Czech rider Jakub Kornfeil who scored the final point in 15th.
Danny Kent finished out of the points for the first time this season in 17th on the Husqvarna.
Injured Alex Rins, carrying a broken bone in his foot after his qualifying crash, retired with just three laps of the race run, entering the pit lane after losing the gear lever on his Estrella Galicia bike.
Niccolo Antonelli thirteenth crash of the season came on the opening lap, the bodywork flying off his GoFun bike as he hit the tyre wall.
Just one lap later wild-card Maria Herrera scooped up Hafiq Azmi’s SIC-AJO, ending both their races in the gravel.
Juanfran Guevara was the only other crasher but rejoined on his Aspar machine to finish 28th.
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