Mugello 2019 - Moto 3 vince Tony Arbolino

In Moto3 il pilota del team di Cecchini trionfa per 29 millesimi su Dalla Porta, che in campionato si porta a soli 3 punti dal leader Canet, settimo al traguardo. Terzo Masia, quarto Antonelli davanti a Foggia.

Tony Arbolino trionfa nel Gran Premio di casa con una gara perfetta: il pilota del team Snipers è attento e preciso; letale in un ultimo giro dove rimonta due posizioni per transitare sul traguardo con soli 29 millesimi di vantaggio su Dalla Porta, ottimo secondo in gara e nel mondiale. Al Mugello Arbolino è il sesto vincitore diverso in sei gare nel 2019, per un mondiale sempre più bello ed equilibrato.

Arbolino parte in pole position davanti al pubblico amico, in prima fila anche Gabriel Rodrigo e Lorenzo dalla Porta. Migno scatta dalla quarta casella con l'unica Ktm nelle prime posizioni, in quinta e sesta non ci sono invece Suzuki e Antonelli, retrocessi rispettivamente in nona e diciottesima piazza per essere entrati in pista con semaforo rosso durante le qualifiche.

Arbolino parte male ma recupera in staccata e riesce a infilarsi all'interno di Rodrigo, largo alla San Donato. Al termine del primo giro però è Dalla Porta a mostrare il migliore allungo sul rettilineo e a transitare in prima posizione; bene Suzuki che grazie a un giro iniziale tutto all'attacco si riporta tra i primi.

19 giri alla conclusione: giù Rodrigo, che va in terra alla Borgo San Lorenzo. Il GP perde uno dei favoriti per la vittoria. Attenzione a Canet, costante intorno alla sesta posizione: il pilota di Biaggi corre con un occhio alla gara e uno al campionato.

A 14 giri dal termine i primi sei sono riusciti a guadagnare un minimo di margine: guida Dalla Porta, seguono Arbolino, Binder, McPhee, Suzuki, Canet e Foggia. Antonelli prova a chiudere il gap di mezzo secondo e a riportarsi sui fuggitivi.

Il pilota di Simoncelli completa la rimonta pochi giri dopo e si porta dietro anche Migno e Masia: il gruppo di testa è composto da dieci piloti, è sempre Dalla Porta a dettare il ritmo: la moto di Lundberg sembra la più veloce, ma Lorenzo non riesce a fare la differenza per andare via. Ogni volta che il numero 48 viene superato riesce comunque a controbattere immediatamente. Quando Lorenzo è in testa riesce quasi sempre a mantenere la posizione prima della linea del traguardo, nonostante il gioco delle scie.

A nove giri dal termine, approfittando della bagarre, rientrano anche Fenati, Vietti, Toba, Sasaki, Fernandez e Arenas. A 5 dal termine purtroppo vanno giù alla Bucine Migno e Fenati; in testa si fa vedere Aron Canet, poco dopo vanno giù Sasaki e Toba.

L'ultimo giro inizia con Arbolino davanti a Dalla Porta e Suzuki. Tony sembra primo anche alla San Donato, ma Masia a sorpresa piazza una staccata da paura e si mette davanti a tutti. Dalla Porta lo ripassa alla Palagio, Arbolino lo imita in extremis alla Bucine. Il fotofinish lanciato da Dalla Porta vede Arbolino e Masia incollati. Il gioco delle scie premia il pilota del team Snipers, che ottiene la prima vittoria in carriera per 29 millesimi su Dalla Porta. Terzo Masia a 78 millesimi, poi Antonelli, Foggia e McPhee. Settimo Canet, che conserva la testa del mondiale con 3 punti su Dalla Porta e 13 su Antonelli.

Il pilota del team Leopard è al terzo secondo posto in stagione: "Abbiamo fatto un lavoro fantastico, la moto era molto veloce, ma ho finito le gomme proprio all’ultimo giro. Sono arrivato secondo ma possiamo provare a vincere il campionato". Arbolino è ovviamente al settimo cielo: "Ho corso qua fin da quando ero giovanissimo, vincere al Mugello è bellissimo. Con il podio in Argentina per me è cambiato tutto: l'allenamento (Tony si è trasferito a Lugano e si è affidato al preparatore di Jorge Lorenzo, ndr), la testa. Ora siamo molto competitivi".

Mugello 2019 - Moto 3 - Pole Position per Tony Arbolino

Arbolino conquista il primo posto in griglia al Mugello, seguito da Rodrigo e Dalla Porta. In difficoltà nelle prime uscite, Migno recupera salendo fino al 4° posto

Facce tese, sguardi indagatori che scrutano gli altri box, cercano l'attimo giusto per attaccare il tempo. Ogni qualifica della Moto3 è anche una sfida di tattica. La scia giusta può cambiare tutto, ma al Mugello la tensione è palpabile. Più che in altre gare. Ai primi giri le coppie si aiutano, Antonelli e Suzuki escono insieme (con semaforo e bandiera rossa, contro il regolamento). I due dell'Estrella Galicia, Lopez e Garcia, seguono pochi secondi dopo. Non c'è mai nulla di scontato nella classe minore.

Sorpresa Migno

Forse era nell'aria la pole position di Tony Arbolino (la terza in carriera, la prima della stagione), il più veloce al mattino e straordinario al momento giusto dove con un giro perfetto ha rifilato un distacco di quasi sette decimi al secondo classificato, Gabriel Rodrigo. Non era invece pronosticabile il quarto posto di Andrea Migno, in difficolta venerdì e costretto a superare la Q1. Forse non era nemmeno prevedibile il terzo posto di Lorenzo Dalla Porta, in difficoltà nell'ultimo turno di libere. Felicità per gli italiani che hanno regalato le prime soddisfazioni della giornata al pubblico del Mugello.

Team Sic58 indietro

Un po' di rammarico per i piloti del team Sic58: Antonelli e Suzuki erano tra i favoriti per la prima fila, invece si sono ritrovati rispettivamente quinto e sesto, forse condizionati dalla leggerezza di inizio qualifica. Negli ultimi minuti il romagnolo si è addirittura seduto nel box, in attesa di chi sa cosa. Niente di grave, sul tracciato toscano partire davanti conta fino a un certo punto grazie al gioco delle scie sul lungo rettilineo del traguardo che cambia la classifica ad ogni giro. Ma dare un segnale di forza agli avversari è sempre utile. Il primo a cui inviarlo è Aron Canet, finito decimo, ma anche per lui vale la regola di una gara che può cambiare fronte a ogni passaggio. E' la speranza a cui sono obbligati ad aggrapparsi anche Dennis Foggia, che aveva evitato la Q1 con un buon turno di FP3 salvo ritrovarsi tredicesimo sulla griglia di partenza. Come lui, Celestino Vietti (quattordicesimo in FP3), che partirà quattro posizioni più indietro. Peccato per Kevin Zannoni, tra i più veloci del venerdì, solo venticinquesimo in qualifica.

Moto3, GP Mugello. Vince Martin. Bezzecchi, secondo e in testa al campionato

È una gran bella gara quella della Moto3, al Mugello. Fin dall’inizio, il podio è stata una questione tra Martin, Bezzecchi e Di Giannantonio. Vince lo spagnolo, ma Bezzecchi mantiene la testa del campionato. Dove ci sono ben cinque italiani nelle prime sette posizioni della classifica Mondiale

Jorge Martin parte in pole e scatta benissimo dalla griglia di partenza. Bene come Marco Bezzecchi, a cui basta una curva per ottenere la seconda posizione, ai danni di Tatsuki Suzuki e Ayumu Sasaki. L’altro italiano in gran forma è Fabio Di Giannantonio, che impiega un paio di giri per superare i due giapponesi, portarsi alle spalle di Bezzecchi e attendere la Casanova-Savelli per sorprendere anche Bezzecchi.

Di Giannantonio è il più veloce in pista. Il suo giro veloce in 1’56”628 non lascia spazio a dubbi. E mentre Adam Norrodin cade alla curva 5, a 17 giri dal termine Bez si porta in testa. Ma Martin non ci sta, frena tardissimo e torna davanti.  

I primi tre fanno un’altra gara. Tra gli inseguitori, è Tony Arbolino a portarsi in quarta posizione. In questo gruppetto ci sono anche Bastianini, Masia, Rodrigo, Canet, Suzuki e Sasaki. A 13 giri si ritira Dennis Foggia, mentre Aron Canet affonda fino alla 16 esima posizione. Due giri più tardi, Di Giannantonio ci prova e passa Martin all’interno.

Fabio Di Giannantonio mantiene la testa per poco più di due giri. Poi lo ripassa, ancora una volta, Martin. E mentre il madrileno prova a fare la lepre, è proprio un leprotto del Mugello a tagliargli la strada. Il pilota del team Del Conca Gresini lo sfiora, ma non si scompone. Il leporide balza fuori dalla pista, incolume. Intanto Bezzecchi lascia infastidire a vicenda i due piloti di Fausto Gresini in un’interminabile bagarre, osservandoli da vicino.

Jaume Masia finisce nella ghiaia alla curva 3, dopo un contatto con il compagno di team Marcos Ramirez. Al penultimo giro, Martin sfrutta un errore di Diggia e si porta in testa. Il pilota romano supera Bezzecchi e torna secondo. Bez ci prova alla prima staccata disponibile, all’inizio dell’ultimo giro, ma va lungo. Martin rimane davanti e chiude tutte le porte. Esce fortissimo anche dall’ultima curva, sa che deve contenere il motore della Ktm di Bezzecchi. Che infatti, sul rettilineo, passa Diggia, ma non lo spagnolo, per 19 millesimi. Un battito di ciglia.

Sul podio salgono dunque Martin, Bezzecchi e Di Giannantonio. “La Honda deve lavorare un pochettino sul motore – commenta Fabrizio Cecchini, capotecnico del pilota Romano -. Di Giannantonio è anche abbastanza alto, paghiamo un po’ anche quello. Ma le gare sono così, non ci possiamo fare niente”. Intanto, dopo sei gare, Bezzecchi rimane in testa al campionato, Martin sale in seconda posizione mentre Di Giannantonio è terzo

Moto3, GP Mugello 2018: qualifiche. Ennesima pole per Jorge Martin,avanti a Suzuki e Sasaki, ind dietro gli italiani

Jorge Martin (Honda Gresini) centra la pole position anche nel Gran Premio d’Italia della Moto3 al Mugello, e raggiunge il record di partenze al palo della categoria a quota 13. Lo spagnolo, infatti, fa segnare un ottimo 1:56.634, distanziando i sorprendenti giapponesi Tatsuki Suzuki (Honda SIC58) e Ayumu Sasaki (Honda Petronas) rispettivamente di 190 e 210 millesimi. In seconda fila prenderà il via lo spagnolo Aron Canet (Honda EG 0,0) a 224, quindi tre italiani, Marco Bezzecchi (KTM Redox) a 241, Fabio Di Giannantonio (Honda Gresini) a 271 e Niccolò Antonelli (Honda SIC58) a 303. Completano la top ten il malese Adam Norrodin (Honda Petronas) ottavo a 359, quindi lo spagnolo Marcos Ramirez (KTM Bester) a 453 e l’ennesimo giapponese Kaito Toba (Honda Asia) a 632.

Gli altri italiani: solamente 14esimo un deludente Enea Bastianini (Honda Leopard) a 829 millesimi, davanti ad Andrea Migno (KTM Angel Nieto) a 879, quindi 16esimo Nicolò Bulega (Sky Racing VR46) a lungo nella top ten, a 908, 17esimo Lorenzo Dalla Porta (Honda Leopard) a 938, 18esimo Tony Arbolino (Honda Marinelli) a 955, mentre Manuel Pagliani (Honda Leopard Jr) è 24esimo a 1.229. Malissimo Dennis Foggia (Sky Racing VR46), 27esimo a 1.824, mentre è 29esimo e penultimo Stefano Nepa (NRT Jr) a 2.509, davanti al belga Livio Loi (KTM Reale Avintia) a 3.077.

Moto 3 2017 : Mugello, Che spettacolo! Migno wins amidst the magic and mayhem of Mugello

 

Che spettacolo! Migno wins amidst the magic and mayhem of Mugello

Lightweight class test the depth of the thesaurus with one of the races of the century

Andrea Migno (Sky Racing Team VR46) has taken his rst ever Grand Prix win on home turf in the Gran Premio d’Italia Oakley, staying
just ahead of compatriot Fabio Di Giannantonio (Del Conca Gresini Moto3) as the two broke free from the pack on the nal lap. Juanfran
Guevara (RBA BOE Racing Team) took his rst ever podium in P3, breaking free of the Moto3™ mayhem out of the nal corner.
It was Di Giannantonio who got the best start, taking the lead into Turn 1 as teammate Jorge Martin also got a spectacular rst few corners from P13 on the grid to move up into the top six. Romano Fenati (Marinelli Rivacold Snipers) was another good starter, as the big loser o the line proved Nicolo Bulega (Sky Racing Team VR46) and the Italian dropped back outside the top ten.
The initial front group that emerged saw Fenati leading Di Giannantonio, Jorge Martin, Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Squadra Corse), John McPhee (British Talent Team) and Marcos Ramirez (Platinum Bay Real Estate), as Ramirez’ teammate Darryn Binder looked to tag onto the back. Bulega regrouped to then lead the second freight train, but the slipstream down the more than kilometer long straight soon came into play as the top eleven closed up, followed by almost the entirety of the eld.
With over twenty riders in the “front group” – a spectacular sight down the straight – positions switched and changed at the sharp end as advantages were gained and lost in the slipstream. Some stunning overtakes around the rest of the lap made for a signature Moto3™ spectacle, with riders going eight or nine abreast into Turn 1 and the ght through the eld one of the best displays of Grand Prix racing in the lightweight class seen this year, this decade – or possibly even this century.
The timesheets seemed to ip every time over the line, but as the last lap dawned it was Migno and Di Giannantonio who managed to pull a tiny gap from the tousle behind – with the VR46 academy rider able to just stay ahead over the line to take his rst ever Grand Prix win, by only 0.037.
‘Diggia’ – who had also been hunting his rst win - took another podium as he gains traction in 2017, and showed incredible sportsmanship as he congratulated his compatriot on the win just past the line.
Juanfran Guevara’s rst podium came ahead of an equal best-ever result for Darryn Binder in fourth, with Aron Canet (Estrella Galicia 0,0) completing the top ve. BTT rider John McPhee took sixth in a solid ride to bag more points, and crucially nished just ahead of Championship leader Joan Mir (Leopard Racing).
Ayumu Sasaki (SIC Racing Team) was the rookie of the day, as the former Asia Talent Cup winner took an incredible P8 after ghting at the front for the rst time on the world stage – and coming from P24 on the grid. Marcos Ramirez took P9, ahead of Italian duo Nicolo Bulega and Enea Bastianini (Estrella Galicia 0,0).
Bo Bendsneyder took P12, ahead of a more di cult nish for initial leader Romano Fenati. Philipp Oettl (Südmetall Schedl GP Racing) was fourteenth, in front of another key title challenger to lose out in the latter stages of the race: Jorge Martin.
Now there’s almost enough time to catch your breath before we head over to the Monster Energy Gran Premi de Catalunya in Barcelona, ready to re up the ever-frenetic Moto3™ eld once again.

Moto3 Race Results
1 - Andrea Migno (ITA - KTM) 39'43.963
2 - Fabio Di Giannantonio (ITA - Honda) + 0.037
3 - Juanfran Guevara (SPA - KTM) + 0.166

moto 3 Mugello 2016 - An incredible 20 lap Moto3™ race in Mugello saw Binder play it perfectly to win ahead of Di Giannantonio and Bagnaia with a perfect last lap

Sunday at the Gran Premio d’Italia TIM began with the always-thrilling Moto3™ World Championship race. The sun blazed overhead, the ground temperature edging above 34°C as the 33 rider strong field lined up on the grid. Italians featured heavily in the top ten, Romano Fenati (SKY Racing Team VR46) beginning his home race from pole position. Fenati shot off the line and held his advantage into Turn 1, Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) moving up to third with Andrea Migno (SKY Racing Team VR46) splitting the two front-runners. The straight was home to thrilling action as the leading group went five abreast into San Donato, riders easily going from first to fifth in just a few meters. Each lap saw more and more riders join the battle, the slipstream closing the pack up with each run down the 1.141km long straight as the top 20 were all within touching distance. Replacement rider Lorenzo Dalla Porta (Schedl GP Racing) had an incredible start to the race, finding himself comfortably inside the top ten and able to battle with the World Championship regulars. Dalla Porta wasn’t the only new name out at the front, rookie Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing Moto3) taking the lead on several occasions in front of his home crowd. Disaster struck on lap ten for pole setter Roman Fenati as his bike expired while he tried to move into first, the Italian rolling off the track and withdrawing from the race. Fenati’s heartbreak presented a big opportunity for the likes of Fabio Quartararo (Leopard Racing) who made his way up into the frontrunners having started 18th, the Frenchman able to lead at several points. The championship hopefuls continued to encounter difficulties, Jorge Navarro (Estrella Galicia 0,0) coming off at Turn 15 on lap 12 after contact with another rider. This left Binder fighting for victory with his two closest rivals out of the race, the South African guaranteed to leave Mugello with the championship lead. Binder made his move on the final lap and opened up a quarter of second gap, just enough to break the slipstream. For the third straight race the South African takes to the top step of the podium, extending his championship lead once again. 49 points, almost two race victories, separate Binder in first from Navarro in second in the standings. Di Giannantonio scored his first points of the year with a brilliant second place at home, Francesco Bagnaia (Aspar Mahindra Team Moto3) making it two Italians on the podium with third. Before Mugello, Di Giannantonio’s best result was 17th. Try as they might, Niccolo Antonelli (Ongetta-Rivacold) and Fabio Quartararo (Leopard Racing) were unable to pass in the slipstream, settling for fourth and fifth respectively. Darryn Binder (Platinum Bay Real Estate) was the first faller of the race, coming off at Turn 8 but able to walk away from the accident free of injury. Andrea Locatelli (Leopard Racing) fell at Turn 2 on the 14th lap, a sad end to his home weekend. Khairul Idham Pawi (Honda Team Asia) crashed out of a potential top five on the final lap, followed soon after by Aron Canet (Estrella Galicia 0,0). Fabio Spiranelli (CIP-Unicom Starker) and Alexis Masbou (Peugeot MC Saxoprint) also failed to finish.

MOTO 3 : Binder destroys field and takes career first win from last on the grid

A thrilling charge through the field saw Brad Binder taking his first World Championship victory from Navarro and Bagnaia having started last.   Drama began even before the Moto3™ World Championship lined up on the grid as Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) was sent to the back of the grid, moving every rider up a position on the grid. The penalty came as the result of a mapping infringement, the South African’s KTM was found to be using non-homologated ECU software after Qualifying.   With the morning fog gone and the championship leader starting last, it was set to be as thrilling a Moto3™ battle as ever. Nicolo Bulega (Sky Racing Team VR46) lined up in pole ahead of Jorge Navarro (Estrella Galicia 0,0) with Francesco Bagnaia (Aspar Mahindra Team Moto3) moved onto the front row due to Binder’s penalty. Conditions were ideal, the track at 26°C and ambient temperature at 18°C. Jules Danilo (Ongetta-Rivacold) was the only rider to deviate from the medium front and rear tyre trend, the Frenchman running a soft front.   Excitement continued to build as riders revved their engines, the 35-rider field lurching forward as the lights went out. From third Bagnaia made a great start on his Mahindra to lead into Turn 1. Meanwhile the drama continued as Niccolo Antonelli (Ongetta-Rivacold) was forced to start from pit lane due to an issue on the grid. Further down Binder quickly picked his way through the field.   Turn 6 claimed both Fabio Quartararo (Leopard Racing) and Jorge Martin (Aspar Mahindra Team Moto3) on the first lap, both riders rushing to their bikes. Meanwhile Jorge Navarro had taken control of the race with ‘Pecco’ Bagnaia tucking in behind him in an attempt to break away, but fellow Italian Bulega loomed large behind them. This small group began to quickly open a gap, a second ahead of Romano Fenati (Sky Racing Team VR46) as they started lap three.   The start of lap three also saw Binder inside the points, the South African having forced his way up to 15th from 35th in just two laps. Binder rapidly closed on the group battling for fourth, setting a 1’46.922 on lap four, while the leading trio continued to press their advantage. All three remained calm and in line, working hard to open up a large gap and ensure their fight would be one for victory.   It was all calm until with 18 laps to go Bulega took control of the leading group, sliding up the inside of Navarro and tightening the three up again. But Bulega’s size worked against him, Navarro taking the lead back at Turn 1 the following lap. The battle at the front was exciting, but Brad Binder’s charge was awe-inspiring as the South African was inside the top ten after just six laps. Almost every corner offered Binder another chance to gain a place, slipping through with incredible ease.   Before even a third of the race was gone, Binder was fourth and leading the chasing group. Could he defy the odds and claim victory from the back of the grid? He had 15 laps to close the 3.7-second gap, fighting at the front helping him immensely. The leading three lapped in the low 1’48s while Binder produced a steady flow of mid 1’47s.   Turn 6 was the stage for a number of attacks at the front, the long straight before hand giving Navarro and Bagnaia the chance to get past each other. Unfortunately fighting on lap 11 allowed Binder to close an entire second, just 1.5 seconds behind a podium finish.   Eyes were focused on Binder, but the fight for fifth remained an intense brawl as the likes of Joan Mir (Leopard Racing), Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing Moto3) and Philipp Oettl (Schedl GP Racing) traded positions.   As the laps ticked down, so did the gap to the front and soon Binder was involved in the podium battle, moving to third at Turn 1 on the 14th lap. Not long after Binder would move into second as Bagnaia ran wide at Turn 1. The leading group gathered together once more, but it didn’t worry the South African as he pushed his way into the lead at Turn 6 on lap 18.   Clear track ahead, Binder began to open up a lead as Navarro and Bagnaia diced for second. As the final three laps began Binder had a one second lead over second, still lapping in the mid 1’47s. The Red Bull KTM Ajo rider was gone but the fight for second was fierce as Bulega struck at Turn 6, slamming his way into second but Bagnaia and Navarro responded. All three traded places and it all came down to the drag to the line after an incredible move by Bulega into Turn 13. It was enough to ensure Bulega took second and thus a debut podium with Bagnaia taking his second podium of the year with third.   The gap would grow to an unbelievable 3.4 seconds as Binder became the first ever South African to win a lightweight class race. With his first victory, Binder extended his championship lead to 15 points over Navarro.   Jorge Navarro lost out on the podium in the final corner, forced to settle for fourth. Jakub Kornfeil (Drive M7 SIC Racing Team) would eventually win the battle for fifth.   Joan Mir (Leopard Racing), Romano Fenati (Sky Racing Team VR46), Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing Moto3), Jules Danilo (Ongetta-Rivacold) and Phillip Oettl (Schedl GP Racing) completed the top ten.   There were a number of falls throughout the race with Andrea Locatelli (Leopard Racing), Hiroki Ono (Honda Team Asia) and Karel Hanika (Platinum Bay Real Estate) all going down together on the third lap. Aron Canet (Estrella Galicia 0,0) was in contention for the top ten until he fell at Turn 1 on lap six.   John McPhee (Peugeot MC Saxoprint) fell at Turn 2. Several laps later Niccolo Antonelli would also fall, but at Turn 8 as he attempted to recover from his pit lane start.   Round five will commence on the sixth of May at the Monster Energy Grand Prix de France in Le Mans.

Moto3™ Race Results 

1- Brad Binder (RSA)  KTM 41'29.882 

2 - Nicolo Bulega (ITA) KTM + 3.336 

3 - Francesco Bagnaia (ITA) MAHINDRA  +3.441

MOTO 3 : Pawi powers to sensational first win

Khairul Idham Pawi (MAL) Moto3 Podium In just his third World Championship race, Khairul Idham Pawi charges to an unbelievable victory at the Gran Premio Motul de la República Argentina.  The Moto3™ World Championship round in Argentina was declared a wet race, the surface of the track somewhere in between wet and dry. All riders came to the grid on wet tyres, but some thought that slicks would be the best option. The Termas de Rio Hondo is a track with high grip levels, the situation reminiscent of the 2015 Indianapolis GP. It was tense on the grid as a number of riders weighed their potential options, all riders hiding their tyre choice until the final seconds.  Livio Loi (RW Racing GP BV) was the only rider to opt for wet tyres, the rest of the field, hoping the track would improve and that they could keep heat in their tyres, chose to run with slicks.  Starting from pole position for the first time in his career, Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) made a solid start. But it was Romano Fenati (Sky Racing Team VR46) who shot into the lead, the only rider on the front row who started on a dry patch of tarmac. His lead would not last as Khairul Idham Pawi (Honda Team Asia) shot ahead and quickly opened up an advantage of over half a second by the middle of the first lap.  But with wets fitted, Loi was in hot pursuit out the front, able to push immediately. His plan was clear: sprint ahead while the track was wet and attempt to defend his lead if the track dried. Loi tagged onto the back of Pawi as the duo charged ahead, four seconds in front of the rest. Pawi’s performance was almost unbelievable given the fact he was on slick tyres, Loi unable to stay with the Malaysian’s demonic pace.  Adam Norrodin (Drive M7 SIC Racing Team) was able to break away from the chasing group as well, three seconds ahead of Andrea Locatelli (Leopard Racing) who was in fourth. As the pack battled away behind, Pawi set fastest lap after fastest lap, consistently three seconds faster than everyone else on track.  Championship leader Niccolo Antonelli (Ongetta-Rivacold) found himself outside the points with 18 laps remaining as he was in 17th, his title rival Brad Binder staying steady inside the top ten, involved in the battle for fourth.  With 15 laps to go, Adam Norrodin slipped past Livio Loi, the pair swapping positions for several corners as Pawi continued to set fast laps, his lead now 20 seconds. The battling of Norrodin and Loi allowed Jorge Navarro (Estrella Galicia 0,0) to catch them, Navarro and Norrodin able to wrestle past Loi. With a third of the race gone, Loi was clearly struggling with his wets on the rapidly drying track.  However, the rain flag came out again soon after. This didn’t deter Navarro and Norrodin as the two continued to swap positions. With the race now in a more or less stable rhythm, Binder began to pick his way through the field and found himself up in fourth as the middle of the race approached.  The rain flags offered Loi no relief, the Belgian rider dropping back with each lap. All riders forged ahead, Pawi given multiple warning signs that he was near the limit as his bike bucked beneath him. Still the lap times came, Pawi setting a 1’58.127s, the fastest lap of the race at that stage, with 11 laps to go. Positions continued to change behind him, Antonelli fighting into the points as the likes of Fenati and teammate Nicolo Bulega (Sky Racing Team VR46) dropped outside the top 20.  The battling raged behind, Brad Binder and Joan Mir (Leopard Racing) charging into the top five. Fourth produced a stunning battle with the likes of Binder, Locatelli and Mir all trading places. Unfortunately Aron Canet (Estrella Galicia 0,0) suffered a fall at Turn 7 as he attempted to stay with the other riders. Meanwhile Navarro and Norrodin were locked together, Navarro’s experience allowing him to just remain ahead until midway through the final lap.  After an almost unbelievable race, Pawi would cross the line a staggering 26.170 ahead of Jorge Navarro. Navarro and Norrodin’s battle would go down to the penultimate corner, Norrodin high siding as he tried all he could to end second. This promoted Brad Binder to third, continuing his perfect podium record in 2016.  Pawi is the first Malaysian rider to take a Grand Prix victory, doing so in just his third race on the world stage.  Norrodin stood up and pushed his bike across the line for 11th, drawing applause from all those in the crowd and pit lane.  Andrea Locatelli produced his best ever Grand Prix finish with fourth ahead of teammate Mir, who also produced his best result and the fastest lap of the race.  Hiroki Ono (Honda Team Asia), John McPhee (Peugeot MC Saxoprint), Jorge Martin (Aspar Mahindra Team Moto3), Jakub Kornfeil (Drive M7 SIC Racing Team) and Niccolo Antonelli completed the top ten.  Brad Binder takes the lead of the Moto3™ World Championship with 36 points.

Moto3™ Race Results 

1 - Khairul Idham Pawi (MAL)  HONDA 41'35.452 

2 - Jorge Navarro (SPA) HONDA   + 26.170 

3 - Brad Binder (RSA)  KTM +30.060

Antonelli claims thrilling first victory of the year

The Moto3™ World Championship kicked off the 2016 season with a classically close and hard fought race, Antonelli emerging victorious from Binder and Bagnaia.   The 2016 Moto3™ World Championship officially began at the Commercial Bank Grand Prix of Qatar, a thrilling racing unfolding under the floodlights as 33 riders hunted a strong result to start their 2016 campaigns with. All riders opted for the medium front and medium rear tyre options.   Starting from pole position, Romano Fenati (Sky Racing Team VR46) charged off the line to lead during the opening corners with Livio Loi (RW Racing GP BV) and Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) hot on his tail. Loi attempted to take the lead with 17 laps to go before running wide at Turn 1, dropping outside the top five.   Brad Binder and Jorge Navarro (Estrella Galicia 0,0) tried to break away but the great impact of the slipstream in Qatar saw all of the top 20 riders running together. Positions constantly changed as the top five slowly began to ease out an advantage with 15 laps remaining. The straight continued to see dramatic changes in position, the rider leading out of the final corner frequently finding themselves sucked back to fifth.   Throughout the race Francesco Bagnaia (Aspar Mahindra Team Moto3) was the strongest Mahindra, the Italian a stalwart of the top five. The Mahindra rider was able to dice with the likes of Niccolo Antonelli (Ongetta-Rivacold), repeating his superb ride from the 2015 race.   As the laps ticked down, rookie Nicolo Bulega (Sky Racing Team VR46) hunted the riders ahead, his aggressive style from the Moto3™ Junior World Championship going nowhere since stepping up. With 11 laps remaining the Italian cut the gap down to under three tenths, able to finally benefit from the leader’s slipstream.   With half race distance complete, Binder once again took the lead, benefiting from the frantic fighting behind. Try as he might to escape, the South African was caught by Fenati on the straight and the brawl resumed once more. The leading six continued to tussle, Binder able to stretch a small lead through the corners but caught each time down the straight.   Behind the leading six a large eight-rider battle rumbled along for tenth position, Fabio Quartararo (Leopard Racing) controlling the second group for much of the race.   With four laps to go rookie Bulega struck and took the lead, Binder responding immediately as the two KTM men sparred for supremacy. Bulega was able to retake the lead as his teammate Romano Fenati put in several hard moves to wrestle his way into second; meanwhile Enea ‘The Beast’ Bastianini (Gresini Racing Moto3) cut the gap with each lap.   In true Moto3™ style it all came down to the last lap, Binder beginning it in the lead as Romano Fenati ran wide at the first corner and dropped to sixth. The corners ticked down as Antonelli tucked in behind the South African, waiting for his chance to strike.   The drag to the line was where it all happened as Antonelli played the race to perfection, pulling out of Binder’s slipstream to steal the race by 0.007s. Binder was second with Bagnaia putting his Mahindra on the podium. This is Antonelli’s third career victory and his best ever start to a season. In similar fashion, Binder’s seventh career podium is by far the South Africans best opening round.   Fenati secured a solid fourth from pole while Bastianini rounded out the top five.   Bulega’s heroic charge saw him end sixth on his full time World Championship debut ahead of Jorge Navarro, Livio Loi, Philipp Oettl (Schedl GP Racing) and Jakub Kornfeil (Drive M7 SIC Racing Team) completing the top ten.

Moto3™ Race Results 

1 - Niccolò Antonelli   (ITA)   HONDA 38'12.161 

2 - Brad Binder   (RSA)    KTM   + 0.007 

3 - Francesco Bagnaia (ITA)  MAHINDRA    + 0.148

Moto 3 - Oliveira makes history as first Portuguese GP winner

Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Miguel Oliveira claimed a career first Moto3™ victory, and becomes the first Portuguese winner in Grand Prix history. It was a frantic 16 rider battle for the majority of the Moto3™ race, with riders frequently heading into Turn 1 four or more abreast. The slipstream saw them able to jump from ninth to first down the straight, and kept a multitude of riders in the leading pack. Both Romano Fenati and Danny Kent led the race on multiple occasions, despite being outside the top ten just a lap before.   One would not have expected victory from Oliveira at the start of the race as he found himself in 13th on the opening laps. However, the slipstream and fierce fighting at the front allowed him to close the gap. Oliveira led for the majority of the final laps and even into the last corner, a risky move at Mugello where the slipstream can be so beneficial. Despite this, he claimed victory by 0.071s and is the first Portuguese rider to win at any level in GP racing.   Throughout the race, Danny Kent bounced around in the leading group, dropping outside the top ten on multiple occasions. Kent demonstrated his maturity as he rode a careful race to avoid the risk of contact with any over eager riders and put in a strong closing lap to secure the podium. This is Kent’s fifth podium of the year and extends his championship lead to 46 points over Bastianini, who was fifth.   Completing the podium was Romano Fenati, resplendent in the colours of the Italian flag in a special livery for his KTM machine. The home rider led at the early stages but echoed Kent as he too dropped down the order before bouncing back, which unfortunately caused increased wear in his Dunlop tyres. Just 0.003s split Fenati in third from former teammate Francesco Bagnaia in fourth in what was a classic Mugello slipstream finish.   Hiroki Ono had started in second and led into Turn 1 on the opening lap, but unfortunately, the Japanese rider did not have the pace to stay with the leaders over the course of the race. He would eventually finish in 11th, equalling his best finish of the 2015 season.   Mugello was another disappointing round for Fabio Quartararo, the rookie falling while in the leading pack. He now drops to seventh in the championship. There were also falls from Vazquez and Hanika on the last lap, the duo both OK. Juanfran Guevara aggravated his collarbone injury sustained in Jerez, as he too fell from the race.

Moto3™: Rampant Rins triumphs in exciting lightweight contest

www.motorsportimages.it - The Moto3™ race at the Hertz British Grand Prix was won by Alex Rins on the final corner, with Alex Marquez and Enea Bastianini also on the podium.

Pole man Rins (Estrella Galicia 0,0) was pushed right to the limit by his teammate Marquez and by Bastianini, who both provisionally led the race. The winning margin between Rins and Marquez was just 0.011s, with Bastianini (Junior Team Go&FUN Moto3) just 0.061s back on Marquez.

Miguel Oliveira (Mahindra Racing) was unlucky to miss the podium, having run with that front group. He eventually finished fourth and was just 0.051s away from a rostrum result.

A further four and half seconds back Jakub Kornfeil (Calvo Team) won a battle for fifth involving a huge group of riders, whilst Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Ajo) was just a tenth behind in sixth place.

The top ten was completed by Niccolo Antonelli (Junior Team GO&FUN), Alexis Masbou (Ongetta-Rivacold), Danny Kent (Red Bull Husqvarna Ajo) and Niklas Ajo (Avant Tecno Husqvarna Ajo).

Wild card Joe Irving crashed out in the early stages, with Efren Vazquez (SAXOPRINT RTG) also going down early on. New Mahindra Racing rider Andrea Migno was another crasher, though fortunately all those riders were uninjured. Scott Deroue (RW Racing GP) was forced to retire with smoke coming

First career victory for Masbou in hard fought Brno contest

www.motorsportimages.it - Another superb Moto3™ race at the bwin Grand Prix České republiky saw Alexis Masbou secure victory after a long battle featuring a huge leading group, with Enea Bastianini and Danny Kent joining him on the podium.

A deserved win for Masbou (Ongetta-Rivacold) in his 133rd Grand Prix race came by just a 0.157s margin from Bastianini (Junior Team Go&FUN Moto3), who rode bravely with a broken heel. The win for experienced Frenchman Masbou makes him the rider to have competed in most Grands Prix before tasting victory.

Kent (Red Bull Husqvarna Ajo) returned to the podium in third, with 15 riders crossing the line tightly packed in a front running group.

Alex Marquez (Estrella Galicia 0,0) just missed the podium in fourth having led on several laps, whilst his teammate Alex Rins finished ninth, having remarkably celebrated a lap early, thinking he had won the race.

A fifth placed finish for Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Ajo) was enough to increase his championship advantage to 23 points.

The top ten was completed by Brad Binder (Ambrogio Racing), Miguel Oliveira (Mahindra Racing), Efren Vazquez (SAXOPRINT RTG), Rins and Isaac Viñales (Calvo Team).

With local rider Karel Hanika (Red Bull KTM Ajo) finishing just 1.838s behind winner Masbou but back in 15th place, the race produced the closest ever top 15 in the history of the World Championship.

Jorge Navarro (Marc VDS Racing Team) and John Mcphee (SAXOPRINT RTG) crashed out on the first lap, with wild card Gabriel Rodrigo (RBA Racing Team) and Luca Grünwald (Kiefer Racing) also suffering crashes. None were seriously injured. Ana Carrasco (RW Racing GP) retired with a technical problem.

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Moto3™: Alex Marquez storms to Barcelona-Catalunya victory

Alex Marquez (Estrella Galicia 0,0) took victory from pole at the Gran Premi Monster Energy de Catalunya on Sunday morning, storming to the win ahead of Enea Bastianini and Efren Vazquez.

In his 35th Grand Prix, having qualified on pole for the first time, Estrella Galicia 0,0 rider Marquez took his second Moto3™ win, after triumphing at Motegi last year.

The Spanish rider crossed the line a clear 3.2s gap ahead of his nearest rival, to delight the home crowd, giving Honda a Moto3 victory to end KTM’s winning streak.

Junior Team Go&FUN Moto3 youngster Bastianini produced a great ride from second on the grid to finish on the podium in second place in just his seventh Grand Prix. Vazquez (SAXOPRINT RTG) was third as he followed Bastianini home, trailing by just over a quarter of a second.

Championship leader Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM Ajo) rode intelligently to fourth place, gaining crucial extra points in the standings as he moved up from eighth in the final stages.

Romano Fenati (SKY Racing Team VR46) was fifth, with the improving Brad Binder (Ambrogio Racing) sixth on Mahindra machinery.

Isaac Viñales (Calvo Team) was seventh, whilst Niklas Ajo (Avant Tecno Husqvarna Ajo) was eighth after surviving a big scare as he ran off track and somehow managed to stay upright when a crash seemed almost inevitable on the last lap.

The top ten was completed by John McPhee (SAXOPRINT RTG) and Francesco Bagnaia (SKY Racing Team VR46).

Alex Rins (Estrella Galicia 0,0) retired early due to a mechanical problem, whilst there were crashes for Niccolo Antonelli (Junior Team GO&FUN), Hafiq Azmi (SIC-Ajo KTM) and Maria Herrera (Junior Team Estrella Galicia 0,0) – though none of them were seriously hurt.

Moto3™: Miller takes second victory of the season

The Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas brought victory in the Moto3™ race for Jack Miller, with the Red Bull KTM Ajo rider being joined on the podium by Romano Fenati and Efren Vazquez

The Grand Prix of the Americas brought victory in the Moto3™ race for Jack Miller, with the Red Bull KTM Ajo rider being joined on the podium by Romano Fenati and Efren Vazquez.

A crash for Alex Marquez (Estrella Galicia 0,0) on the final lap ruined his day when he was in the hunt for the podium, leaving Fenati (SKY Racing Team VR46) and Vazquez (SAXOPRINT RTG) to chase the rampant Miller to the finish line, with the Australian ultimately outpacing his rivals.

After winning at Qatar Miller now has maximum points from the first two rounds and he deservedly won from pole after leading for most of the race.

Behind the podium finishers an off colour Alex Rins (Estrella Galicia 0,0) finished fourth by a seven second margin from the front, with Jakub Kornfeil (Calvo Team) following the Spaniard across the line in fifth.

The experienced Alexis Masbou (Ongetta-Rivacold) was sixth, with Francesco Bagnaia (SKY Racing Team VR46), Danny Kent (Red Bull Husqvarna Ajo), John McPhee (SAXOPRINT RTG) and Karel Hanika (Red Bull KTM Ajo) all in the top ten.

There were early crashes for Arthur Sissis (Mahindra Racing), Andrea Locatelli (San Carlo Team Italia) and Matteo Ferrari (San Carlo Team Italia), with Locatelli rejoining to finish 25th.

Hafiq Azmi (SIC-Ajo KTM) crashed and rejoined for 24th, whilst Isaac Viñales (Calvo Team) crashed out at turn 19 on lap 8 with Niccolo Antonelli (Junior Team GO&FUN) going down at the same corner a lap later. Antonelli was taken to the medical centre by ambulance to be checked over after the race. Luca Grünwald (Kiefer Racing) jump started and faced a penalty, riding through pit lane to rejoin but finishing 23rd. There were late retirements meanwhile for
Brad Binder (Ambrogio Racing) and Gabriel Ramos (Kiefer Racing