It’s seventh heaven for David Alonso (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) at the Red Bull Ring as the World Championship leader wins again – but this time he did so after taking a Long Lap penalty.
The Colombian beats David Muñoz (BOE Motorsports) by 0.121s as the Spaniard, in turn, edges out Daniel Holgado (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) as the trio climb onto the Moto3™ rostrum in Austria.
There was drama from the off as polesitter Ivan Ortola (MT Helmets – MSI) had a problem pulling up to the start line, with the Spaniard having to start the race from pitlane. A disaster for the #48, with Alonso’s chief Championship rival 12 seconds off the lead at the end of Lap 1.
The early race leader was Joel Kelso and the Australian had BOE Motorsports teammate Muñoz, Alonso and Holgado close for company, with the Colombian diving into the Long Lap penalty loop on Lap 2 – as did Angel Piqueras (Leopard Racing) right behind the #80.
This left Alonso in P10, 3.7s off the lead with 17 laps to go. Meanwhile, Ortola was setting fastest lap after fastest lap as he picked his way through the pack to get up to P18 by Lap 6. On the same lap, Alonso was now P6 and closing in on the lead group that consisted of Kelso, Muñoz, Holgado, Collin Veijer (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) and Jose Antonio Rueda (Red Bull KTM Ajo) – the latter duo hovering half a second behind the top trio.
With 11 laps left, Alonso – with Piqueras in tow – had bridged the gap. We had a front group of seven now, with Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing) a second adrift in P8 as the Spaniard threatened to make it a 16-wheeler. On Ortola watch, the polesitter was P16, eight seconds behind the leaders and had points-scoring places well within his reach.
On Lap 14 of 20, Alonso led for the first time. Ortola was now up to P9 but the group ahead of him was the leading eight, who were locked together in the fight for the win – 5.4s up the road. Three laps later, Alonso still held the lead, but it was far from a comfortable one as Muñoz, Holgado, Veijer and Piqueras were prowling.
But it was as you were heading onto the final lap. Alonso led the chasing quartet, as Muñoz ran wide at Turn 1 to go from P2 to P4. Turns 2A and B passed by, and so did Turn 4. Time was running out as Holgado fended off Piqueras before Muñoz shoved it up the inside of the Leopard rider at Turn 7. Would a move come in the final two corners? No. Alonso defended expertly to claim a stunning win in Styria, as Muñoz pipped Holgado to P2 by the barest of margins – 0.005s.
The impressive Piqueras claimed P4 ahead of Veijer in P5, with Fernandez, Rueda and Kelso completing the top eight. Ortola produced a fine effort to climb his way to P9, but it’s crucial ground lost in the title chase on a Sunday that promised much more.
Riccardo Rossi (CIP Green Power), Matteo Bertelle (Kopron Rivacold Snipers Team), Ryusei Yamanaka (MT Helmets – MSI), Jacob Roulstone (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3) and Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia) pocketed the final points-paying places in Austria.
Even a Long Lap penalty couldn’t stop Alonso from taking a seventh win of the campaign, as the Aspar star heads to Aragon 71 points clear of Ortola. Can the momentum be stopped at MotorLand?
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