It was another Moto2™ showstopper at the Gran Premio GoPro de Aragon, with Jake Dixon (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team) storming to a second victory of the season, holding off Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) as the Italian got back on the podium for the first time in 2024.
Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) topped off a weekend to remember in his rookie Moto2™ season, becoming the first Turkish rider to finish on the podium in the intermediate class since Kenan Sofuoglu in 2011.
Polesitter Dixon claimed the holeshot at the start, but Arbolino hit the front on Lap 4 in a big group battle. A couple of laps later though, the Brit made the decisive move to take back the lead and start pushing to break the group.
Meanwhile, there would soon be drama for Fermin Aldeguer (Sync SpeedUp), who suffered a crash on Lap 7 after contact with Öncü – leaving the #54 with zero points on Sunday. He wouldn’t be the only key name to fail to score either, with points leader Sergio Garcia (MT Helmets – MSI) battling outside the points, getting an LLP and then pulling in.
Meanwhile, Ai Ogura (MT Helmets – MSI) was on the verge of points as he returns form injury, entering the top 15 at the end of Lap 7. Celestino Vietti (Red Bull KTM Ajo) soon dropped back towards Ogura too after contact with OnlyFans American Racing Team’s Joe Roberts on the entry to Turn 16. Roberts was later handed a Long Lap for the incident, dropping the American to eighth… and on the very final lap he then became another key Championship contender to take nil points, sliding off.
As Öncü fought back following the contact with Aldeguer that had sent him wide, Alonso Lopez (Sync SpeedUp) became the final hurdle before a podium position for the Turkish rider. Once past, Öncü was able to make enough of a cushion to secure that maiden Moto2™ podium.
Up ahead, Dixon was able to hold Arbolino at bay and then find some margin in the latter stages to pull out 1.7 seconds by the flag. That puts him 43 points off the top now, in fifth behind Roberts. Arbolino’s second was still a first rostrum of 2024, and for Öncü it was a stunner too.
Lopez, meanwhile, missed out on the podium but that P4 is a valuable haul as only Dixon, in the top five in the title fight, outscored him. The #21 is now third overall. Ogura managed to charge up to eighth, however, closing teammate Garcia’s lead down to just 12 points and staying ahead of Lopez.
Manuel Gonzalez (QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2™), Somkiat Chantra (IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia) and Marcos Ramirez (OnlyFans American Racing Team) were next up, ahead of Ogura in P8. Darryn Binder (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) and Vietti took the final spots inside the top 10.
It’s now just 12 points in it, so join us in Misano as the Championship battle begins to heat up at the Gran Premio Red Bull di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini in just one week!
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