Moto3: It’s a victory that could prove crucial come the end of the season for Angel Piqueras (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI) as the Spaniard wins an intense Moto3 battle in Barcelona, as the #36 cuts five points off Jose Antonio Rueda’s (Red Bull KTM Ajo) championship lead after the latter recovered from a Long Lap penalty to collect P2.
Taiyo Furusato (Honda Team Asia) may have been passed at the final corner but the Japanese star held on to pick up P3 to earn his second podium of the season.
From his debut pole position, David Almansa (Leopard Racing) held onto P1 into Turn 1 as Maximo Quiles (CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team) made a great start from ninth to climb into an early P4 behind Almansa, Joel Kelso (LEVEL-UP MTA) and David Muñoz (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP), meanwhile, Piqueras lost out at the start and dropped to P6 from the front row, as the Spaniard’s title rival Rueda took his Long Lap penalty at the start of Lap 3, which dropped the #99 from P5 to P15.
After a sluggish start, Piqueras bullied his way into P3 by the end of Lap 4, with Rueda back up to P10 and well inside the lead gaggle of riders at the same point. Meanwhile, Almansa was doing a lot of the leading and by Lap 7, the #22 was still sitting at the front of the freight train – but 14 hungry Moto3 riders were swarming. And one of those was Quiles, and the Hungarian GP winner took over the race lead baton at the start of Lap 9, as Rueda stalked his way up to the top five. But Almansa, and then Piqueras, bit straight back on Quiles to demote the star rookie to P3.
And on Lap 11, Rueda swooped into the lead for the first time. Now, what was the response? Well for Quiles, Turn 1 saw the Aspar rider run wide after running in hot and that cost him time – podium contention to P14, how costly would that be?
With four laps to go, Rueda was 0.5s clear of a pack that were scrapping behind for track position. At this stage it was Almansa in P2, Piqueras in P3, Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing) in P4, Furusato in P5 and Ryusei Yamanaka (FRINSA – MT Helmets – MSI) – from the back of the grid – in P6 after Muñoz made a small error on the exit of Turn 2.
So with two laps to go, the threat of Rueda breaking clear had vanished. Piqueras was right with his title rival, as the top 10 were locked together heading onto the last lap. And it was all change at Turn 1. Piqueras grabbed the lead and Rueda was suddenly P4 behind Furusato and Almansa, as Rueda lunged at Turn 5 – but it didn’t work. Turn 10 then came but still, Piqueras fended off the threat from behind. At the final corner, after getting back into P3 earlier on in the lap, Rueda lunged Valentino Rossi style up the inside of Furusato to pinch P2 away from the Japanese rider, but it was Piqueras who secured a crucial victory ahead of the World Championship leader.
Furusato did hold onto P3 to earn his first podium finish since Qatar, while the Leopard duo of Almansa and Fernandez narrowly missed out on a top three in P4 and P5 respectively. Guido Pini (LIQUI MOLY Dynavolt Intact GP) crossed the line in P6 ahead of Kelso and Muñoz, with Yamanaka and Valentin Perrone (Red Bull KTM Tech3) rounding out the top 10.
Luca Lunetta (SIC58 Squadra Corse) was a solid P11 on his return, while Quiles had to settle for P12 after his late mistake at Turn 1. Alvaro Carpe (Red Bull KTM Ajo), Scott Ogden (CIP Green Power) and Marcos Uriarte (LEVELUP-MTA) picked up the final points in Barcelona.
And with today’s results in Barcelona, KTM have been crowned Moto3 Constructors’ World Champions – congratulations to all on another fantastic season!
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