Italian wild child Romano Fenati took victory in today’s Moto3 clash at the Austin MotoGP round after runaway race favourite Aron Canet crashed out of the lead on lap four of the re-started race.
Canet set pole by the business end of a second and looked unbeatable over race distance but pressure by Fenati’s Rivacold Snipers Honda saw the Estrella Galicia Honda pick up too much gas on the exit of turn 19 and over the highside he went.
It left Fenati with a second in hand and he just rode away from the pack, leaving a pack of eight riders to scrap it out over the remaining eight laps for the podium spots.
"At the first start Canet took immediately a great advantage and I thought I was able to fight just for the second or third place at that moment. Then the red flag and the restart. We decided to put a new M tyre at the front and this helped me to push more and was fundamental,” said Fenati.
“I gave the maximum after the second start to stay with Canet, I had to overtake him and then it was the right strategy. I started to cry some laps to the end when I understood I came back competitive. I am really happy and I want to thank all the people who believed in me, my family, my friends and the team, everyone helped me a lot. I dedicate this victory to all of them and to my land.”
Championship points leader Joan Mir was right in the mix, as was Scotland’s John McPhee but it was the Gresini Moto3 duo of Jorge Martin and Di Giannantonio to pick up second and third with a resurgent Enea Bastiannini in fourth place.
Nico Bulega took fifth, one ahead of Juanfran Guevara with McPhee and Mir completing the top eight. Mir still leads the championship but Martin has leapfrogged McPhee for second place.
