Thomas Luthi won today’s Moto2 race at Phillip Island by just 0.010s ahead of Franco Morbidelli – and moved up to second in the championship chase.

The Garage Plus Interwetten rider had started from pole and got off the line well, leading comfortably into the first corner as Italtrans Racing Team’s Mattia Pasini followed him.

Further back, series leader Johann Zarco’s tough weekend continued as he was pushed wide and lost out, dropping back to 17th.

Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS rider Franco Morbidelli made a good start from ninth on the grid and was up to fourth by Lap Two and had pushed his way to second by the start of the third lap

Britain’s Sam Lowes crashed at Turn Two on Lap three,  his fifth off of the weekend finally ending the charge of the Federal Oil Gresini man. Meanwhile up at the front, Luthi appeared to make a mistake and lost momentum for a second, allowing Morbidelli and Pasini through into first and second.

Luthi was having none of it, however, and within a lap was past Pasini into second before regaining the lead a lap later.

The top three headed off and enjoyed their own battle up at the front, while the rest settled into position. With Zarco still struggling down outside the top 10, his main championship rival Alex Rins was up to sixth.

But the Paginas Amarillas HP 40 rider’s race – and championship hopes – ended on Lap Seven as he missed a gear, ran off and crashed.

The front three had themselves a bit of a lead by now, but they were unable to stop a flying Lorenzo Baldassarri who crept up on them, bringing with him Speed Up Racing’s Simone Corsi who was running fifth.

By Lap 19, it was looking more like a five bike train at the front, as Cortese steamed past Baldassarri into  fourth. Over the next few laps, the Italian just dropped off the back of Cortese, who by Lap 22 was right on the back of Pasini.

Cortese moved up to third at the start of Lap 23 and moments later Pasini crashed out at Turn Four as he lost the front on the way in.

On the penultimate lap, Luthi ran wide and Morbidelli was quick to capitalise, running up the inside into the lead. And as they all began the 25th and final lap, it looked like the Italian had it.

But Luthi wasn’t about to give up his second win in a row without a fight, and left it until the final seconds, grabbing the slipstream onto the start/finish straight and just inching ahead to cross the line a mere 0.010 ahead to win.

The win means Luthi has now passed Rins in the championship, while Zarco ended his dire day in 12th, therefore grabbing just a handful of points.

Morbidelli was second ahead of Cortese, as Forward Team’s Baldassarri fourth. IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia rider Takaaki Nakagami took fifth with Cortese’s Dynavolt Intact GP team-mate Jonas Folger sixth.

Speed Up Racing’s Simone Corsi was seventh ahead of the AGR Team duo of Axel Pons in eighth and Marcel Schrotter ninth as Tech 3 Racing’s Xavi Vierge rounded out the top 10.

Brit Danny Kent’s race ended early when he crashed at Turn Four on lap 23.

Championship-wise, Ajo Motorsport’s Zarco still remains in command on 226 points, but Luthi has now leapfrogged Rins to move up to second on 204, while Rins remains on 201. Morbidelli now has 177 and has moved ahead of Lowes who is now fifth on 162.