Pedro Acosta rode to the fourth victory of his Moto3 career in the Sachsenring German GP this morning after the KTM rookie bested a four-strong battle in the closing stages.
Kaito Toba and Dennis Foggia joined him on the podium after late penalties saw Jeremy Alcoba dropped to fourth after the flag. Mid-race carnage saw John McPhee separated from the front group when avoiding a number of incidents around him, with the Scot completing the Saxony race 11th.
After a drama filled qualifying on Saturday - where he was deemed to be riding irresponsibly and black flagged from the Q2 session - there was further bad news for Darryn Binder as the Petronas rider was issued a ride-through penalty for this morning’s race, potentially after a double offence having disrupted first Joel Kelso, then Deniz Öncü in the opening Q1 decider.
As the grid lined up ahead of the 27-lap contest, Snipers rider Filip Salac sat on pole, Dennis Foggia and Tatsuki Suzuki alongside on the front row with McPhee neatly behind, in fourth.
Cloud cover cooled the track surface as the lights released the 26-strong pack, the ambient 28 air retaining the humid heat of the weekend so far. Salac briefly maintained control as the opening lap unfolded with Suzuki reliving him of command almost immediately as Kaito Toba swept through to join him at the front. McPhee was up to third before the pursuing pair got the better of the Sic58 machine and the pole man dropped to sixth. Romano Fenati set the first fastest lap of the race as Adrian Fernandez became the first faller, Binder dispatching his penalty as he dropped down the order.
Foggia was in charge as lap three got underway, Toba and McPhee firmly in touch as Pedro Acosta joined the fight at the front. The KTM got the better of the Scot as the lap concluded, gaining a further place on the brakes at turn one moments later. Yuki Kunii became the next victim, with the incident under investigation, as Acosta hit the front and Toba fell as far back as sixth in a matter of seconds.
Foggia challenged for the lead as the next lap began, McPhee being sent off the racing line due to a move from Andrea Migno with the Petronas rider finding himself in ninth as a result.
Jaume Masia was issued a long lap penalty for his part in Kunii’s earlier crash as Race Direction’s promise to take firmer action was implemented, with the Ajo rider taking the order immediately as he dipped to 18th.
Toba was back in second and pushing the leading Leopard as Salac tumbled down the standings to 20th. Gabriel Rodrigo crashing out with a major highside as lap 11 reached the fifth corner.
Toba took charge as Foggia and Acosta bickered behind, the leading group of 17 riders covered by just a second as a melee caught out a number of riders. Ryusei Yamanaka and Öncü left down and out after Fenati clipped the riders around him, Lorenzo Fellon falling as he attempted to avoid the aftermath at the opening corner seconds later. The carnage separated the leading group with McPhee left down in 16th and five-seconds off the leader before a second incident struck.
Masia collided with Foggia, as Fenati, Stefano Nepa and Yamanaka once again became entangled behind with Niccolò Antonelli lucky to avoid the fallout.
Back at the front and Suzuki led the way with 10 laps to go, Foggia, Acosta and Sergio Garcia trailing closely with Toba, Migno, Antonelli and Alcoba for company. McPhee unlucky to have dropped to 11th and three-seconds behind the rookies of Xavier Artigas and Izan Guevara ahead.
Fenati was the next to receive a long lap penalty, as Binder claimed the first available championship point in 15th.
Garcia moved through at turn 12 on the duo ahead, sitting second with eight laps to run, before Acosta hit back next time around. One more lap was all it would take for the rookie to rise to the top, but Foggia wasn’t giving up that easily. Migno joined the squabbling pair in podium contention as the lap concluded before Garcia took the advantage at the end of the home straight.
Turn 12 saw Migno lose three more places as lap 25 concluded, Foggia retaining his control before Acosta stuck again on the penultimate round, Alcoba making a controversial lunge up to third before being told to drop a position.
The last lap saw a frantic battle for the lead with Acosta maintaining control for his fourth victory of his debut year, Toba and Alcoba crossing the line in second and third, with Foggia receiving the final podium position thanks to the late penalty.
Migno found the flag in fifth from Garcia, Suzuki and Antonelli with Artigas and Guevara rounding out the top-10. McPhee made up significant ground in the closing laps but was unable to fully bridge the gap, in 11th.
Elia Bartolini and Fenati headed Binder and Andi Farid Izdihar in the final points positions with Öncü, Kelso and Yamanaka completing the finishers.
Late race corrections saw Antonelli promoted to sixth after Garcia and Suzuki dropped one position each due to exceeding track limits in the final lap.
