Raul Fernandez claimed his career maiden victory at Valencia this morning after an intense and dramatic Moto3 race saw the majority of title-fighters, including John McPhee, crash out of contention.
A last-lap battle allowed Sergio Garcia and Ai Ogura to demote Tony Arbolino from the podium positions after the Italian had held second for almost the entire 23-laps.
Launching from pole, McPhee got a seemingly strong start before the pack swarmed around him as they approached the first corner, the Scot disappointed to find himself in ninth as the race got going.
Celestino Vietti claimed the early lead from Alonso Lopez and Fernandez with Albert Arenas challenging for position as the lap unfolded. Disaster on the second lap saw the Sky rider highside after Fernandez slid past for the lead, Lopez taken down with him as the collision also caught Arenas’ machine in the process.
The damaged Aspar retiring to the pits on the next lap with the Championship lead now in the sights of Ogura as the Japanese rider inherited third in the race.
Back on track and Fernandez took charge in dominant style, circulating over two seconds clear of Arbolino and Darryn Binder, Ogura now in fourth with Garcia hard on his wheels. Further disaster struck as McPhee highsided on a damp patch, his title hopes disappearing in a cloud of gravel dust with the cruel weekend continuing for the Petronas Brits.
The podium battle continued with 15 laps to go, Arbolino maintaining his hold on second as Garcia and Ogura squabbled for third, Binder behind but waiting for his chance. Further back and an eight-rider-battle developed for seventh before a challenging weekend for Jaume Masia came to an untimely end at turn four, another title hope up in smoke.
Controversy at the front saw Arenas back on track and firmly in the leading group despite being three laps down on the riders around him. The Spaniard eventually dropping back but still ahead of Binder after initially looking to dice with Ogura. The stewards ultimately issuing the black flag for irresponsible riding with 11 laps to go.
The next lap saw two crashes as Tatsuki Suzuki went down at turn two after tangling with Gabriel Rodrigo before Dennis Foggia fell at turn eight having completed one of his two long-lap penalties. Romano Fenati and Rodrigo also suffering the long-lap excursion due to exceeding track limits.
A confident two-second lead continued for Fernandez as Arbolino attempted to reel in the KTM machine with seven laps to go, the Italian also fending off Garcia and Ogura in the process as the podium-group’s pace increased. Ogura besting Garcia on the next revolution before the Estrella man retaliated with five to go. A six-second gap separated the rostrum battle from the rest of the field, Binder in fifth, from Carlos Tatay with a further four-seconds back to a hard-charging Fenati who headed the mid-pack from Ayumu Sasaki, Stefano Nepa and Jeremy Alcoba.
Back at the front and the lead was down to 1.6, Arbolino stretching a slight three-tenth gap to the final podium tussle as he kept Fernandez in his sights ahead, just two laps remaining of the intense 23-lap contest.
The final lap saw Garcia get the better of Arbolino for second, a challenge from Ogura coming moments later as the Italian found himself dumped from the rostrum with half a lap left to fight and unable to regroup as the flag came into view.
Fernandez claimed his maiden victory from Garcia and Ogura, with a frustrated Arbolino settling for fourth, 12 seconds ahead of Binder and Tatay. Nepa claimed the head of the mid-field in seventh from Alcoba, Filip Salac, Sasaki, Ricardo Rossi and Andrea Migno with Fenati, Deniz Öncü and Rodrigo claiming the final points scoring positions - the long-lap penalty playing its part for two of the final trio.
