Moto2™ – Marco Bezzecchi (SKY Racing Team VR46) seals season-first victory.

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For the first time since the Spanish GP, Remy Gardner (Red Bull KTM Ajo) failed to finish on a Moto2™ podium as Marco Bezzecchi took victory at the Michelin® Grand Prix of Styria. The SKY Racing Team VR46 rider earned his first win of the season, having 1.171 seconds to spare over Aron Canet (Aspar Team Moto2) in second and Augusto Fernandez (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) in third.

A dry race was declared just before lights out, and the conditions allowed Bezzecchi to take the holeshot out of the first corner despite Gardner’s strong start off the line, with fellow Red Bull KTM Ajo and MotoGP™ bound rider Raul Fernandez in third, just ahead of Canet. The opening laps claimed a couple of victims, with Simone Corsi (MV Augusta Forward Racing) and Joe Roberts (Italatrans Racing) both crashing out early, as did Barry Baltus (NTS RW Racing GP).

The pre-race weekend form pointed to this being a straight shootout between Bezzecchi and Gardner, and so it proved during the opening exchanges, with the Aussie keeping pace with the VR46 rider, waiting for his opportunity to move ahead. Just behind them, Canet forced Raul Fernandez out of the top three, with Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) and Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) then setting their sights on the rookie.

At the front, a mistake from race leader Bezzecchi six laps in allowed both Gardner and Canet through. The Spaniard temporarily moved into the lead before Championship leader Gardner forced his way through later on the lap. It looked a case of here we go again as the Australian began to open up a comfortable lead, but the man who has been close to faultless this season was to make a huge error which would cost him his podium.

Outside the top three at this stage were Ogura and Augusto Fernandez (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team), both of whom were beginning to eye up a podium. Bezzecchi, acutely aware of what was coming behind him, moved ahead of Canet and set his sights on reeling in Gardner.

The race’s crucial moment came with six laps remaining after Gardner conceded the lead to Bezzecchi, the Australian while in pursuit of the bushy-haired Italian, went in far too hot at Turn 4 and ran into the gravel, meaning that Ogura and Canet could move through on the Championship leader, ending his victory hopes.

Following Gardner’s mistake, Ogura couldn’t believe his luck as he found himself not only in the mix for a first-ever Moto2™ podium, but also in the fight for victory. However, having received a track limits warning earlier in the race, the Japanese rider ran into the green once more, handing him a long lap penalty. With 4 laps to go, Ogura took the penalty, dropping him from second to fourth, with Canet and Augusto Fernandez benefitting to move second and third respectively. To make matters worse for the Japanese rider, he failed to complete his long lap penalty correctly and was handed a further three-second penalty after the race, finishing fifth overall.

There was to be no drama in the final laps, as the top three remained the same and an Italian stood on the top step of the podium for the 46th time in Moto2™’s history.

Further back in the pack, Celestino Vietti (SKY Racing Team VR46) dealt a further blow to Raul Fernandez’ title hopes as overtook his fellow rookie at Turn 9 on the final lap to secure his best finish of the season. There were also positive results for Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia), Xavi Vierge (Petronas Sprinta Racing) and Marcel Schötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP), who all finished comfortably inside the points.

With neither Gardner nor Raul Fernandez on the podium for the first time since the Spanish GP, did today’s Styrian GP signal a change of the tide in Moto2™? With 10 rounds remaining, it sets up a tantalizing close to the season. And we’re all for it.

Top 10:

1. Marco Bezzecchi (SKY Racing Team VR46)
2. Aron Canet (Aspar Moto2 Team) + 1.171
3. Augusto Fernandez (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) + 3.260
4. Remy Gardner (Red Bull KTM Ajo) + 3.856
5. Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) + 6.922
6. Celestino Vietti (SKY Racing Team VR46) + 9.390
7. Raul Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) + 9.590
8. Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) + 12.217
9. Xavi Vierge (Petronas Sprinta Racing) + 12.747
10. Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP) + 12.874.

MICHELIN® GRAND PRIX OF STYRIA

Moto2 Race Classification 2021

Spielberg, Sunday, August 08, 2021

Pos.	Points	Num.	Rider	Nation	Team	Bike	Km/h	Time/Gap
1	25	72	Marco BEZZECCHI	ITA	SKY Racing Team VR46	Kalex	172.7	37’29.460
2	20	44	Aron CANET	SPA	Aspar Team Moto2	Boscoscuro	172.6	+1.171
3	16	37	Augusto FERNANDEZ	SPA	Elf Marc VDS Racing Team	Kalex	172.5	+3.260
4	13	87	Remy GARDNER	AUS	Red Bull KTM Ajo	Kalex	172.4	+3.856
5	11	79	Ai OGURA	JPN	IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia	Kalex	172.4	+6.922
6	10	13	Celestino VIETTI	ITA	SKY Racing Team VR46	Kalex	172.0	+9.390
7	9	25	Raul FERNANDEZ	SPA	Red Bull KTM Ajo	Kalex	172.0	+9.590
8	8	35	Somkiat CHANTRA	THA	IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia	Kalex	171.8	+12.217
9	7	97	Xavi VIERGE	SPA	Petronas Sprinta Racing	Kalex	171.7	+12.747
10	6	23	Marcel SCHROTTER	GER	Liqui Moly Intact GP	Kalex	171.7	+12.874
11	5	96	Jake DIXON	GBR	Petronas Sprinta Racing	Kalex	171.7	+13.532
12	4	19	Lorenzo DALLA PORTA	ITA	Italtrans Racing Team	Kalex	171.6	+14.071
13	3	21	Fabio DI GIANNANTONIO	ITA	Federal Oil Gresini Moto2	Kalex	171.6	+14.197
14	2	22	Sam LOWES	GBR	Elf Marc VDS Racing Team	Kalex	171.6	+14.536
15	1	75	Albert ARENAS	SPA	Aspar Team Moto2	Boscoscuro	171.3	+18.616
16		12	Thomas LUTHI	SWI	Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team	Kalex	171.2	+19.378
17		14	Tony ARBOLINO	ITA	Liqui Moly Intact GP	Kalex	171.2	+19.660
18		62	Stefano MANZI	ITA	Flexbox HP40	Kalex	171.0	+22.467
19		42	Marcos RAMIREZ	SPA	American Racing	Kalex	171.0	+22.762
20		9	Jorge NAVARRO	SPA	Lightech Speed Up	Boscoscuro	170.8	+25.267
21		7	Lorenzo BALDASSARRI	ITA	MV Agusta Forward Racing	MV Agusta	170.4	+30.121
22		11	Nicolò BULEGA	ITA	Federal Oil Gresini Moto2	Kalex	169.9	+37.544
23		64	Bo BENDSNEYDER	NED	Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team	Kalex	169.8	+38.095
24		5	Yari MONTELLA	ITA	Lightech Speed Up	Boscoscuro	169.8	+39.007
25		24	Simone CORSI	ITA	MV Agusta Forward Racing	MV Agusta	157.2	2 Laps
Not Classified
		6	Cameron BEAUBIER	USA	American Racing	Kalex	170.9	6 Laps
		40	Hector GARZO	SPA	Flexbox HP40	Kalex	171.3	8 Laps
		55	Hafizh SYAHRIN	MAL	NTS RW Racing GP	NTS	168.4	16 Laps
		16	Joe ROBERTS	USA	Italtrans Racing Team	Kalex	157.1	16 Laps
		70	Barry BALTUS	BEL	NTS RW Racing GP	NTS	151.3	24 Laps

Moto2 World Standing 2021

Pos.	Rider	Bike	Nation	Points
1	Remy GARDNER	Kalex	AUS	197
2	Raul FERNANDEZ	Kalex	SPA	162
3	Marco BEZZECCHI	Kalex	ITA	153
4	Sam LOWES	Kalex	GBR	101
5	Fabio DI GIANNANTONIO	Kalex	ITA	76
6	Aron CANET	Boscoscuro	SPA	75
7	Marcel SCHROTTER	Kalex	GER	72
8	Augusto FERNANDEZ	Kalex	SPA	66
9	Ai OGURA	Kalex	JPN	60
10	Xavi VIERGE	Kalex	SPA	57
11	Joe ROBERTS	Kalex	USA	50
12	Jorge NAVARRO	Boscoscuro	SPA	42
13	Bo BENDSNEYDER	Kalex	NED	39
14	Celestino VIETTI	Kalex	ITA	32
15	Tony ARBOLINO	Kalex	ITA	30
16	Cameron BEAUBIER	Kalex	USA	26
17	Somkiat CHANTRA	Kalex	THA	24
18	Albert ARENAS	Boscoscuro	SPA	23
19	Stefano MANZI	Kalex	ITA	20
20	Jake DIXON	Kalex	GBR	16
21	Marcos RAMIREZ	Kalex	SPA	16
22	Hector GARZO	Kalex	SPA	11
23	Nicolò BULEGA	Kalex	ITA	10
24	Lorenzo DALLA PORTA	Kalex	ITA	10
25	Hafizh SYAHRIN	NTS	MAL	8
26	Simone CORSI	MV Agusta	ITA	7
27	Alonso LOPEZ	Boscoscuro	SPA	4
28	Fermín ALDEGUER	Boscoscuro	SPA	4
29	Thomas LUTHI	Kalex	SWI	4
30	Lorenzo BALDASSARRI	MV Agusta	ITA	3
31	Barry BALTUS	NTS	BEL	2
32	Yari MONTELLA	Boscoscuro	ITA
33	Tommaso MARCON	MV Agusta	ITA
34	Miquel PONS	MV Agusta	SPA
35	Fraser ROGERS	NTS	GBR
36	Manuel GONZALEZ	MV Agusta	SPA
37	Taiga HADA	NTS	JPN
38	Piotr BIESIEKIRSKI	Kalex	POL
39	Keminth KUBO	Kalex	THA

Credits : Photos and content courtesy of motogp.com

Moto2™ – Marco Bezzecchi (SKY Racing Team VR46) seals season-first victory.

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MICHELIN® GRAND PRIX OF STYRIA

Moto2 World Standing 2021

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