Moto2™ – Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Raul Fernandez maiden Moto2™ win.

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Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Raul Fernandez is a Moto2™ winner in just his third attempt after producing some unstoppable late race rhythm at the Grande Prémio 888 de Portugal, the Spaniard beating second place Aron Canet (Solunion Aspar Team) by 1.6s to become the first rookie since Maverick Viñales to win in the intermediate class. Remy Gardner (Red Bull KTM Ajo) makes it three consecutive podiums in 2021 with P3 as former Championship leader Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) crashes at the opening corner.

We didn’t have to wait long for some monumental drama to unfold in the Moto2™ race. Having gotten a poor launch from pole position, Lowes was trying to make up some ground dropping into Turn 1. Late on the brakes, Lowes was careering straight towards Gardner’s rear wheel, the British rider picked his bike up but running wide, the rear end suddenly slid out. Lowes was launched into the stratosphere and was out of the race at Turn 1. Thankfully, after a huge crash, the British rider was up on his feet but it was a nightmare Sunday afternoon for the former World Championship leader.

Gardner was the race leader on Lap 1 but Marco Bezzecchi (SKY Racing Team VR46) was the man on the move in the opening exchanges and blasted past Gardner on the home straight. Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team) had made a good start from P8 to battle Gardner for P2, as the latter got out of shape coming out of Turn 1. Yet more drama unfolded in the Moto2™ race as we saw a huge crash involving Yari Montella (Lightech Speed Up) and Stefano Manzi (Flexbox HP40) at the final corner, both bikes catching fire in the gravel trap. Montella, who highsided, was taken to the medical centre for a check-up and later declared fit.

At Turn 5, the two Idemitsu Honda Team Asia riders were down as Ai Ogura made contact with American Racing’s Cameron Beaubier. Ogura got out of shape and couldn’t help but crash into Somkiat Chantra, an unfortunate racing incident between the two teammates. Meanwhile, Bezzecchi had a healthy one second lead at the front but Canet was making moves here there and everywhere. Soon, Bezzecchi’s lead was cut to nothing as Gardner and the five other chasers reeled in the Italian, who looked like he was struggling.

Lap 11 saw Canet take the lead, but Roberts pounced at Turn 1 as Canet and Bezzecchi went wide. Bezzecchi slipped to P4 very quickly as Gardner also passed the Italian, but one of the pre-race favourites made a couple of mistakes in the soaring Portuguese heat. This saw the Aussie lose valuable ground as Canet and Roberts made a breakaway. The Spaniard and American scrapped it out for a few laps, with Canet having a track limits warning. But, there was a rookie on the prowl. Raul Fernandez was lapping far superior to his rivals and he soon picked off both Roberts and Canet to take the lead with four to go.

Raul Fernandez’s late race pace was supreme and the youngster pulled 0.7s clear in three laps, setting another fastest lap of the race on Lap 21 of 23 – a 1:42.864. His teammate Gardner was finding some late pace too in P4, the Australian was reeling in third place Roberts and Canet. Three personal best laps from Gardner was mega stuff but nothing was going to stop Raul Fernandez, on the final lap his lead was up to 1.2 seconds as attentions turned to the three-way scrap for P2 and P3.

Roberts magnificently lunged up the inside of Canet at Turn 11, Canet then dived back at Turn 13, Canet and Roberts ran slightly wide to give Gardner a sniff. Roberts switched to the inside for Turn 14 but the narrow line he took saw him open a small gap for Gardner to squeeze into. Contact was made between the two, this caused Roberts to start bunny hopping but he stayed on, however his podium dreams were ended at the penultimate corner. Rubbing is racing, as they say.

Up the road though, Raul Fernandez rounded the final corner to win his first Moto2™ race, at just the third attempt, in stunning style. Sensational from the young Spaniard who now sits P2 in the Championship, one point behind teammate Gardner. Canet cements his first intermediate class podium with a hard-earned P2, the Spaniard beats Gardner by three tenths as the latter heads to Jerez as a Championship leader for the first time.

Roberts was unlucky to lose out on a podium in Portimao but it was nevertheless a great ride from the American. Augusto Fernandez (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) backs up his Doha P6 with Portimao P5 as the Spaniard continues to find form in 2021, Bezzecchi eventually settled for P6 having led in the early laps. Xavi Vierge (Petronas Sprinta Racing) was a second behind Bezzecchi in a solid P7, Hector Garzo (Flexbox HP40) earns his first points of the season in P8. Beaubier is a top 10 Moto2™ finisher after a brilliant ride to P9 on his first visit to the Algarve International Circuit, Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP) completed the top 10.

Fabio Di Giannantonio (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2), Lorenzo Dalla Porta (Italtrans Racing Team), Albert Arenas (Solunion Aspar Team), Lorenzo Baldassarri (MV Agusta Forward Racing) and Marcos Ramirez (American Racing) were the remaining point scorers.

Jake Dixon (Petronas Sprinta Racing) crashed at Turn 8 unhurt, with Nicolo Bulega (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) taking out compatriot Celestino Vietti (SKY Racing Team VR46) at Turn 1.

So, the Moto2™ Championship is shaken up after a Portimao stunner. Heading to Jerez, three points split Gardner, Raul Fernandez and Lowes – game on in the Moto2™ title race.

Top 10:
1. Raul Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo)
2. Aron Canet (Solunion Aspar Team) + 1.600
3. Remy Gardner (Red Bull KTM Ajo) +1.968
4. Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing) + 2.397
5. Augusto Fernandez (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) + 5.622
6. Marco Bezzecchi (SKY Racing Team VR46) + 6.344
7. Xavi Vierge (Petronas Sprinta Racing) + 7.360
8. Hector Garzo (Flexbox HP40) + 12.540
9. Cameron Beaubier (American Racing) + 14.989
10. Marcel Shcrotter (Liqui Moly Intact GP) + 15.240.

GRANDE PRÉMIO 888 DE PORTUGAL

Moto2 Race Classification 2021.

Pos.	Points	Num.	Rider	Nation	Team	Bike	Km/h	Time/Gap
1	25	25	Raul FERNANDEZ	SPA	Red Bull KTM Ajo	Kalex	159.2	39’47.377
2	20	44	Aron CANET	SPA	Solunion Aspar Team	Boscoscuro	159.1	+1.600
3	16	87	Remy GARDNER	AUS	Red Bull KTM Ajo	Kalex	159.1	+1.968
4	13	16	Joe ROBERTS	USA	Italtrans Racing Team	Kalex	159.1	+2.397
5	11	37	Augusto FERNANDEZ	SPA	Elf Marc VDS Racing Team	Kalex	158.8	+5.622
6	10	72	Marco BEZZECCHI	ITA	SKY Racing Team VR46	Kalex	158.8	+6.344
7	9	97	Xavi VIERGE	SPA	Petronas Sprinta Racing	Kalex	158.7	+7.360
8	8	40	Hector GARZO	SPA	Flexbox HP40	Kalex	158.4	+12.540
9	7	6	Cameron BEAUBIER	USA	American Racing	Kalex	158.2	+14.989
10	6	23	Marcel SCHROTTER	GER	Liqui Moly Intact GP	Kalex	158.2	+15.240
11	5	21	Fabio DI GIANNANTONIO	ITA	Federal Oil Gresini Moto2	Kalex	158.2	+15.521
12	4	19	Lorenzo DALLA PORTA	ITA	Italtrans Racing Team	Kalex	158.2	+15.667
13	3	75	Albert ARENAS	SPA	Solunion Aspar Team	Boscoscuro	157.9	+19.513
14	2	7	Lorenzo BALDASSARRI	ITA	MV Agusta Forward Racing	MV Agusta	157.7	+23.147
15	1	42	Marcos RAMIREZ	SPA	American Racing	Kalex	157.7	+23.494
16		14	Tony ARBOLINO	ITA	Liqui Moly Intact GP	Kalex	157.7	+23.639
17		12	Thomas LUTHI	SWI	Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team	Kalex	157.4	+27.470
18		55	Hafizh SYAHRIN	MAL	NTS RW Racing GP	NTS	155.5	+56.999
19		77	Miquel PONS	SPA	MV Agusta Forward Racing	MV Agusta	155.3	+1’00.417
20		89	Fraser ROGERS	GBR	NTS RW Racing GP	NTS	153.9	+1’21.966
21		35	Somkiat CHANTRA	THA	IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia	Kalex	153.7	+1’25.160
22		9	Jorge NAVARRO	SPA	Lightech Speed Up	Boscoscuro	136.0	3 Laps
Not Classified
		96	Jake DIXON	GBR	Petronas Sprinta Racing	Kalex	158.0	9 Laps
		13	Celestino VIETTI	ITA	SKY Racing Team VR46	Kalex	157.7	12 Laps
		11	Nicolò BULEGA	ITA	Federal Oil Gresini Moto2	Kalex	157.6	12 Laps
		64	Bo BENDSNEYDER	NED	Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team	Kalex	156.6	16 Laps
		79	Ai OGURA	JPN	IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia	Kalex	157.5	19 Laps
		5	Yari MONTELLA	ITA	Lightech Speed Up	Boscoscuro	156.1	20 Laps
		62	Stefano MANZI	ITA	Flexbox HP40	Kalex	155.8	20 Laps
Not Finished 1st Lap
		22	Sam LOWES	GBR	Elf Marc VDS Racing Team	Kalex		0 Lap

Moto2 World Standing 2021

Pos.	Rider	Bike	Nation	Points
1	Remy GARDNER	Kalex	AUS	56
2	Raul FERNANDEZ	Kalex	SPA	52
3	Sam LOWES	Kalex	GBR	50
4	Marco BEZZECCHI	Kalex	ITA	36
5	Fabio DI GIANNANTONIO	Kalex	ITA	27
6	Aron CANET	Boscoscuro	SPA	23
7	Joe ROBERTS	Kalex	USA	23
8	Augusto FERNANDEZ	Kalex	SPA	23
9	Xavi VIERGE	Kalex	SPA	16
10	Marcel SCHROTTER	Kalex	GER	14
11	Celestino VIETTI	Kalex	ITA	13
12	Cameron BEAUBIER	Kalex	USA	12
13	Ai OGURA	Kalex	JPN	11
14	Bo BENDSNEYDER	Kalex	NED	11
15	Jake DIXON	Kalex	GBR	9
16	Jorge NAVARRO	Boscoscuro	SPA	9
17	Hector GARZO	Kalex	SPA	8
18	Stefano MANZI	Kalex	ITA	8
19	Lorenzo DALLA PORTA	Kalex	ITA	6
20	Tony ARBOLINO	Kalex	ITA	5
21	Albert ARENAS	Boscoscuro	SPA	4
22	Lorenzo BALDASSARRI	MV Agusta	ITA	2
23	Thomas LUTHI	Kalex	SWI	1
24	Marcos RAMIREZ	Kalex	SPA	1
25	Nicolò BULEGA	Kalex	ITA
26	Yari MONTELLA	Boscoscuro	ITA
27	Hafizh SYAHRIN	NTS	MAL
28	Somkiat CHANTRA	Kalex	THA
29	Miquel PONS	MV Agusta	SPA
30	Fraser ROGERS	NTS	GBR

Credits : Photos and content courtesy of MotoGP.com

Moto2™ – Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Raul Fernandez maiden Moto2™ win.

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GRANDE PRÉMIO 888 DE PORTUGAL

Moto2 World Standing 2021

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