Jorge Navarro (Estrella Galicia 0,0) has taken only his second ever GP win at MotorLand Aragon, coming back from some difficult races and bad luck with a spectacular victory – but the man behind him over the line, key title rival Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo), did everything he needed to do on the day – and crossed the line P2 by only 0.030. Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing Moto3) completed the podium in third as Binder swept through to take the crown with an incredible final corner – close to the win, but more than enough for the championship. Racing to win has been the South African’s MO in 2016, and MotorLand Aragon was no different.

Bastianini and Navarro maintained their 1-2 off the line, bolting from the pack as their last stand against Binder’s title chances got underway. Essentially needing a win to stay in it or a disaster for the South African, the Spaniard and Italian took off in clean air for a few laps – until Binder started to reel them in.

Grey skies, cool air and twenty laps of MotorLand remained. With 14 of those laps to go, Binder had caught the duo and a front group of the three plus Philipp Oettl (Schedl Racing GP) and Aron Canet (Estrella Galicia 0,0) was formed, with the World Champion elect then sat in the middle of the customary Moto3™ freight train at the front – with Bastianini and Navarro also tagged into the eleven-long group.

The front group became four as the field battled it out and some close calls drew quick breaths, with the three at the top of the title standings joined by Bastianini’s breakaway teammate Fabio Di Giannantonio, with Binder beginning the final lap in P4. The South African knows that situation well – and waited until the last minute to really pounce, breaking incredibly late into the final corner to take the lead briefly, before Navarro just moved through on the inside. With a 106 point advantage before the race and that over Bastianini rather than Navarro, the South African was crossed the line World Champion.