The book, which features the most exciting and spectacular photographs of the races from the sport’s top photographers, is an unmissable opportunity to see inside the racing world of Ducati Corse and a great Xmas gift for all Ducatisti as well as bike racing fans all around the world.

The Ducati Lenovo Team, Aruba.it Racing – Ducati, Francesco Bagnaia, Jack Miller, Scott Redding, Michael Ruben Rinaldi, together with the other satellite teams and riders in MotoGP, World Superbike and the most important national championships – British Superbike, MotoAmerica, CIV, Endurance and Australian SBK – are all beautifully illustrated in the 208 pages of a large-format volume (30 x 30 cm.) with hardcover and dust jacket, text in Italian and English and over 250 images printed in full colour on glossy paper for a truly exceptional photographic yield.

The Ducati Corse 2021 Official Yearbook is available for purchase now in all good bookshops and online here.

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The 25-year-old Turkish rider dazzled as he leapt from victory to victory throughout the season, taking the title in Race 1 in Indonesia on Sunday, ending Rea’s stranglehold on the Championship and becoming the 18th WorldSBK Champion in what was coincidentally the Championship’s 18th final round title decider. Toprak’s not had it all his own way in his career, and he’s worked hard to become World Champion.

Born in Alanya, Turkey, in 1996, Toprak found himself in the motorcycle world, although perhaps not the most well-known side of the sport. His father was the famous Arif Razgatlioglu, a stunt rider. However, tragically on the 17th of November in 2017, just months before Toprak’s move to WorldSBK, his father lost his life in a road accident. A huge influence on Toprak’s life, Razgatlioglu said on social media ahead of the last round, “I will do my best for you this weekend dad. T.T.A.” T.T.A means Tek taker Arif, what his father was known as, meaning Wheelie Arif.

Despite always being a keen motorcyclist and having been brought up around that, Razgatlioglu also has some gymnastic moves. He learnt this on the shores of Alanya where he grew up, doing trickery such as handstands and hand walking. Always seen in the paddock doing something extraordinary and often seen jumping over barriers in Parc Ferme with ease, Razgatlioglu’s not just a one-trick pony, but the clown-prince of WorldSBK. The stoppies that he’s become known for, the charismatic style on and off the bike; he’s a showman that people love.

In his early years and with his dad by his side, Toprak’s journey saw him start on gravel, aged five, on a 50cc motocross bike. However, despite winning four national motocross Championships, the move to tarmac and road racing journey followed, and aged 11, with his dad the driving force, Toprak moved to the kind of surface where he’d go on to be World Champion on some 14 years later. Whilst this was going on in his native Turkey, the country was also seeing national hero Kenan Sofuoglu pick up a first title in 2007. The path to the World Championship was under construction.

His skills continued to be honed, emerging as a force by racing in the IDM Yamaha R6 Cup class in 2011 and 2012, taking podiums and seventh in 2012. Moving on with his career, Razgatlioglu was etched into people’s minds as he joined the Red Bull Rookies Cup programme for 2013, starting with a bang by taking two podiums in his first two races, finishing tenth before 2014 saw him take his first win in the class at the Sachsenring.

Getting too tall for KTM Moto3 machinery, Toprak tried the European Superstock 600 Championship at Magny-Cours at the end of 2014, after Kenan Sofuoglu entered him and he really did show potential. In a combative race, he stunned to win on his debut; a sign of things to come in terms of his talent and love for Magny-Cours. That single, stunning performance unlocked a monster and Razgatlioglu stormed to the 2015 STK600 title with ease, including an iconic battle with Federico Caricasulo along the way at Imola.

Toprak dominated and won the opening five races, with a third place giving him the crown at Misano. He moved to the European Superstock 1000 Championship a year later, adapting to the bigger machinery and again, it was Magny-Cours which would prove to be a special place as he took his first podium in the class at the French venue. Also in 2016, he had a brief time on the Grillini Kawasaki in WorldSBK at Phillip Island but didn’t start through injury after a Free Practice fall. With two podiums at the end of the STK1000 season, he was fifth and one to watch in 2017’s title battle, narrowly missing out by eight points to 2021 WorldSBK rival Michael Ruben Rinaldi despite three wins.

It was time for the big move: WorldSBK called for Razgatlioglu, and nobody expected big things. As a rookie, the pressure was off, and he was with the Puccetti Kawasaki outfit, themselves only with a year of WorldSBK experience. However, 2018 got off to a solid start, with points in his first ten races, including a top ten in Race 2 at the season-opening round at Phillip Island, whilst eighth was his best result. Donington Park was next and despite not scoring points in Race 1, Razgatlioglu cut through from eighth, beating Jonathan Rea on the last lap for second place for his and Turkey’s first podium in WorldSBK. Taking another podium in San Juan in Argentina, he finished ninth overall.

2019 would be the breakthrough year for Razgatlioglu. Staying in the Puccetti structure, he was on his way to stardom. A first podium of the year came at Imola when he was third, whilst he’d then take a further eighth podiums in the next rounds, at least one at each track. But it’d be the French Round at Magny-Cours where he’d burst onto the scene as a real talent for the future; from 16th on the grid and 1.3s down with two laps to go, Razgatlioglu pushed hard, chasing down Jonathan Rea to take a first ever WorldSBK win in thrilling circumstances. He backed it up with another win in the Tissot Superpole Race before finishing the season fifth overall with 13 podiums and two wins.

Moving onto the factory Yamaha and the Pata Yamaha outfit, Toprak Razgatlioglu was hot property going into 2020, living up to all the hype by winning the opening race of the season; one of just 14 riders to win on their new-team debut. Razgatlioglu took eight more podiums and two more wins, clinching fourth overall in the Championship despite missing two races at Barcelona-Catalunya following a Warm-Up crash. Top Yamaha and taking two wins and a second in the final round at Estoril, it was a strong end to 2020 and a good platform to build on going into 2021.

Then, it was the big year, the huge one and perhaps, one of the biggest in the Championship: could WorldSBK’s most dominant and most successful rider in Jonathan Rea be toppled? The answer was yes; Rea may have won four races from the first six, but once Toprak took victory at Misano in Race 2, the floodgates opened. Thrilling wins at Donington Park were followed by a last lap showdown with Scott Redding at Most in Race 1.

The gloves then came off with Jonathan Rea at Navarra in the Superpole Race, as well as in a phenomenal final lap battle with his title rival at Magny-Cours in the Superpole Race there too. However, it’d go on to be decided off-track after a final lap track limits infringement saw Jonathan Rea take the win.

With the rivalry now at its height, more intense battling came in the Superpole Race in Barcelona, Jerez’s emotional Race 1, Portimao’s hectic Race 1 and San Juan’s titanic Race 2. Since Portimao, Toprak’s been able to slowly edge to the title and although he put himself within striking distance for Argentina, it was the Championship’s return to Indonesia where he was able to finally achieve his life-long dream of becoming World Superbike Champion. He did it in style too; not holding back and playing it safe; he laid it all on the line and was going for victories right until the end.

So, now he’s Champion, what next for the 25-year-old Turk? Well, he’ll head home to Sakarya in Turkey, where he lives with his mum and probably tell her all about it. Then, after all the celebrations have calmed, attention will turn to 2022 and making sure that he can do it all over again next year.

Add in plenty of extreme sports throughout the winter, such as snowboarding and probably, some races at Kenan Sofuoglu’s kart track on the Yamaha R3, and he’ll be busy. Whilst being one of the most eye-catching and flamboyant on-track, Toprak is a quietly spoken and humbling star. After all, he was just a kid with a dream of being World Champion.

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Read the full race report here…

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2021 FIM MotoGP World Champion Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) and 2020 Champion Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) were two key headliners at the event as they received their medals, celebrating the last two years of incredible MotoGP action and a first premier class title for each of them.

They were joined by 2021 FIM Moto2 World Champion Remy Gardner (Red Bull KTM Ajo), 2020 Moto2 Champion Enea Bastianini (Avintia Esponsorama), 2021 FIM Moto3 World Champion Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo); the rookie history maker, and 2020 Moto3 Champion Albert Arenas (Aspar Team) – uniting quite a gallery of Champions from the MotoGP paddock.

Amongst the many others present were WorldSBK sensation Toprak Razgatlıoğlu, who took a stunning first WorldSBK crown in 2021, as well as 2020 and 2021 FIM Moto3 Junior World Champions Daniel Holgado and Izan Guevara. Holgado receives his medal ahead of his full-time debut in Moto3 on the world stage next season, where Guevara has already impressed to become a Grand Prix winner this year.

That’s a wrap on the final event of the season for those toasted on stage, with winter break now truly underway as we wait for the roaring engines to return at Sepang International Circuit for the Shakedown Test. There, Gardner will be the first back out as he takes part as a MotoGP rookie, before a few days later the likes of Quartararo, Mir and Bastianini suit up to begin their campaigns. Acosta, Arenas, Holgado and Guevara won’t be far behind them either as they get ready for more… so who will return to the Gala stage in 2022? Join us for another spectacular season to find out!

The post FIM Gala: 2020 & 2021 World Champions celebrated in Monaco appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

Team co-owner, Ben Henry: “It’s strange actually. On paper, we didn’t have a great weekend with Oli. A mechanical issue caused the bike to essentially go into a safety mode in race one, making it impossible for him to continue and in race two he didn’t have the rear grip needed to move forward. It’s not that we didn’t have the speed, I mean Oli was only a tenth off Mike’s (Jones) lap record, but everyone was riding really well this weekend too. It was a lot of fun, and a bit of pressure to also have Jack (Miller) and his crew with us this weekend, and I honestly can’t thank him enough for doing what he’s done this weekend.”

“Having just five weekends of championship racing in two years is really tough, but Jack essentially coming to have some fun with his mates has given us all a much needed boost with huge crowds and record TV numbers. I’m really excited now to help in the final preparations of Oli’stransition to World Supersport, as well as begin our preparations for a full ASBK season in 2022. I finish the season really happy with what we’ve achieved as a team both on the track and off it, and both Troy and I really look forward to announcing some more initiatives in 2022 to keep progressing.”

Oli Bayliss: “The weekend wasn’t exactly what I had pictured for my last race weekend before heading to Europe, but it was great to finally go racing again. Congratulations to Wayne for taking the championship and especially to Broc(Pearson) for taking the SuperSport Championship. We train together a lot, so I’m really happy for him. It was great to have Jack alongside us this weekend, it really lifted the event to have him on track and I picked up a few things from him along the way which was great. This year I’ve learnt so much and so I’m excited to take the next step in my career, but before I go, I really want to thank some people.”

“Obviously Mum and Dad, they’re always behind me and I couldn’t do what I’m doing without them and I really appreciate it. Bryan(Hands) and Byron (Draper), these guys have basically been there for every step of my career with advice, support and hard work. They make me more motivated every time I ride the bike. And Ben. He puts in so much time, effort work behind the scenes that no one ever see’s and I’m sure he sometimes thinks no one notices, but we all do Benny, thank you for everything you’ve done for me.”

Troy Bayliss: “It was a great weekend at The Bend, just not the results we wanted or expected really. I’m still impressed with the way Oli rides the bike and sometimes these things happen in racing. With such short seasons the last two years, it’s frustrating that it can cause such an impact on your championship results, but we made no secret of the fact that it was another year of learning and progression for Oli.”

“Next year is already looking really strong though with a great ASBK calendar being released and a little extra exposure thanks to Jack coming for a spin to showcase just how good the racing is here. I wouldn’t be surprised if timing works, that we see some other international riders find bikes and come for race or two. The whole team comes away from the season really upbeat to be honest, and excited for the season ahead.”

The post Spectacular ASBK Farewell For Oli Bayliss appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

Yamaha Motor Australia in association with YRD, invest heavily in Australian road racing and results like this are a fitting reward for riders, teams and Yamaha who are the driving force at ASBK events around the country.

The 600cc Supersport division came down to a three man, all Yamaha race with Broc Pearson taking a narrow points gap in over rivals Tom Edwards and Max Stauffer. Things got even tighter after race one when Edwards got the race win and closed the gap to just one point between himself and Pearson. It was a one race, winner-take-all shootout, to determine the 2021 champion.

Edwards was in the lead, Pearson snatched it from him, Edwards fought back, Pearson grabbed it again and then in the waning moments of the race, Edwards made another huge lunge, but was .05 of a second short at the finish, giving Pearson a hard fought and well-earned championship victory. Max Stauffer finished third in the championship.

The 300cc Supersport wasn’t anywhere near as intense with Ben Baker entering the final round with a very comfortable margin over his rivals. Baker had built his lead via race smarts and race victories when it mattered, and he needed nothing more than to grab a handful of points at the final round to take the 2021 championship.

Ben Baker made it a real weekend to remember as he also topped the podium in the Yamaha R3 Cup. Like the 300cc Supersport, Baker had dominated the opening rounds to build up a sizeable lead and he kept the throttle on in the final round to score a third-place finish on the day and lock in another championship for 2021. Baker finished well clear of Glenn Nelson in second and Cameron Dunker in third.

Cameron Swain is the 2021 OJR-R15 champion. This class has proven to be real winner not just for the riders but Australian road racing that has been crying out for an entry level category to attract new, young riders to the sport. Yamaha and YRD have been the main players behind the scenes getting this class up and running and it now has shown itself to be a genuine breeding ground for talented riders to show case their skills.

“Congratulations to all our Yamaha competitors on a tough and challenging 2021 racing season. It was please to see that despite the Covid issues we all faced, Yamaha riders and teams continued to show up and race at ASBK events. These championship class wins, combined with our strong showing in the Superbike class and the Manufacturers Cup all points to a successful season for Yamaha.”

“A special congratulations are in order for Broc, Ben and Cameron who won their respective classes. Championships are never easy to win, and we hope the riders and teams enjoyed their success and will use it as a platform for a bigger and better 2022 season,” said YRD’s John Redding.

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ASBK TV’s official Free-to-Air broadcast partner SBS have stepped up to provide ASBK fans the opportunity to catch the livestream action from Saturday via their exclusive broadcast platform SBS On-Demand so you wont miss a drop of action.

SBS has long been the home of great motorsport and in 2021 they have again provided ASBK race fans with both Live Free-to-Air coverage and the opportunity to catch all the action via SBS On-Demand after each round. At no cost to join, ASBK fans simply need to subscribe to SBS On-Demand. 

The ASBK Championship comes to massive conclusion on Sunday and ASBK TV have all the angles covered with Free-to-Air coverage on SBS HD, SBS On-Demand or via Fox Sports Australia from 12.30pm – 3.30pm (Australian Central Daylight Times).

New Zealand race fans can catch the action on Sky Sport NZ who continue to broadcast every round of ASBK to fans across the ditch. From the comfort of home, or on mobile devices, SBS will provide free to air coverage, and Fox Sports Australia and Sky Sport NZ will ensure pay TV viewers won’t miss a minute of the action.

Live race coverage will include the Alpinestars Superbike, Motorsports TV Supersport, Dunlop Supersport 300, Yamaha Finance R3 Cup and the bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup, plus race fans will get no shortage of behind the scenes features.

Fans across the nation and around the world can also go to www.asbk.com.au and watch up to the live ASBK TV Live Stream on Sunday. Exclusive Live telecast of the Grand Finale of the mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship, presented by Motul, can be seen:

Saturday 4th December

• ASBK Livestream Telecast 10.30am – 5.00pm (ACDT = SA time)
• Exclusive telecast on SBS On-Demand

Sunday 5th December

• ASBK Live TV Telecast 12.30pm – 3.30pm (ACDT = SA time)
• SBS HD
• Fox Sports Australia
• Sky Sport NZ
• SBS On-Demand

Sunday 5th December

• ASBK Livestream Telecast 9.30am – 4.00pm (ACDT = SA time)
• ASBK Facebook
• ASBK Website

The post Don’t Miss The ASBK Grand Finale This Weekend! appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

Both Razgatlioglu and Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK), decorated in a special 1990s livery to mark a special anniversary for Kawasaki, got quick starts from second and fifth on the grid respectively to lead the race into turn one, while polesitter Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) found himself on the ground at the first turn after crashing, with the Briton falling to the back.

Out in front and Rea had put pressure on Razgatlioglu for the lead of the race before the championship leader opened up the gap to Rea to just over three seconds at the end of lap eight, with the pair holding station until the end of the race. Razgatlioglu’s win meant he claimed the 50th podium of his career while Yamaha claimed their first podium at San Juan Villicum. Rea’s second place meant he claimed Great Britain’s 810th podium, while it was only the second time Rea has not won at Argentina.

Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) claimed the tenth podium of his WorldSBK career with third place after passing Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) at around half-distance of the race. Bassani had started from the front row for the first time in his WorldSBK career but fell back at the start before fighting back into third, before Rinaldi was able to pass him. Rinaldi’s podium was Ducati’s 980th podium in WorldSBK.

The battle for fourth raged on between Bassani and Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK), with Lowes, using a Top Gun-inspired livery to mark Kawasaki’s 125th anniversary, making the move through turns six and seven to move into fourth before fending off the Ducati rider down the back straight into turn eight, with Lowes finishing in fourth place and Bassani in fifth.

Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) was another who had a strong start as the lights went out but soon found himself falling back down the order as he battled with Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK); with the Dutchman claiming sixth place and Gerloff seventh. Locatelli ended the race in eighth place after starting from sixth place.

Redding ended the 21-lap race in ninth place after battling his way back from the back of the field after his turn one spill, passing numerous riders to secure a top-ten finish despite the early setback, with Leon Haslam (Team HRC) rounding out the top ten after withstanding late challenges from his rivals but unable to keep Redding behind.

Tito Rabat (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) claimed 11th place in only his second round onboard Kawasaki machinery, finishing almost two seconds clear of Chaz Davies (Team GoEleven) who finished in 12th place. Irish rider Eugene Laverty (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) moved up the order at the start of the race but fell back as the 21-lap progressed, eventually coming home in 13th place.

It was a strong showing for Samuele Cavalieri (Barni Racing Team) as he looked to claim his first top-ten finish in WorldSBK, but a late trip through the gravel meant he fell down to 14th place, four seconds behind Laverty. Japanese rookie Kohta Nozane (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) claimed the final points-paying position with 15th place.

Home hero Leandro Mercado (MIE Racing Honda Team) was 16th and missing out on points by around five seconds, but he was also five seconds clear of 17th-placed Christophe Ponsson (Gil Motor Sport-Yamaha). Two Argentinean riders rounded out the classified runners with Marco Solorza (OUTDO TPR Team Pedercini Racing) and teammate Luciano Ribodino in 18th and 19th respectively.

Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC) was the first retirement of the race after he had a crash at turn four on the third lap of the race. Isaac Viñales (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) had shown strong pace throughout the weekend but retired from race one after an early trip into the gravel at turn seven; although he did re-join the race, he retired in the second half.

Race One Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK)
2 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +5.295s
3 Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +9.417s

Tissot Superpole Race
The MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship continued to thrill throughout the Motul Argentinean Round as the 10-lap Tissot Superpole Race was decided by a drag race to the finish line at the Circuito San Juan Villicum with Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) and Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) dicing it out for Superpole Race honours.

Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) once again claimed the lead of the race into turn one after leapfrogging polesitter Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) while Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) was straight into podium contention from fifth on the grid and immediately battling with Toprak Razgatlioglu and Scott Redding.

At the end of lap three, Redding lost ground to Razgatlioglu after running wide at the final corner, allowing Rea to put pressure on the Ducati rider while the Turkish star was able to extend his lead at the front of the field. Redding was able to spend a few laps recovering the time to Razgatlioglu before putting pressure on the race leader with the battling right until the line; Redding looking to make a move into turn six and seven but Razgatlioglu responded to hold on to the line by just 0.046s. Razgatlioglu claimed his 13th win of 2021 with Yamaha taking their 350th podium placement. Redding claimed second for his 20th podium this campaign with Rea settling for third; the trio starting from the front row. 

As in Saturday’s race one, Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) lost ground at the start of the race but was able to fight back to claim fourth place, his best dry-weather result, in the Superpole Race after passing Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) in lap three; Lowes would drop back to ninth in the closing stages of the race. Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) once again battled it out on track with the Dutchman coming out on top to claim fifth place, with Italian rookie Locatelli in sixth and one second back from van der Mark.

After topping warm-ip on Sunday morning, Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) claimed seventh place after making progress from his starting spot, with Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) in eighth place; the Italian had battled his way up the order before losing a couple of spots in the latter stages of the race. Lowes will complete the third row after finishing ninth.

Tissot Superpole Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK)
2 Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.046s
3 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +3.419s

Argentinian action in WorldSBK race two at the San Juan circuit saw the championship top three engaged in a hard-fought 21-lap battle with Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) coming out on top, Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) second and Toprak Razgatlioglu third (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK).    In earlier weekend racing, Razgatlioglu won Saturday’s race one and the Sprint, while Rea took two podiums – a second in race one and a third in Sunday’s quick dash.   

The Turk now holds a 30 point lead over Rea  (531 to 501 points) with Redding back in third on 465 points, with the title-decider in the 2021 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship going down to the wire and to be decided at the final round,  a month away at Indonesia’s Mandalika International Street Circuit on November 19-21.

Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) got a good start from third on the grid while Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) led from pole position.  The pair battled through the first three laps, with Redding joining the fray, and Rea taking the lead briefly before being pushed down to third on the fourth lap of 21. On lap five, the Ducati star moved up to second with a pass on Rea before passing Razgatlioglu, while Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing) continued his strong form as he battled the championship’s top three for a podium position.  

Rea was able to respond to move into second and looked to take the lead, but the Turkish star was able to resist the challenge on lap six.  At the start of lap nine, Redding made a move on Rea into turn one to move up into second place, with Razgatlioglu still out in front, although Redding did make a move into turn eight, with Razgatlioglu responding.

On lap ten at turn seven, Redding overtook Razgatlioglu to capture the lead, with Rea almost able to pass the Turkish star into Turn 8 but Razgatlioglu responded to keep second place. The move allowed Redding to escape the thrilling battles, with the fight between Razgatlioglu, Rea and Bassani continuing to heat up.

Rea cut back under Razgatlioglu into turn seven to briefly move into second place on lap 14 but Razgatlioglu regained the position under braking into turn eight. On Lap 16, Rea made the crucial overtake to move into turn one but Razgatlioglu fought back until turn five with the pair side-by-side throughout the sequence. After this, Rea was able to break away to claim second place ahead of Razgatlioglu, Redding claiming his first victory since Catalunya.

Bassani dropped away from the lead trio in the closing stages but still recorded fourth place after another excellent race for the Italian rookie as he withstood a late challenge from Ducati stablemate Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) by just half-a-second at the end of the 21-lap race. With the top four battling it out in the early stages, Michael van der Mark (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) was running in the lead group with fifth place before he was passed by Rinaldi, eventually coming home in sixth place.

Yamaha stablemates Andrea Locatelli (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) and Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team) finished in seventh and eighth respectively with American star Gerloff missing out in seventh spot by just three tenths at the end of the race. Despite missing out on seventh place, Gerloff’s points, coupled with teammate Kohta Nozane finishing in 14th place, was enough for GRT Yamaha to claim the Best Independent Teams’ title in 2021.

Chaz Davies (Team GoEleven) and Alvaro Bautista (Team HRC) battled it out for ninth place in the closing stages of the race with just eight tenths separating the duo as they crossed the line. Bautista, a race winner at San Juan for Ducati but making his first appearance on Honda machinery in Argentina, battled back from 15th place after missing out on a top-nine spot in the morning Tissot Superpole Race.

Bautista’s Team HRC teammate, Leon Haslam, was 11th with both Team HRC riders taking points for the team’s first appearance at San Juan. Tito Rabat (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) claimed 12th place ahead of Spanish compatriot Isaac Viñales (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) in 13th with Viñales showing strong pace throughout the weekend. Nozane took 14th place with home hero Leandro ‘Tati’ Mercado 15th (MIE Racing Honda Team) – coming home with points despite running wide at turn one late on in the race.

Irish rider Eugene Laverty (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), still standing in for Tom Sykes, finishing in 16th place and half-a-second clear of Christophe Ponsson (Gil Motor Sport-Yamaha) in 17th and Samuele Cavalieri (Barni Racing Team) in 18th. Two Argentinean riders finished in 19th and 20th with OUTDO TPR Team Pedercini Racing duo Luciano Ribodino and Marco Solorza rounding out the field.

Race Two Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
2 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +2.428s
3 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) +3.834s

Championship Standings After Round 12 (Full Standings Here)

1 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK) 531
2 Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) 501
3 Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 465

The post WorldSBK: Race Reports From RD 12 In Argentina appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

Son of 1987 500cc Champion Wayne Gardner, Remy Gardner started riding bikes early as he got his first motorcycle at the age of four. He began his career racing dirt track and long track, as a good few greats from Down Under have done before him, competing at state and national level in his native Australia.

He then switched to tarmac not long after, and his first international race came in late 2010 thanks to an invite from Honda Australia to compete at the NSF100 Trophy Worldwide Mini Bike race in Albacete, Spain. Later that same year, Gardner made his Australian road race debut at the iconic Phillip Island, winning the MRRDA Australian Nippers Championship.

The next step in his career would prove crucial as Gardner travelled to Spain to compete in the pre-Moto3 class in the Mediterranean Championship in 2011. He came second overall, and that prefaced a full-time move to Spain for 2012. The Aussie has called the country home ever since.

Gardner entered the Moto3 class in the CEV for the first time in 2012, finishing most races and scoring points in his debut season. In 2013 he made more progress, including taking his first top five finish at the Albacete round, and he remained in the Championship for 2014 and took another step forward, scoring points in every race he started bar one and taking his first podium.

Gardner also made his Grand Prix debut that season, racing at Misano, Phillip Island and Sepang. His final appearance at the Malaysian Grand Prix provided a milestone as the Aussie scored his first World Championship point, finishing fifteenth. The move to the World Championship came full-time for 2015, and the NSW native finished the season 30th overall aboard a Mahindra – with his home Grand Prix at Phillip Island proving a highlight as Gardner took his first top ten finish Down Under.

For 2016, Gardner then moved to bigger machinery, taking on the Moto2 European Championship with Race Experience and, from the Catalan GP on, the Moto2 World Championship with Tasca Racing. In the former he impressed with a top five in Race 2 at MotorLand, before signing off his participation with his first win in Race 2 in Barcelona – and by a sizeable margin.

The same Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya also staged his Moto2 World Championship debut, which saw Gardner come home in P15 and score a point first time out, just week before his first European Moto2 win. Impressing with his adaptation, Gardner then remained in the Moto2 World Championship for the remainder of 2016, taking more points at the Sachsenring with a 12th-place finish and another points P13 at Sepang.

His performances earned him a seat at Tech3 Racing for 2017, and he was a regular points scorer, taking his first top ten in the Moto2 World Championship with a ninth place at Brno. 2018 saw the Aussie take more points and move further forward once again, the progress clear despite a motocross accident ahead of the Spanish GP in which he broke both his legs. Once he was back from injury though, Gardner picked up where he left off, took his first front row at Silverstone and then ended both the season and his tenure with Tech3 in style at Valencia with his first Moto2 top five.

2019 and 2020 added more milestones as Gardner moved to the SAG Team. In 2019 the number 87 took his first Grand Prix podium with second place at Termas de Rio Hondo, as well as setting the fastest lap, and the TT Circuit Assen saw the Australian take his first pole position. 2020 began with a top five in Qatar, Gardner took pole in Austria and by the Styrian GP he was back on the podium. However, a crash in Warm Up at Misano – where he was set to start from pole – saw the Aussie facing more injury struggles with a fracture to his left hand. He missed that race and the Emilia-Romagna GP, returning at Catalunya but only taking P16 after riding through the pain barrier. From there though, the momentum began its crescendo that would culminate in the 2021 Moto2 crown: second at Le Mans, two top fives at MotorLand, and third and seventh at Valencia. 

For 2021, the rider on a roll joined Red Bull KTM Ajo and the rest is history, or likely become so. The number 87 started the season with three podiums in a row in Qatar, Doha and Portimão, before a fourth place from pole in Jerez. Le Mans was another podium, this time in second place, before Gardner won three in a row on an incredible run of form: Mugello, Catalunya and Germany, the latter of which was the 200th Moto2 race. Another podium at Assen saw him head into the summer break with an advantage in the title fight of 31 points.

His closest rival, however, was teammate Raul Fernandez and the rookie sensation would continue to prove the key challenger as the season rolled on. Gardner came back from the summer break off the podium in both races at the Red Bull Ring as Raul Fernandez took another win in the second, not going down without a fight. The Australian hit back with victory at Silverstone as his teammate crashed out, but both Aragon and San Marino saw the number 87 forced to settle for second as Raul Fernandez began a serious comeback and strung together his own run of three wins in a row – including at the Circuit of the Americas, where Gardner made his first big mistake of the season and crashed out.

As the paddock returned to Misano for the Emilia-Romagna GP, the gap between the two was just nine points… but there was another twist in the tale just around the corner. Despite the race proving a tougher once for Gardner, Raul Fernandez crashed out the lead – doubling Gardner’s advantage in one fell swoop as the gap shot back out to 18 points in favour the Australian. That set up the first match point in the Moto2 World Championship for the Algarve GP, and despite a dramatic crash on Friday that left Gardner riding a little bruised on Sunday, the Australian dug deep and took an incredible win under intense pressure from his teammate.

After a Red Flag and restart, Gardner kept his nerve from P8 on the grid, dropping a couple of places and duelling it out in the latter half of the top ten. Raul Fernandez had to win to keep his chances alive and that the number 25 did, but Gardner stayed calm and avoided any risks near the front to come out on top in the fight for tenth – three places higher than he needed – and take a history-making World Championship crown. Wayne and Remy join Kenny Roberts and Kenny Roberts Jr as father and son World Champions.

Remy Gardner: “It’s definitely been an intense season. Raul did an amazing job this year, as a rookie he really made me work for it for sure. It’s such an amazing season, so many podiums, great races, four wins. [Speaker: five wins]. Five wins? Five. Well that shows how much I’m keeping track. It’s been an incredible season. So many parc fermes and podiums, incredible moments with the team. There were times I’d finish second and think that was a bad day but you have to enjoy every moment. It’s been such an amazing season but intense for sure, especially the last quarter has been really intense, Raul has been so fast, I’ve made a few mistakes and he has too, but consistency was key in the end and the days when I just couldn’t win or he won, it was just about finishing and getting the points I could. Ultimately that’s what got us over the line.

“With the first race I had a pretty good first lap, after that incident at Turn 2 I got though on the inside and ended up with the front guys and I thought that would be a good opportunity to go with those guys and break up the group and have a good consistent race, then with the Red Flag everything stopped. I made a good start in both, the second wasn’t as good on the first lap and for the first few laps I was just hanging in there and going with the guys but it was a bit scary cause I saw there was a bit of commotion, guys were passing, Raul was going for it and I thought ‘I’m not going to put myself in the middle there, I’m going to hang back.’ Then I came under fire from the guys behind and had to pull my finger out a little bit and break up the group a bit.”

“I had to push a bit harder to get away from Tetsu, he was going crazy and my teammate in the past, I know how he rides! Just tried to break up the group a bit and finish the race in a respectable position and safely. Managed to do that, keep my nerves and for sure it was a lot of pressure but I managed to bring it home.”

“It hasn’t really sunk in yet to be honest. There have been so many hard years, decent success this year and even last year, I really kind of changed my chip last year and everything started to go a bit better. I didn’t have the most podiums in the world but managed to get my mind under control, everything was falling into place and I was trying to keep positive about everything. From 2015 to even 2019 they were really, really tough years for me and like I said, there were points in my career I honestly believed that was it, there was no more and that was the end of the road. Especially after injury for sure, fighting through that was incredibly difficult.”

Remy’s Grand Prix History

• First Grand Prix: Misano 2014, Moto3
• First pole position: Assen 2019, Moto2
• First podium: Argentina 2019, Moto2
• First victory: Portugal 2020, Moto2
• Grands Prix: 113 (92 in Moto2)
• Victories: 5 (5 in Moto2)
• Podiums: 16 (16 in Moto2)
• Pole positions: 6 (6 in Moto2)
• Fastest laps: 5 (5 in Moto2)
• World Championships: Moto2 (2021)

World Championship career:

• 2014: Moto3 World Championship – 32nd, Kalex/Kalex KTM, 3 races, 1 point
• 2015: Moto3 World Championship – 30th, Mahindra, 18 races, 6 points
• 2016: Moto2 World Championship – 26th, Kalex, 12 races, 8 points
• 2017: Moto2 World Championship – 21st, Tech3, 17 races, 23 points
• 2018: Moto2 World Championship – 19th, Tech3, 15 races, 40 points
• 2019: Moto2 World Championship – 15th, Kalex, 18 races, 77 points
• 2020: Moto2 World Championship – 6th, Kalex, 13 races, 135 points
• 2021: Moto2 World Championship – 1st, Kalex, 18 races, 311 points
  

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The post Aussie Hero #87 Remy Gardner Wins Moto2 World Crown! appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

The race will forever be remembered as Valentino Rossi’s (Petronas Yamaha SRT) last dance too, and The Doctor delivered a P10 in his farewell MotoGP appearance in front of a packed Circuit Ricardo Tormo crowd. Pecco also dedicated the win to his mentor.

Danilo Petrucci (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing) saw the chequered flag in P17 as the Italian premier class race winner also says goodbye to Grand Prix racing in an emotional Sunday in Valencia, teammate Iker Lecuona heads for WorldSBK after scoring a final point of the year.

Rewinding to lights out and polesitter Martin grabbed the holeshot into Turn 1 as fourth place Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) got a great start to get the better of Bagnaia, with Miller slotting into second. Rossi made a good start and was up a place into P9, whereas World Champion Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) was P6. Up ahead, Miller then dived up the inside of Martin at Turn 1 on Lap 2 to take the lead, but it was short-lived. Martin and Mir cut through on Lap 2, and Miller down to third, then it was fourth, then fifth – the Australian was going backwards after briefly leading.

The Suzukis were charging though – hard. Mir was harassing Martin, before Pecco then used the GP21’s superior grunt to take P2 off the 2020 Champion. Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) then snuck past Mir at Turn 6 on Lap 3, as the top four – Martin, Bagnaia, Rins and Mir – started to create a gap to now fifth-placed Quartararo. Miller was down to P6, seemingly struggling in the early stages.

The race then settled as the front runners held station, but Martin, Bagnaia and Rins were now 0.7s ahead of Mir. After a few laps of following the World Champion, Miller was back through on Quartararo and up to P5, as Rins set the fastest lap of the race. However, at Turn 6 on Lap 11 of 27, Rins then went down. The Spaniard tucked the front of his GSX-RR, handing teammate Mir third. Rossi, meanwhile, was now 10th, 0.6s down on Enea Bastianini (Avintia Esponsorama) who, as things stood, was losing out on the Rookie of the Year crown with Martin leading…

Bagnaia was swarming all over the back of the race-leading rookie though and with 12 laps to go, at Turn 14, Pecco pounced. Now, with some clear air, what could the Italian do? The fastest lap, a 1:31.042, came next and the hammer was well and truly down. His mentor Rossi was still 10th with 11 laps to go, but VR46 Academy’s first World Champion and fellow Yamaha star Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) was behind him…

Up front though, Martin was not letting Pecco pull clear. On two consecutive laps, the rookie was quicker than Bagnaia, and a second or so behind, Miller grabbed P3 off Mir at Turn 2. It was a Ducati 1-2-3 with eight laps to go, and history was on the cards for the Bologna factory. Miller wasn’t done yet either, the Australian 1.3s back when he passed Mir, but by five laps to go, he was just 0.7s off Martin.

With two laps of the season to go, Pecco was 0.8s clear of Martin and it seemed the battle would be for second. Miller was closer than ever to Martin, but the rookie was holding firm. Unable to make a move, Miller couldn’t quite make it a factory Ducati 1-2 as Bagnaia crossed the line to win for a fourth time in 2021, although Martin clinched the Rookie of the Year crown with a P2. Miller, in third, helps Ducati make history with their first 1-2-3 in MotoGP with his fifth rostrum. In addition, Bagnaia’s P1 and Miller’s P3 helps Ducati take the Teams’ Championship, adding to their Constructors’ crown.

Mir held onto P4 by just 0.2s in the end as Quartararo homed in, but El Diablo takes P5 to cap off a title-winning season. Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) was P6, Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) was P7, with Bastianini’s P8 was not quite good enough for the Rookie of the Year title – nine points split the Italian and Martin in the end. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) struggled in the latter stages and slipped to P9, finishing one place ahead of The Doctor.

Valentino Rossi took P10, where he started, to bow out in style. There aren’t enough superlatives to describe the Italian’s glistening Grand Prix career, as one of the world’s biggest sporting icons bids a fond farewell to the sport he loves – and the sport that loves him. Grazie Vale, from millions of fans around the globe!

Morbidelli crossed the line less than a second away from Rossi as the Italian now aims to get fully fit for 2022, Andrea Dovizioso (Petronas Yamaha SRT) had a good final weekend of the season to finish in P12, and Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol), Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and WorldSBK-bound Lecuona take home the final points of 2021. Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) joined Rins in suffering a DNF in Valencia, the Japanese rider was perfectly ok after his Turn 6 crash.

And that, as they say, is a wrap. The curtain comes down on 2021, as we say ciao to the icon that is Valentino Rossi. The number 46 will be missed immensely on and off track in 2022 and beyond, but MotoGP couldn’t be in a better place. The next generation is here, Rossi’s legacy will live on with his VR46 Academy and new MotoGP team, and Yamaha and Quartararo will be aiming to defend their title against a whole host of unbelievable bikes and riders. What a year! And #GrazieVale!

Francesco Bagnaia: “It’s the only possible thing today – to give a present for Vale. With this helmet, to do a race like that so I want to dedicate this race to him and say thanks to him for what’s he done for us in the academy. So it’s for him, I’m very happy because before the weekend I wasn’t sure it was possible to do a race like this but all the improvements we made this year with my riding style and the bike, finally, we arrived here and were one of the fastest. I’m very happy we won today and it’s an incredible way to end the season.”

MotoGP podium (Full Results Here)

1 Francesco Bagnaia – Ducati Lenovo Team – Ducati – 41’15.481
2 Jorge Martin* – Pramac Racing – Ducati – +0.489
3 Jack Miller – Ducati Lenovo Team – Ducati – +0.823

Moto2
In a tense, red-flagged race at the Gran Premio Motul de la Comunitat Valenciana, Remy Gardner (Red Bull KTM Ajo) was crowned the 2021 Moto2 World Champion after finishing P10 on Sunday afternoon. Teammate and title rival Raul Fernandez won for an incredible eighth time to finish just four points down in the overall standings, as Fabio Di Giannantonio (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) and Augusto Fernandez (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) claimed podiums.

The Moto2 title decider got underway but a crash involving Marco Bezzecchi (Sky Racing Team VR46), Xavi Vierge (Petronas Sprinta Racing) and Lorenzo Baldassarri (MV Agusta Forward Racing) brought out the red flags, with an oil spillage occurring between Turns 2 and 3. All riders were ok, a brief pause in proceedings happened with a clean up operation underway before the race got back in business.

There was a little more drama though. After claiming his first pole since 2012 on Saturday, Simone Corsi (MV Agusta Forward Racing) pulled into pitlane after the Warm Up lap and the experienced Italian was out of the race with a technical issue. Meanwhile on track, Augusto Fernandez led Raul Fernandez into Turn 1, with the latter taking the lead at Turn 6 on Lap 2. Gardner made a steady start and was ninth.

Raul Fernandez wasn’t having it all his own way at the front though. Di Giannantonio came through on the Spaniard to lead on Lap 4, with Gardner slipping backwards. Jorge Navarro (Termozeta Speed Up), Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) and Tom Lüthi (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team) all passed Gardner and suddenly, the Australian was P11 – and had former teammate Tetsuta Nagashima (Italtrans Racing Team) swarming all over the back of him. Still, though, as things stood – Raul Fernandez P2, Gardner P11 – the title was heading to Gardner.

With six laps to go, the Australian found a way past Lüthi at Turn 4 into P10. The top three – Diggia, Raul Fernandez and Augusto Fernandez – were split by nothing, with Celestino Vietti (Sky Racing Team VR46) 1.2s back on the podium scrap in P4. Then, with four to go, Raul Fernandez pounced on Diggia at Turn 2. A classic block pass from the Spaniard saw him take the lead, but with Gardner 10th, it still wasn’t enough. Gardner, in turn, was two seconds behind Marcel Schrötter (Liqui Moly Intact GP) in ninth, although only 0.6s ahead of Nagashima in 11th…

Two laps to go saw Raul Fernandez P1, Gardner P10. Diggia and Augusto Fernandez were still in touch with the race leader too, and Gardner was keeping Nagashima at bay. By the last lap, a tense 0.3s was the advantage Raul Fernandez held over Diggia and Augusto Fernandez, and Gardner was still 10th – able to just keep his own three-tenth advantage over Nagashima on the chase. Raul Fernandez was holding up his end of the bargain and so was Gardner, but as the rookie sensation crossed the line to take a Marquez-beating, mesmerising eighth victory of the season, taking the chequered flag in P10 made Remy Gardner the the 2021 Moto2 World Champion.

Diggia and Augusto Fernandez rode superbly to finish just behind Raul Fernandez in P2 and P3, and rookie Vietti ended his campaign with an equal-best result in P4. Aron Canet (Inde Aspar Team) rounded out the top five, with Vierge finishing P6 despite being involved in the red-flagged crash, a great result for the Spaniard who heads off to WorldSBK in 2022.

Lowes, Navarro and Schrötter crossed the line in 7th, 8th and 9th respectively, before Gardner claimed 10th. It was a nervy race, but 10th was more than enough. Nagashima claimed P11, and Lüthi – in his final Grand Prix – notched up P12 as we bid a fond farewell to the fourth highest Grand Prix appearance maker after 318 starts. Stefano Manzi (Flexbox HP40), Marcos Ramirez (American Racing) and WorldSBK-bound Hafizh Syahrin (NTS RW Racing GP) claimed the final points.

A simply outstanding title race between Gardner and Raul Fernandez ends with the Australian coming out on top. A staggering season by both, now we get ready to watch them move to MotoGP with Tech3 KTM Factory Racing in 2022. Tune in for more next season as they switch orange for… orange!

Raul Fernandez: “It was a fantastic race, I did my job and won. I’m happy with that. We did an incredible season, in the end we didn’t win the Championship but in was the best season of my life, I enjoyed it like a kid and we won eight races. Before we started if anyone told me I’d win two or three I wouldn’t believe it. Now we have eight.” 

Moto2 podium (Full Results Here)

1 Raul Fernandez – Red Bull KTM Ajo – Kalex – 25’38.612
2 Fabio Di Giannantonio – Federal Oil Gresini Moto2 – Kalex – +0.517
3 Augusto Fernandez – Elf Marc VDS Racing Team – Kalex – +0.786

Moto3
Xavier Artigas (Leopard Racing) is a Grand Prix winner! The rookie played it to perfection with a last corner lunge on Sergio Garcia (Valresa GASGAS Aspar Team) to take his first Moto3 win in style, with the number 11 forced to settle for second. Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo) rounds out the season on the rostrum, with drama earlier on the final lap as contact between Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing) and World Champion Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) saw the latter crash out.

Off the line it was as you were for the front row, with Acosta getting a great start from pole to lead the freight train away. Izan Guevara (Valresa GASGAS Aspar Team) soon struck to take second from Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Squadra Corse) though, and drama came early just behind. Lorenzo Fellon (SIC58 Squadra Corse) crashed out, and almost simultaneously Darryn Binder (Petronas Sprinta Racing) had his own higside mid-track, forcing a few into avoiding action. Ryusei Yamanaka (CarXpert PrüstelGP) wasn’t able to and also went down, riders ok but the group taking a few corners to settle.

At the front, the leaders were a train of 12. Acosta, Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech3), Artigas, Masia, Guevara, Andrea Migno (Rivacold Snipers Team), Garcia, Filip Salač (CarXpert PrüstelGP), Foggia, Stefano Nepa (BOE Owlride) and Romano Fenati (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team). As ever, the chopping and changing saw plenty of places exchanged.

Another frisson of drama then saw Öncü and Salač both get Long Laps for track limits, which they took quickly – but they slotted back in at the back of the group. In turn, that helped the second gaggle of riders, led by Niccolo Antonelli (Avintia VR46 Academy) tag onto the group, and he brought the likes of John McPhee (Petronas Sprinta Racing) and Ayumu Sasaki (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) – the Japanese rider from the very back after an incredible charge after a tough qualifying – into the mix. Next, Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Squadra Corse) crashed at Turn 1 too, making one less in the group.

As the final few laps dawned, the melee turned into a 2021 Moto3 classic at the front: Acosta vs Foggia. And heading onto the final lap, the Leopard machine led the Red Bull KTM Ajo rider over the line, with Artigas, Garcia and Öncü for close company.

Acosta attacked at Turn 1, and Foggia lined him up to return the favour at Turn 2. But the Leopard rider was in too deep and there was contact between the two, with the newly-crowned World Champion then unable to hold it and skidding off into the gravel. Rider ok and Foggia continued, but the incident was under investigation by the Stewards.

Artigas picked their pockets in the melee and in turn, Garcia then attacked the number 43. The GASGAS rider took over in the lead, holding on as the corners ticked down. Masia also got past Öncü with some well-judged aggression, but it all went down to the last apex.

As they headed into the final corner, Artigas attacked for the lead as Öncü attacked for third. The rookie – and wildcard Valencia podium finisher – pitched it to perfection to slot past Garcia, but Öncü headed well wide. On the drag to the line, Garcia tucked in to try and hit back but Artigas held on, the rookie taking his first win and completing the set for the three frontrunning rookies this season: Acosta, Guevara and Artigas have now all won races after an incredible season.

Garcia was forced to settle for second but returns to the podium after his injury struggles, and Masia completes the rostrum to end the year on a high. Öncü was picked off by Salač as the Czech rider took one of his best finishes in his last Moto3 race, with Öncü relegated to fifth by the flag. 

Stefano Nepa (BOE Owlride) took sixth after an impressive Sunday, with Guevara just behind. Carlos Tatay (Avintia Esponsorama) was next up as he made good progress to take a good haul of points, with Antonelli taking ninth to sign off from Moto3 in the top ten. Completing that top ten was Sasaki after a stunning recovery ride from the number 71, coming from the very back to P10.

McPhee took P11 ahead of Fenati, another who leaves for Moto2, after the veteran Italian exceeded track limits on the final lap and was demoted a position behind McPhee. Meanwhile, the result of the Stewards’ investigation relegated Foggia to thirteenth as the Italian was given a three-second penalty for the Acosta incident.

An incredibly tight three-way fight for P14 saw Adrian Fernandez (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) just take it, with Jeremy Alcoba (Indonesian Racing Gresini Moto3) taking the last point to deny Riccardo Rossi (BOE Owlride). KTM also wrapped the Constructors’ crown, their fifth in the class, with a KTM needing to finish in the top nine and that more than fulfilled with one on the podium in P3 with Masia.

That’s a wrap on 2021, with pastures new for some and a recharge and reset for others. It’s been a truly remarkable season and the Champion now moves up, so join us again next year to see who succeeds Acosta and writes their own chapter in the history books!

Moto3 podium (Full Results Here)

1 Xavier Artigas – Leopard Racing – Honda – 38’30.302
2 Sergio Garcia – Valresa GASGAS Aspar – GASGAS – +0.043
3 Jaume Masia – Red Bull KTM Ajo – KTM – +0.232

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