Friday
After two sessions back in business in Buriram, it’s incredibly close at the top at the OR Thailand Grand Prix. Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) just took it by 0.018, with Championship challenger Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) the rider just denied the top spot but taking second. Jorge Martin completed an all-Ducati top three, and made it both Pramacs in the upper echelons.

World Championship leader Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) had a solid day on the timesheets in fifth, right behind one rider with a little fighting talk on Friday: Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team). The number 93 rated his chances of a podium highly if we raced on Day 1, and was fastest in FP1 despite a slide off. Quartararo and Marquez both set their best laps in FP1, too.

On the other side of the coin, both the riders third and fourth in the standings are currently heading for Q1 and outside the top ten. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) was 13th and teammate Maverick Viñales 15th as the new RS-GP tackles Thailand for the first time, and Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP) was 11th on Friday – missing out by just 0.025.

While it rained on and off during Friday, the track was well and truly dry for MotoGP FP2. That gave competitors the opportunity to work on their race pace and while Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) was top for the session on a 1:31.088 with 10 minutes to go, there still had been no change to the combined top 10. That would change once the time attacks started, but even then, only half the 24-strong field improved on their FP1 pace. Martin was first to shift the benchmark, then Bagnaia and finally Zarco.

Japanese GP winner Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) is sixth-fastest overall. He was frustrated with himself at a mistake while going underneath Tetsuta Nagashima (LCR Honda Idemitsu) in the closing minutes, but his FP1 effort was good enough to provisionally book a spot in Q2. Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) took seventh on combined times, ahead of Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), Rins, and a much improved Friday position for Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha).

Cal Crutchlow (WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Team) was one crasher at Turn 7, and that also  triggered a relatively long yellow flag in Sector 3 near the end of FP2, affecting some. Crutchlow walked away in some pain after losing the rear and being flicked from his YZR-M1 in what was his second crash of the session, ut rider given the all clear at the Medical Centre. Also hitting the floor during the afternoon were Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) at Turn 3, Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing MotoGP) also at Turn 3 in a separate incident, and Darryn Binder (WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Team) at Turn 7 – riders okay.

MotoGP Thailand Friday Top Three (Full Results Here) 

1 Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) – Ducati – 1’30.281
2 Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) – Ducati – +0.018
3 Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) – Ducati – +0.190

Saturday
The last time two or more MotoGP rookies started from pole in a single season was 2006, and Marco Bezzecchi’s stunning new all-time lap record at Buriram ensures 2022 enters the history books as another such year. The Mooney VR46 Racing Team rider took it by just 0.021 from old Moto3 sparring partner Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing), with Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) completing the Ducati front row lockout.

The fight went down to the final few seconds as Martin’s provisional pole was snatched away by Bezzecchi, but the number 89 had one last shot at it. And it was close, but he couldn’t quite snatch it back, leaving it as just 0.021 splitting the two.

Bagnaia was first to put in a serious challenge for pole as he headed out earlier than many for a second run, and the Italian made up a huge chunk of time late in the lap. In the end, however, it gives him third – and he is the top qualifier of the Championship challengers.

It’s close, however, with Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) next up at the head of the second row, and that second row is completed by Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP). The contrasting fortunes were for Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing), with both Aprilias failing to make it out of Q1 at a track the new RS-GP is taking on for the first time. Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) splits Quartararo and Bastianini on Row 2, with Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) at the head of Row 3 – but the same place he qualified at Motegi as he blasted away to a dominant win.

Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) came through Q1 and was challenging for the front row on his final lap of Q2, but the number 93 then lost over four tenths in the final sector as the final corner proved the lap’s undoing. Still, Marquez will likely prove one to watch on Sunday as the only rider to win at Buriram so far. Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) starts alongside the eight-time World Champion.

Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) completes the top ten ahead of both Red Bull KTM Factory Racing machines of Miguel Oliveira and Brad Binder, with the Austrian factory looking for more in that final push of qualifying.

MotoGP Thailand Front Row (Full Results Here)

1 Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) – Ducati – 1’55.214
2 Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) – Ducati –  +0.021
3 Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) – Ducati – +0.104

Sunday
After two mistakes in Japan looked to have changed the fabric of the title fight, an even more dramatic day at the OR Thailand Grand Prix turned everything back on its head. At the front, a stunning wet weather win from Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) saw him impress in difficult conditions once again, with Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) for close company and just seven tenths off at the flag. Behind the two came the first fully wet premier class podium for Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team), and those 16 points may well be the biggest scored for some time.

Oliveira may have had flashbacks of Lombok, but Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) didn’t. That podium pace was nowhere to be found on a tough day in Thailand, with the Championship leader simply failing to score as he crossed the line in 17th place. An 18-point advantage accrued after Japan is now just two points – and Quartararo’s race was also a saving grace for Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing).

A tough qualifying made way for a tough start to the race, and then the number 41 also made contact with Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and sent the number 33 well wide. For his trouble, Espargaro was given a Long Lap, compounding a tougher Sunday afternoon as he managed to come back to 11th. Still, with Quartararo’s struggles, the number 41 is closer – it’s only 20 points covering the top three riders.

The race itself saw polesitter Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) start well from pole and then head wide with Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing), and from there on it became the Miller show for some time. Slowly but surely, however, Oliveira was making progress – and around half distance the Portuguese rider struck and made it stick.

Miller wasn’t dropped, but the Australian couldn’t quite find a way back through and was forced to settle for second as Bagnaia dug deep just behind. First holding off Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) and then a late-charging Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing), Pecco’s first fully wet podium couldn’t have come at a better time.

Zarco played it safe with the factory’s fate in mind and took less risk to take fourth, with Marquez completing the top five. Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP) was next up but a little way back from the breakaway top five, with Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) taking seventh ahead of a solid Sunday for Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol). Martin faded back to ninth, with Brad Binder completing the top ten after that early excursion, and finishing just ahead of Aleix Espargaro.

Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar) is classified ahead of Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha) after the latter was given a +3 second penalty for track limits without the time to take the Long Lap, with Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) and Raul Fernandez (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing) completing the points. Bezzecchi faded from a fabulous start to miss out on scoring by the end of play, coming home just ahead of Quartararo.

And so a dramatic, pivotal and adjective-heavy day at Buriram comes to a close, and with it the triple-header. With only three races to go there are two riders in two points, three riders within 20 and five within 40 points… the last of those being Miller as the man in form heads back onto home turf. What will Phillip Island bring? We’ll find out in just under two weeks as the paddock heads Down Under!

Miguel Oliveira: “It was a long race but I can’t complain! Every time we have the chance to in the wet I’m always fast and when it started raining I had flashbacks to Indonesia but I tried to keep my feet on the ground, make a good start, not make mistakes and carry the bike to the end. I’m super happy with this end of season win, although if it’s in the wet it’s not the conditions where we prefer to win, but anyway I’ll take a win in any conditions!” 

MotoGP Thailand Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory) – KTM – 41’44.503
2 Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) – Ducati – +0.730
3 Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) – Ducati – +1.968

Moto2
Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) pitched it to perfection in torrential conditions in Thailand, with an eight-lap race Red Flagged and half points awarded. The Italian just got past Filip Salač (Gresini Racing Moto2) after the Cezch rider ran wide when the race was called, giving victory after an impressive charge. Salač still takes his first Moto2 podium in second, with Aron Canet (Flexbox HP 40) completing the podium after an absolute stormer of a first lap.

There was early heartbreak for polesitter and home hero Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) as he crashed out of the lead, but there were no such dramas for teammate and Championship challenger Ai Ogura. The Japanese rider finished a solid sixth and right ahead of points leader Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo), making the gap between the two now just 1.5 points.

Jake Dixon (Inde GASGAS Aspar Team) took fourth, close on the chase behind Canet, with Alonso Lopez (Beta Tools SpeedUp) in a little space in fifth ahead of the top two in the 2022 title fight.

Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team), passed fit after his Saturday crash, took an impressive eighth, with home hero Keminth Kubo (Yamaha VR46 Master Camp) in P9 for his best ever result. Celestino Vietti (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) completes the top ten.

After that dramatic short, sharp shot at glory in Thailand, there’s now a week to recharge before we’re back in action at Phillip Island… and just 1.5 points in it!

Moto2 Thailand Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) – Kalex – 15’10.854
2 Filip Salač  (Gresini Racing Moto2) – Kalex – +0.251
3 Aron Canet (Flexbox HP 40) – Kalex – +3.112

Moto3
The OR Thailand Grand Prix belongs to Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing) as the Italian put in another impressive and imperious performance at the front, eventually taking the flag with a little breathing space as the rain held off for the lightweight class at Buriram. 

Ayumu Sasaki (Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max) came home second as he and Riccardo Rossi (SIC58 Squadra Corse) duelled it out for the podium, with the Italian going for a final corner lunge and overcooking it, but overjoyed to take back to the Grand Prix rostrum.

Championship leader Izan Guevara (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) remains so with a 49-point gap over second place now, but it was a more muted race for the number 28. Foggia is now the rider in second too, as Sergio Garcia (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) hit bad luck early on as contact from Adrian Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Tech3) saw him crash out.

Foggia led from early doors, with Sasaki trying to get on the chase but initially needing a little time to get through into, and keep, second. Once he did, he and Foggia were joined by Rossi in a breakaway at the front, with the second group left to fight it out for fourth.

That fight was won by Stefano Nepa (Angeluss MTA Team) from his best qualifying, with Guevara forced to settle for fifth but that enough to extend the lead, just. Diogo Moreira (MT Helmets – MSI), Andrea Migno (Rivacold Snipers Team), Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo), David Muñoz (BOE Motorsports) and Ryusei Yamanaka (MT Helmets – MSI) completed the second group and the top ten.

The field now has a weekend off before the paddock heads to Phillip Island, with Guevara facing down his first match points. 49 clear, if it’s over 50 he’s wrapped it up!

Moto3 Thailand Podium (Full Results Here)

1 Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing) – Honda – 37’52.331
2 Ayumu Sasaki (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) – Husqvarna – +1.524
3 Riccardo Rossi (SIC58 Squadra Corse) – Honda – +2.804

The post MotoGP Reports: All The Action From Thailand appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

The event began in the town by the waterfront, with fans gathering for a glimpse of their hero as Oliveira took to the stage, with Mayor of Portimão Isilda Gomes and circuit CEO Paulo Pinheiro also in attendance. After talking to the fans and revealing a special helmet design too, Oliveira then went down to the crowd, signed some autographs, and took more than a few selfies. Then it was time to get suited and booted for the ride to the track – for both rider and fans.

Riding alongside and following a MotoGP rider – who is riding a MotoGP bike – is a truly unique opportunity, and an awe-inspiring number of bikers weren’t about to pass that up. Once Oliveira’s RC16 was warmed up and ready to go, the procession took off from the town and the hundreds of bikes slotted in behind as the parade snaked its way up towards the track. With the journey taking more than half an hour, there was more than enough time for the fans to soak in the experience… and the experience was still far from over.

This time, the track wasn’t simply a destination. It awaited with another unique opportunity: a lap of the venue, with a MotoGP rider on a MotoGP bike. Thundering through the gates and up towards the paddock, the parade headed from the road onto the circuit for a lap of the iconic rollercoaster, with Oliveira remaining front and centre.

Miguel Oliveira: “We had a good comparison last year with fans and without, and for sure this season we wanted to also to make something special, a pre-event and it had to involve the fans. It was a great opportunity, the last time I rode a MotoGP machine on the street was in August after my win in Spielberg, so now we got the chance to ride it again and it’s quite special – this time even more because they can follow me, and it’s really cool.”

“I think everyone who loves motorcycles and riding… I mean, if I put myself in their shoes I wouldn’t miss this chance! It’s a huge opportunity to ride, see these bikes close up, which are amazing and quite unique. I wouldn’t want to miss it! It’s a great day. My expectations for the weekend is to enjoy the weekend and get a good result, haha. Being in Portugal gives me an extra boost and motivation that whatever happened before doesn’t really matter, it’s all about enjoying the weekend and doing the best we can.”

MotoGP is its own orchestra when the revs go up and the lights go out every Sunday, but the grid full of fans gave even the world’s fastest motorcycle racing Championship a run for its money on sheer energy and noise. If Portugal’s love of MotoGP and Miguel Oliveira needed an introduction, in 2022 it got one in serious style. And now it’s time for the rest of the grid to line up alongside the home hero and take on the former winner on familiar turf, so make sure to tune in for the 2022 Portuguese on Sunday at 13:00 (GMT +1).

The post Oliveira Leads Awe-inspiring Parade From Portimão appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

Read the full race report from Mandalika here…

The post MotoGP Gallery: All The Best Shots From Mandalika appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....

Reigning World Champion Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) sliced back through to second for his first podium of the season, ahead of compatriot Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) in third. The win for Oliveira sees KTM head the Constructors’ standings for the first time, as well as putting Red Bull KTM Factory Racing top in the teams’ title fight thanks to their Qatar podium and, now, first victory of the season.

The drama began early on Sunday, however, as Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) suffered a huge crash in Warm Up and was forced to miss the race due to concussion. Then, after Moto2, the rain came down as thunderstorms hit Lombok, but after more than an hour’s delay, at 16:15 local time, it was lights out in Indonesia for the first time in 25 years. Quartararo got an outstanding launch from pole position, comfortably collecting the holeshot, as Oliveira made a lightning start from P7 to grab second and Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) shot swiftly up to P3 from sixth on the grid.

At the start of Lap 2, both Oliveira and Miller passed Quartararo as the early pacesetters started to stretch their legs, with the Australian then picking off Oliveira for the race lead too. Now down in third, Quartararo had Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar), compatriot Zarco and a rapid starting Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) for company too –  the 2020 Champion up from down the grid after a nightmare Q1.

Rins and Zarco then got the better of Quartararo early on, but they faced an already substantial 2.4s gap to Miller and Oliveira… and that order was about to switch. The Portuguese rider carved his way past the Ducati of Miller at Turn 12 on Lap 6 to retake the lead, and then he got the hammer down.

Meanwhile, there was a big moment for Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team), the Italian somehow staying on after a snap into Turn 1. Still, he slipped down to P12 behind Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) and Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), with Championship leader Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP) struggling even more, dow in P20 from fifth on the grid.

Back in the top ten though, Turn 1 was about to bite again. Having just got the better of Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) for P7, Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) then became the first and only crasher of the race in the braking zone into the first corner, the 2021 Rookie of the Year down, out, but ok.

At the front, there were no such dramas. Oliveira had stretched his lead to 1.6s, Miller was second, Rins third, Zarco fourth, and Quartararo fifth with 12 laps to go. At half race distance though, Zarco was the quickest rider on track and a quality move came on Rins at Turn 12 for P3. Miller wasn’t far up the road from the Frenchman either, and he looked desperate to pass the Australian as Quartararo really started to find his groove behind them. Sure enough, El Diablo was back into P3 with five laps to go, with he and Zarco fighting it out in spectacular style.

Oliveira was 3.5s clear as the battle raged behind, but with Quartararo now the fastest rider on track and back up to second on Lap 16 of 20. Zarco also managed to follow the Yamaha man through on Miller, and with three laps to go, it suddenly started to look like Oliveira might be in the crosshairs after all. The gap was slashed by a second and the lead was down to 3.4s – was it game on?

Quartararo took a tenth more here and there as the laps ticked down, but Oliveira responded. At the start of the last lap, it remained a healthy 2.8s and the Portuguese rider just needed to bring it home, with Quartararo enjoying a 0.9s buffer to Zarco, who in turn had 2.3s in hand over Miller. The podium seemed decided, and it was.

Crossing the line for his first win of the year, Oliveira’s masterclass sees the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider take 25 points, puts KTM on top in the title and factory fights, and moves him up 16 places in the riders’ Championship to boot. After a tough start in Qatar and for much of the latter half of 2021, it was quite a statement ride by the multiple MotoGP winner.

Nevertheless, Quartararo celebrated P2 like a win as the Frenchman showed his wet weather prowess for the first time in the premier class, taking some valuable points too. Zarco completed the podium, the third place marking a return to the rostrum for the number 5 for the first time since Barcelona 2021.

Miller, always strong in the wet, takes home a hard-earned P4, with Rins putting in a solid ride to claim P5. P6 for Mir, having started from the lower echelons of the top 20, is also a job well done for the 2020 World Champion too, and he got onto the back of his teammate by the flag. Morbidelli ended up a somewhat lonely P7 despite his three-place grid penalty as we witnessed an almighty battle for P8 behind the Italian.

It was won in the end by Brad Binder, who was just ahead of Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) over the line. But the South African had to get his elbows to take that eighth place by force, and it was none other than his brother, WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Team’s Darryn Binder, standing in the way.

The rookie put in a tour de force and one of the rides of the day, leading the battle for eighth onto the final lap before Brad Binder struck, then only losing out to the number 33 and Espargaro’s Aprilia. Number 40 claimed his first points and top ten after a barnstormer, top rookie by some margin.

World Championship leader Bastianini, who retains that moniker by two single points ahead of Brad Binder and recovering well in the latter stages, took P11 ahead of Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team), Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol) and Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team). Bagnaia slipped down the order after his earlier moment to a tough P15, making it one point from the opening two races for one of the pre-season title favourites. Andrea Dovizioso (WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Team) was the only other non-finisher after the Italian encountered an issue with his YZR-M1 and was forced to retire.

That’s take one on Lombok in the history books, and it’s safe to say the Indonesian GP was full of action. Oliveira goes home with the race-winning trophy, Bastianini remains the title leader, and there’s only 10 points between the top nine heading to Argentina for Round 3… as well as a new manufacturer on top in the standings. 

Miguel Oliveira: “Emotionally it was a rollercoaster because the start was perfect but in the wet it’s so hard to judge where the limit is. So I followed Jack for a couple of laps and then I understood I could go a bit faster, so when I overtook him I just tried to focus for the next five laps to do the maximum I could. Then I built a gap and just managed throughout the whole race, but for sure it wasn’t easy.”

“The last couple of months haven’t been easy for me so to be back like this with this incredible win, it’s really emotional. I promised my daughter I would get her a trophy from Indonesia, so this one is for you baby. I want to dedicate this podium to a guy called Rizman, he’s part of the staff in the hotel I’ve stayed in, he has been supporting me the whole week and he’s a really nice guy, so I promised that if I was on the podium I’d dedicate it to him. Let’s go to Argentina, see what we can do, keep up the level but for now I’m just super happy to be here on the podium!”

MotoGP PODIUM (Full Results Here)

1 Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) – KTM – 33’27.223
2 Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) – Yamaha – +2.205
3 Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) – Ducati – +3.158

Moto2
Somkiat Chantra is the first Thai rider to win a Grand Prix race! The Idemitsu Honda Team Asia rider led from the first corner to the chequered flag in a Moto2 masterclass, coming home three seconds clear of leader Celestino Vietti (Mooney VR46 Racing Team, with Aron Canet (Flexbox HP40) collecting his second podium of the season in third – and remaining the rider on Vietti’s tail in the standings.

It was announced that the new race length would be 16 laps due to track conditions, although the intermediate class had a dry race barring some drops of very light rain on the warm up lap. The race got underway on slicks though though and it was Chantra who pinched the holeshot from the second row, with polesitter Jake Dixon (Inde GASGAS Aspar Team) P2 before Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) snuck past at Turn 2.

The rain was still lingering but Chantra held onto the lead from Lowes and Dixon, with Vietti eventually getting the better of Simone Corsi (MV Agusta Forward Racing) as the Italians battled it out at the end of the opening lap. Canet was a beneficiary of the Vietti/Corsi fight too, the Spaniard into P4 and in touch with Lowes and Dixon.

On Lap 6, just after passing compatriot Lowes for second, Dixon then tucked the front at Turn 10. Just ahead, Chantra had opened the gap up to over a second, and after Dixon’s crash, Canet was left in second ahead of Lowes. Vietti then passed the Brit and with nine laps to go, two seconds split the top three. Vietti made a classy move on Canet stick at Turn 12 not long after, and the gap to bridge was 2.1s with eight laps remaining…

The response from Chantra? The fastest lap of the race. His lead over Vietti went up a tenth, and on the next lap, it was up to 2.3s. By five to go it was 2.6s, and it looked like Vietti and co. had no answer for the Thai star. With two laps to go, the gap was over three seconds and it seemed decided: all Chantra had to do was bring it home.

That’s exactly what he did. The Thai rider crossed the line to claim an outstanding victory by over three seconds, becoming the first rider from his nation to win a Grand Prix race. Vietti was able to take a valuable second and 20 points though, the Qatar winner extending his lead over Canet as the Spaniard completed the podium. For both, it’s back-to-back podiums to start the season.

Lowes was a lonely finisher in P4 as Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) held off a charge up from a tough grid position for Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) in P5 and P6, respectively. Fermin Aldeguer (MB Conveyors Speed Up) took an impressive P7, with Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) in eighth. Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo) claimed ninth after his Long Lap Penalty given for crashing under a yellow flag in practice, the Spaniard embroiled in a great battle with Albert Arenas (Inde GASGAS Aspar Team), who ultimately lost out.

Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team) took P11, just ahead of compatriot Cameron Beaubier (American Racing) less than a tenth behind him. Jorge Navarro (Flexbox HP40), rookie Jeremy Alcoba (Liqui Moly Intact GP) and Bo Bendsneyder (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team) completed the top 15.

And so a little history is made at Mandalika, with a new rider and nation on the list of winners. Vietti extends his title lead to nine points over Canet heading to Argentina, but it will surely be a another classic. Come back for more in just under a fortnight as Termas de Rio Hondo plays host!

Somkiat Chantra: “I feel so happy! I also don’t believe it! On the last lap, I saw I was P1 and I saw the chequered flag and I was like ‘oh I’m in first position!’ It’s also my first time here in Moto2…I’m really happy. I also would like to say thanks to my family. I want to thank my sponsors, Thai Honda. Also thank you to Idemitsu Honda Team Asia and next leg I will be more strong! See you then, bye!”

Moto2 PODIUM (Full Results Here)

1 Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) – Kalex – 25’40.876
2 Celestino Vietti (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) – Kalex – +3.230
3 Aron Canet (Flexbox HP 40) – Kalex – +4.366

Moto3
That’s about as good as it gets if your name is Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing). The Italian dominated the Moto3 race at the Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia to claim his first victory of the season – and the World Championship lead with it. Izan Guevara (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) picked up a hard-fought P2, with polesitter Carlos Tatay (CFMoto Racing PrüstelGP) brilliantly recovering from a Long Lap Penalty to earn a maiden Grand Prix podium in third.

There was drama before the race started for second on the grid Diogo Moreira (MT Helmets – MSI), with the Brazilian rookie suffering an issue with his machine and forced to start from the back of the grid. Back at the front, Sergio Garcia (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) grabbed an impressive holeshot from seventh on the grid, with Andrea Migno (Rivacold Snipers Team) and Foggia making their own great starts from the second row.

Foggia made it to the front and was joined by Migno, Garcia and Guevara, with the quartet able to pull a gap in the opening five laps. Foggia then decided to put the hammer down and the Italian was 1.5s clear on Lap 7 of 23, as Championship leader Migno had a front-end scare at the final corner. By Lap 9, Foggia’s lead was up to 3.2s, with Guevera opening up a 0.5s gap in second place. 

Garcia had slipped back into the clutches of Migno, Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo), Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech3), Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Ayumu Sasaki (Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max), but the Spaniard suddenly turned up the wick to reel in Guevara with 10 laps to go. By this stage at the front though, Foggia had checked out – his lead up to 5.1s.

With Foggia producing a flawless race, it was all eyes on the battle for second. Guevara, Migno, Öncü, Garcia, Masia, Holgado and Sasaki were now joined by Xavier Artigas (CFMoto Racing PrüstelGP), Elia Bartolini (QJMotor Avintia Racing Team), Tatay and Tatsuki Suzuki (Leopard Racing).

Heading onto the final lap, Guevera was 0.9s ahead of the charging Tatay and Garcia. Foggia was four seconds up the road and cruising to victory, and Tatay was then wide at Turn 10 to allow Garcia into the final podium position. But at the penultimate corner the number 99 struck back, keeping it over the line and coming home behind Guevara.

At the front though, no one had an answer for Foggia as he popped a wheelie over the line to confirm his dominant victory, still more than two seconds clear at the flag. Guevara’s second is his first podium of the season, and for Tatay the incredible charge to the podium marks his first visit to the rostrum, as well as the first for CFMoto.

Garcia took fourth but some solid points, just two behind Foggia and in second, with Öncü completing the top five. Artigas took P6 ahead of Masia after the number 5 escaped a tangle with Öncü late on, with Bartolini, Holgado and Suzuki completing the top ten. Sasaki and Migno crashed on the final lap – the Japanese rider tagging the back of Migno at Turn 10. The number 71 has been given a Long Lap penalty for the Moto3 race in Argentina.

Ryusei Yamanaka (MT Helmets – MSI) beat Kaito Toba (CIP – Green Power) to 11th, with a trio of rookies completing the points. The first was Scott Ogden (VisionTrack Racing Team) as the Brit finished close to the Japanese veterans just ahead, impressing with his first Grand Prix points.

Then came the home hero: Mario Aji (Honda Team Asia). The Indonesian took an incredible front row on Saturday and backed it up with his first points on Sunday despite a Long Lap, taking a big step forward on home turf. Matteo Bertelle (QJMotor Avintia Racing Team) took the final point in P15, the Italian rookie crossing the line a couple of tenths behind Aji but after having taking two Long Lap penalties – the first for a shortcut, and the second for failing to take the first.

Dennis Foggia: “I don’t have words. It was so hot. It was incredible, the race. Yesterday, I was unlucky in the qualifying because I crashed when I was being fast, but finally I finished in 6th position. Now, I know that we had a good pace for the race. In the last lap, it was impossible to breathe, it was so hard. This my best hard race in my life. Incredible. I’m very happy for me and for my team. I would like to thanks to all my team, my family, all my friends and my girlfriend. See you in Argentina!”

Moto3 PODIUM (Full Results Here)

1 Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing) – Honda – 38’51.668
2 Izan Guevara (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) – GASGAS – +2.612
3 Carlos Tatay (CFMoto Racing PrüstelGP) – CFMoto – +3.639

The post MotoGP Sunday: Grand Prix Of Mandalika, Race Reports appeared first on Racing, Riding, Motorcycle Reviews, Race bikes, Tech Tips, Rider Training....