Brilliant Baldassarri unstoppable in Jerez; stunning maiden win for Oettl

Jerez, 6 May 2018: Lorenzo Baldassarri (Pons HP40) rode imperiously to take only his second ever Moto2™ victory at the Gran Premio Red Bull de España, lifting him up to second in the World Championship. Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Ajo) came from P14 on the grid to take a superb second, as Francesco Bagnaia (SKY Racing Team VR46) took the checkered flag in third, keeping him top of the Championship standings – as last year’s race winner Alex Marquez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) crashed out at Turn 2.

Launching from pole, Baldassarri didn’t get the start he wanted, losing out to Marquez, Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Bagnaia as the pack headed into Turn 2. There was drama down at Turn 6 on the opening lap, as Luca Marini (SKY Racing Team VR46) broke too late into the hairpin, collecting Jorge Navarro’s (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) rear tyre, taking them both down in the process – riders ok. Meanwhile, Oliveira was making up the places after a cracking start, the Portuguese rider up to eighth on the opening lap.

Baldassarri hit the front for the first time on lap three, with Binder, Bagnaia, Marquez and Oliveira in close pursuit. The number 7 then pushed on, creating a small gap between him and second place Binder after setting a new race lap record, with the former Moto3™ World Champion starting to struggle on his KTM.

By lap seven, Oliveira and Marquez were the two keeping the Pons HP40 rider in check, with the three of them slightly gapping Bagnaia, Xavi Vierge (Dynavolt Intact GP), Binder, Mattia Pasini (Italtrans Racing Team) and Romano Fenati (Marinelli Snipers Team) behind. The Italian rookie then crashed at Turn 10 while battling with Pasini, but walked away unhurt.

Eleven laps in and the front three were still ahead. However, disaster then struck for Marquez. Pushing to stay in touch, the Spaniard lost the front at Turn 2, a carbon copy of Marc Marquez’s crash at the same corner.

The brilliant Baldassarri wheelied across the line with Oliveira and Bagnaia who held off Vierge to complete the podium. Pasini came home in a solid fifth as Binder had to settle for sixth. Marcel Schrӧtter (Dynavolt Intact GP), with shoulder ligament damage, was a phenomenal seventh, with Sam Lowes (Swiss Innovative Investors), his teammate Iker Lecuona, Fabio Quartararo (Beta Tools – Speed Up Racing), reigning Moto3™ World Champion Joan Mir (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) – who has been suffering from a stomach bug all weekend –  and Simone Corsi (Tasca Racing Scuderia Moto2) rounding out the top 12.

Oettl wins a stunner after a Championship shake up

Philipp Oettl (Südmetall Schedl GP Racing) took his first ever Grand Prix win on his 91st start, emerging from a dramatic latter part of the race to face Marco Bezzecchi (Redox PruestelGP) in a last lap duel and drag to the line, coming out on top by just half a tenth. Completing the podium was Marcos Ramirez (Bester Capital Dubai), back on the rostrum at his home race after some late drama saw rookie Alonso Lopez (Estrella Galicia 0,0) lose one position from where he’d crossed the line – third. Lopez took P4 after an early run off and stunning ride through the pack.

That wasn’t the biggest drama late in the race, however – with a multi-rider collision with four laps to go giving the standings a serious shake up. Aron Canet (Estrella Galicia 0,0) overcooked Turn 6 and made contact with Championship rival Jorge Martin (Del Conca Gresini Moto3), with Enea Bastianini (Leopard Racing) and Tony Arbolino (Marinelli Snipers Team) also caught in the domino effect and all four out the race.

In the standings Bezzecchi is at the top of the pile with the KTM rider now eight clear of previous points’ leader Martin.

Source: motogp.com