NHK Helmet – This sunday Ivan Ortola added his name to the list of ‘immortals’ who have won a Grand Prix, winning for the first time in the Moto3 class, a race that in the end was not suitable for people with heart problems.
On the warm up lap Joshua Whatley crashed but was able to quickly get back on the bike and prepare for the start of the race. At the start, the highlight was Diogo Moreira, who secured the holeshot. Ayumu Sasaki was second ahead of Stefanbo Nepa. Jaume Masia and Dani Holgado rounded out the top five at the start of the race.
Ivan Ortola, in 14th, was the first to spin around the second 16th, beating the best lap that at the time was held by David Muñoz. With twelve laps to go Masiá and Sasaki relegated Moreira to third, with Sasaki in the provisional lead of the race.
Meanwhile Tatsuki Suzuki suffered a violent highside at turn five and retired to the garage with the bike badly destroyed. Soon after Sasaki, who was leading the race, beat the best lap so far, with ten laps to go. Ortolá, in sixth, was around half a second faster than the leader and gradually joined the top five.
Until the last five laps there were no changes in the top three, until Nepa reached third and relegated Moreira to fourth. On the next lap it was Masiá’s turn to successfully attack the lead, he who had won on this track last season.
Still, if there was little change at the front in the closing laps, the tension was palpable as six riders battled it out for victory in the leading pack. They were Masiá, Sasaki, Ortolá, Moreira, Xavier Artigas and Holgado with three laps to go.
The drama
was coming for Sasaki, who crashed at turn 13, shortly after regaining the race lead. Masia, Moreira, Artigas and Holgado were the frontrunners with two laps to go.
The emotion seemed to have almost all been left for the final laps, when there were more changes at the front of the race. Ortolá took the lead on the last lap but Artigas soon took the lead. A risky overtaking by Moreira put him in second for a few laps after taking the lead of the race.
A mistake was costly for Moreira, who lost the lead to Ortola in the final corners. Masiá was second and it was on the last corner that Artigas overtook Moreira, to close out a podium made up of the winner Ortolá, Masia and Artigas.
( source : https://www.motorcyclesports.net/index.php/articles/full-heart-rate-racing-at-the-best-ivan-ortola-wins-for-the-first-time-in-a-race-with-a-hot-finish-in-moto3 )
