VOL. 55 ISSUE 50 DECEMBER 18, 2018 P155
ment, Roberts was in the points
twice, 14th in Italy and one place
higher in Thailand, and cruelly
crashed out of a strong seventh in
the wet at the final round.
The screaming of the 600cc
Hondas was over at Valencia.
Next year Moto2 takes the next
step with lighter, more powerful
765cc Triumph three-cylinder
engines, along with upgraded
electronics.
MOTO3
Jorge Martin was imperious
in Moto3, taking eleven poles
without the usual slipstream-
ing games, and using his extra
speed to escape from the usual
brawl enough times to clock up
seven wins.
He crashed a couple of times
on his own account, and was
taken out by other riders twice.
But the Del Conca Gresini
Honda man was clearly in a class
of his own.
All the same, in his second
season, Marco Bezzecchi (Re-
dox Pruestel KTM) put up such a
challenge that it was only when it
was his turn to be knocked down
twice, in Thailand and Australia,
that his title chances finally dis-
appeared. Bezzecchi took three
wins, but a final fall in Valencia
meant he lost second overall
to Martin's teammate Fabio Di
Giannantonio, who took two wins
and crossed the line first another
time in France, only to be robbed
by a penalty.
The beneficiary there was
Albert Arenas (Angel Nieto KTM),
who then took an ultra-close
second win in Australia.
But it was Honda riders Enea
Bastianini and Lorenzo Dalla
Porta, with one win apiece, who
took fourth and fifth overall.
KTM had fought back after be-
ing trounced last year by Honda,
with better top speed to counter
the Honda's sweeter handling.
The season ended sensation-
ally. Red Bull Rookies champion,
Can Oncu (15), was given a wild-
card ride at Valencia, his under-
age participation sanctioned by
a rule change earlier in the year
that allowed the winner of the
CEV Junior World Championship
to compete at world level, even
if they were under the minimum
age of 16 years.
The talented super-teen won
a difficult wet race, becoming
all at once the youngest-ever
GP winner, the first Turk to win a
GP, and the first to win at his first
attempt since 125 star Noboru
Ueda back in 1991.
Next year Martin, Di Giannan-
tonio, Bezzecchi and Bastianini,
the top four in the championship,
are joined by Spanish GP winner
Philipp Oettl in Moto2; while
Oncu joins as a full-time rider
for the Ajo Red Bull KTM outfit.
Already familiar with most of the
European tracks from his Red
Bull Rookies and Spanish CEV
experience, the remaining riders
need to be nervous. CN
(Left) The top three in
the championship, in
order. Bagnaia took
a glorious win for
the Sky VR46 team,
but Oliveira (44) and
Binder (41) pushed him
all year. (Right) Martin
(88) was a deserving
Moto3 champion. The
fastest all year, Martin
used the good times—
seven wins—to offset
the bad, including
multiple take-outs by
other riders to capture
an emotional title win.
