MOTOGP
FIM MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
ROUND 18 / OCTOBER 18-20, 2019
MOTEGI CIRCUIT / MOTEGI, JAPAN
P84
234:198. Fernandez has 192,
Navarro 186 and Binder 184 with
Marini closing at 176.
Moto3
Bad luck for Aron Canet and bril-
liant riding from Lorenzo proved
a major strike in the champi-
onship battle. Italian Leopard
Honda Dalla Porta rider took a
fine fighting second win of the
season; Sterilgarda KTM's Canet
fell off struggling to stay with the
generally faster front pack, for a
third no-score in four races.
Thai GP winner Albert Arenas
(Gaviota KTM) came through for
second, but there were glum
faces also in the SIC58 Honda
step forward for the new MV
Agusta chassis, taking 10th, the
marque's best yet. Di Giannan-
tonio, Binder, Chantra, Aegerter
and a distant Locatelli wrapping
up the points.
Remy Gardner (ONEXOX Kal-
ex) was struggling in 13th when
he crashed out on lap nine.
Pasini was another to crash;
the misfortunate rookie Marco
Bezzecchi (Red Bull KTM), in
the top 10 when he succumbed
to a stomach infection on lap
13, throwing up violently in his
helmet.
Title tension remained as
Marquez's lead shrank slightly
over new second-placer Luthi,
Chantra, and ahead of him by
lap 11.
At that point, the gap to Bal-
dassarri in third was 1.5 sec-
onds. Nine laps later, the rookie
and reigning Moto3 champion
was on the Italian's back wheel,
and with two laps to go firmly
ahead of him, for a maiden po-
dium in his first Moto2 season.
Baldassari was a close fourth;
Navarro just over a second
behind, but now two ahead of
Marquez. Another strong rookie,
Enea Bastianini (Italtrans Kalex)
narrowly beat Fernandez for
seventh; Schrotter just a couple
of tenths behind.
Stefano Manzi underlined a
Luca Marini (10)
has unlocked
the speed in the
Kalex, and took
another smooth
and stylish
Moto2 victory,
his second in
a row.
