MOTO3
Win once, and they start flowing.
Ivan Ortola (MTA KTM) was the
latest rider to prove this maxim
as he held off rookie sensation
David Alonso (Aspar GasGas)
and Jaume Masia (Leopard
Honda) in a thrilling nine-rider
fight to take his second grand
prix victory just two weeks on
from a debut success in Austin.
At a track that so often lends
itself to epic Moto3 encounters,
Ortola and Dani Holgado (Tech3
KTM) initially threatened to break
the field, as they gapped the rest
by a second by three. But Masia
and Ryusei Yamanaka (Aspar
GasGas) quickly joined the fray.
As did Xavi Artigas (PruestelGP
CFMoto), Alonso and Jose Anto
-
nio Rueda (Ajo KTM), just after
The excitement
came further
back. Alonso Lopez (Speed Up
Boscoscuro) gained a place into
Turn 1, and held the position
until the flag. But he didn't have
it easy, as Tony Arbolino (Marc
VDS Kalex), Ai Ogura (HTA
Kalex) and Aron Canet (Pons
Kalex) harried him from behind.
Considering he broke his left
wrist at the start of March, Ogu
-
ra was riding an inspired race,
taking fourth
from Arbolino on
lap eight, only to crash out five
laps later. That allowed Arbolino
into fourth, a place he defended
from Canet and Jake Dixon (As
-
par Kalex) until the flag.
Acosta
(74 points) goes top
of the championship as a result,
tied on points with Arbolino (74).
Canet (52) sits 22 points behind.
August. After the Englishman
claimed pole position by a full
half-second on Saturday, this was
billed as a two-way fight, with
weekend pacesetter Pedro Acos
-
ta (Ajo Kalex) starting second.
Indeed, the first lap indicated
this would
be how the race
played out, as the Spaniard got
the jump into turn one with the
pole-sitter close behind. But
once Lowes executed a block
pass at the final turn of the first
lap, the contest was all but over.
He consistently gapped his
pursuer to the tune of 0.1 sec
-
onds per lap to eke out a lead in
excess
of 2 seconds by the 12th
circuit. From there, the contest
was over as Acosta accepted
this would be the Brit's day.
Lowes won out by 2.8 seconds.
ROUND 4 / APRIL 28-30, 2023
CIRCUITO DE JEREZ ANGEL NIETO / JEREZ, SPAIN
MOTOGP I FIM MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
P90
Sam Lowes (22)
turned back the years
with a dominant win in
the Moto2 class.
