VOL. 54 ISSUE 25 JUNE 27, 2017 P87
Morbidelli had it worked out,
however, and led Luthi home
through the last corners, confi-
dent he was stronger on brakes
for the chicane.
At that point, Nakagami dove
inside Pasini to out-brake him.
Pasini, reluctant to cede a po-
dium finish, picked up and cut
across the inside of the chicane
to rejoin ahead of the Japanese,
and cross the line third.
Race Direction, however,
decided it was an unfair move
(the opposite of the decision
that favored Rossi over Marquez
in 2015), and awarded third to
Nakagami.
Oliveira was right there in
fifth, Marquez now two seconds
down.
Xavier Simeon (Tasca Kalex)
Kalex) had won last year, and
he was ready to do it again—tak-
ing to the front on lap nine, and
staying there steadfastly under
severe pressure, first from Pasini
and then, after lap 15, Morbidelli
again.
At this stage Nakagami and
Morbidelli seemed to make a little
break, with Luthi now third ahead
of Marquez and Pasini. Morbidelli
set fastest lap on the 17th, and
swooped into the lead as they
started the 18th. Nakagami, all
elbows, fought back at the Strub-
ben hairpin, and this meant the
rest could catch up again.
On lap 20, Luthi took the lead
ahead of Morbidelli. Then Pasini
pushed past Nakagami, and also
briefly Morbidelli to start the pen-
ultimate lap second.
MOTO2
Unusually the last race of the day,
Moto2 also laid on an unusually
big, fierce and absorbing battle
for the win. There were five dif-
ferent leaders and the first five
crossed the line within just over
half a second—a result more like
Moto3.
There had been six in the front
pack, but sliding tires meant that
double race winner Alex Marquez
(EG VDS Kalex) had lost touch
with the gang by the end.
It was his teammate Franco
Morbidelli who profited, narrowly
securing his fifth win of the year
over his closest title rival Tom
Luthi (CarXpert Kalex), and eking
out a small points advantage in
the process.
Morbidelli had regained the
lead only on the last lap and
relied on his late braking to hold
Luthi at bay by inches.
Morbidelli had led the first
three laps, then gave way to
Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM).
But the six-strong pack was
constantly shuffling, with Mugello
winner Mattia Pasini (Italtrans
Kalex) playing the role of joker,
with a highly adventurous riding
style, taking the lead for two laps
on the seventh.
Rain was a constant threat,
and there was a strong chance
that—as last year—the race might
be stopped before full distance.
Thus it was especially important
to be up front at the two-thirds
point and thereafter, because that
would be declared a full race.
Takaaki Nakagami (Idemitsu
Franco
Morbidelli
came away
with the
Moto2
victory.
