MOTOGP
FIM MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
ROUND 16/ OCTOBER 22, 2017
PHILLIP ISLAND CIRCUIT / VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA
P66
Takaaki Nakagami (Idemitsu
Kalex) had closed up to join
Binder and Morbidelli, with Xavi
Vierge (Tech3) and Luthi's team-
mate Jesko Raffin on his heels.
The Japanese rider was up to
second on lap 20, and was mov-
ing clear even as Oliveira was
slowing somewhat in response
to spots of rain on his visor and
rain flags at some points of the
track—but the pursuit would end
abruptly on the penultimate lap
when Nakagami crashed out.
Now Morbidelli decided that
a safe third was better than con-
tinuing the back-and-forth with
Binder, leaving the South African
to a second place that he said
left him "really stoked."
Likewise, first-time winner
Oliveira, the first Portuguese
victor in the intermediate class,
and heading not just KTM's first
pursuit group by another crash—
Schrotter had high-sided violent-
ly at the Southern Loop, taking
Pasini down with him and cost-
ing Dominique Aegerter (Kiefer
Suter) some 10 places.
But there was a crucial gap to
the three leaders, and it would
grow over the coming laps as a
big gang piled up behind Luthi.
Up front, class rookie Binder
was holding Morbidelli at bay
like a veteran. The Italian passed
several times, and led him over
the line on laps 11, 15 and 19,
Each time, the Moto3 champion
would get ahead once more.
This played into his team-
mate's hand, and Oliveira
stretched steadily away, the gap
up to six seconds on lap 19.
By this time, Luthi had
dropped well out of touch and
was still losing places while
MOTO2
There were a lot of crashes in
practice and qualifying, and
more in sodden morning warm-
up—the most crucial victim being
title hopeful Thomas Luthi (CarX-
pert Kalex), who didn't even set
a time. He was battered, but
ready to race, lining up 10th on
the grid on a dry track in improv-
ing weather.
Title leader Franco Morbidelli
(VDS Kalex) was in the middle
of row two, with Mattia Pasini
(Italtrans Kalex) on a fifth pole,
from front-row first-timer Marcel
Schrotter (Dynavolt Suter) and
Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM).
Oliveira streaked away in the
lead with Morbidelli and Binder
in pursuit, the latter taking sec-
ond on lap three.
The lap before, Luthi had
been promoted to head the
It was an orange
day in Moto2 as
Miguel Oliveira
(44) and Brad
Binder made it a
historic one-two
for KTM.
