MOTOGP
FIM MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
ROUND 3 / APRIL 20-22, 2018
CIRCUIT OF THE AMERICAS / AUSTIN, TEXAS
P68
pass Pasini, taking third on lap
three, and holding it until lap 11.
By then, however, Miguel Olivei-
ra (Red Bull KTM) had made his
way through from the fourth row
of the grid, and was challenging
strongly, soon past and moving
clear. He would close to within a
second of Marquez by the end.
"It was a hard race coming
through, but I was lucky to avoid
any contact in the first laps,"
Oliveira said.
Now Vierge found himself at
the head of a massive group of
ten, and on lap 13 the pressure
got to him and he crashed out.
The man to take over, remark-
ably, was Joan Mir (EG-VDS Kal-
ex), the rookie through from 19th
on lap one after almost crashing
at the first corner with a coming-
together with Luca Marini.
By the finish, he was better
than a second clear of Iker Lecu-
ona (SII KTM), who narrowly
won a long tussle with second
Red Bull KTM rider Brad Binder.
Pasini was now almost three
seconds down, but saved
seventh ahead of Jorge Navarro
(Federal Oil Kalex); the Spaniard
narrowly staying ahead of Domi-
nique Aegerter (Kiefer KTM),
who had charged through in the
closing laps. His last victim had
been Lorenzo Baldassarri (Pons
Kalex), who completed the top
10.
