Zarco breaks through for first career 125GP win at Motegi
Johan Zarco scored his first 125cc Grand Prix victory at Motegi.
Avant-AirAsia-Ajo rider Johann Zarco took a long awaited first victory with a clear win in the 125cc race, ahead of Championship leader Nico Terol and Héctor Faubel (both Bankia Aspar).
Zarco started from pole but rival Terol blasted off the start into the lead, taking team-mate Faubel with him along with a determined Zarco. The three broke from the pack, opening up a five-second gap with Faubel dropping back halfway through the race.
Zarco made his move on Terol on lap 14, with the Spaniard attempting to take back the lead but running too deep on the brakes and allowing Zarco to cross the line over five seconds ahead of Terol in second and Faubel a further 13 seconds back in third.
A remarkable recovery was made by Maverick Viñales (Blusens by Paris Hilton Racing), who started the race from the back of the grid after breaking a chain on the warm up lap.
The 16 year-old took fourth place ahead of a pack battling for the position, with Sandro Cortese (Intact Racing Team Germany) following in fifth, Jonas Folger (Red Bull Ajo Motorsport) a close sixth, Alberto Moncayo (Team Andalucía Banca Cívica) and Adrián Martín (Bankia Aspar) in seventh and eighth.
Efrén Vázquez (Avant-AirAsia-Ajo) had been a contender in that fight for fourth until retiring from the race with a mechanical issue.
Danny Kent (Red Bull Ajo Motorsport) crossed the line two seconds ahead of Alessandro Tonucci (Team Italia FMI) to take ninth, while Jakub Kornfeil (Ongetta-Centro Seta) and Marcel Schrötter (Mahindra Racing) followed in eleventh and 12th.
Josep Rodríguez (Blusens by Paris Hilton Racing) and Luis Salom (RW Racing GP) collided in the early part of the race, crashing but both rejoining the race. Rodriguez entered the box with mechanical issues while Salom finished in 23rd position.
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