Shortened Moto2 race won by Arbolino as Foggia stands tall in Moto3.
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Miguel Oliveira returned to the winner’s circle after edging Jack Miller in tough conditions at the Thailand MotoGP in Buriram, as Tony Arbolino topped Moto2 and Dennis Foggia won Moto3.
The Ducati Lenovo Team claimed second and third at the Chang International Circuit, with Miller giving it his all in a bid to make it two MotoGP race wins in a row, but coming up just 0.730s short.
Teammate Francesco Bagnaia took an important podium, as Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) clinched fourth when he held off Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) at the chequered flag after 25 nail-biting laps.
But for Bagnaia, the good news continues. He is now just two points behind world championship leader Fabio Quartararo with three races to go after the Monster Energy Yamaha rider finished 17th and outside of the points. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) also regained ground, although he is still 20 points in arrears of Quartararo after finishing 11th.
Rainfall led to a delay of almost an hour before the premier class race finally got underway and it was still very wet when riders eventually took the start. Pole-setter Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) was almost a second up at the end of lap two, but had been issued a position drop penalty for going off-track and rejoining at speed.
That enabled Miller to take over a lap later at turn three, however, Oliveira closed the gap at the front of the field and he moved into P1 at the end of lap 14. In the end, Oliveira won ahead of Miller and Bagnaia, while Bezzecchi eventually claimed 16th position.
Just one rider failed to make the finish, as Australian rookie Remy Gardner (Tech3 KTM Factory Racing) crashed out on lap 12 after slipping outside the points in the laps prior. Next stop, Phillip Island’s Animoca Brands Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix between 14-16 October.
Torrential rain caused high drama in Moto2 and it was Tony Arbolino who was eventually classified the winner of a shortened Moto2 race.
The Elf Marc VDS Racing Team rider had just passed Filip Salac (Gresini Racing Moto2) for the lead at the end of lap eight around the Chang International Circuit when the contest was red-flagged.
After two attempts to re-start, race direction ultimately decided to award half points. Nevertheless, Arbolino, Salac and Aron Canet (Flexbox HP40) can count themselves as Thai GP podium finishers, while Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) gained half a point on championship leader Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) in P6 and P7.
In Moto3, Leopard Racing’s Dennis Foggia has given himself a glimmer of hope in the title-race with an impressive ride to victory in Thailand, as Australian Joel Kelso (CIP Green Power) claimed P12.
Foggia qualified on pole position and led for all but one lap, taking the chequered flag ahead of Ayumu Sasaki (Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max) and Riccardo Rossi (SIC58 Squadra Corse). Foggia is now up to second in the standings, 49 points behind Izan Guevara (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team).
Runaway points-leader Guevara worked hard for the 11 points which he earned by finishing fifth, as teammate Sergio Garcia scored a dreaded zero after he was collected on the opening lap and is now 56 points behind in the standings.
Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup race one didn’t disappoint as the victory battle went right to the wire, won by Hakim Danish, with Veda Ega Pratama and Gun Mie rounding out a podium. Australians Carter Thompson and Marianos Nikolis were fourth and fifth.
Race two on Sunday saw Pratama pull the pin in the latter stages, crossing the line over seven seconds clear of the duel for second. That duel saw Mie classified in P2, with Australian Carter Thompson crossing the line ahead, but demoted for track limits on the last lap. Still, it’s his first podium and countryman Nikolis took 14th.