2018 Phillip Island Moto2 and Moto3 Sunday Results
Moto2 Race – 25 laps, 111.200 km
Moto2 reminded former Moto3 champion Brad Binder of his days in the smaller class, after he powered to his third win of the year. It wasn’t quite as close as that race had been an hour or so earlier … but it wasn’t far off, with a lead group still eight strong at half distance, swapping to and fro at every opportunity.
By then, the South African Red Bull KTM rider had elected, after leading from laps two to 11 but failing to escape, to sit back and wait for the finale. Most of the leading after that was done by Spaniard Xavi Vierge (Dynavolt Kalex), with Pons HP40 Kalex rider Lorenzo Baldassarri having a stab, and his team-mate Augusto Fernandez threatening to make it a team one-two.
But Baldassarri fell after running out of road at the Turn Ten hairpin; and with two laps to go Binder reassumed control.
Even then it was close. A slide on the last fast corners gave 2017 Moto3 champion Joan Mir (EG-VDS Kalex) his chance for a last-ditch slip-stream attach, falling short by a minuscule 0.036 of a second.
Vierge held Fernandez off for third, less than a second behind; Luca Marini (SKY VR46 Kalex) recovered from a late slip to save fifth from Dominique Aegerter. Alex Marquez (EG-VDS Kalex).
Equally big news was that the championship rivals Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM) and Pecco Bagnaia (SKY VR46 Kalex) were nowhere near the shar end. Oliveira saved just one point, finishing 11th; Bagnaia was a fairly close but definitely despondent 13th.
Australian home star Remy Gardner (Tech 3) was with the lead group, until he slipped off at half distance.
Bagnaia still leads by 36 points from Oliveira; Binder reinforced his third overall, 41 points clear of Baldassarri.
MICHELIN® AUSTRALIAN MOTORCYCLE GRAND PRIX
Moto2 Race Classification 2018
Phillip Island, Sunday, October 28, 2018
| 1 | 25 | 41 | Brad BINDER | RSA | Red Bull KTM Ajo | KTM | 169.3 | 39’23.427 |
| 2 | 20 | 36 | Joan MIR | SPA | EG 0,0 Marc VDS | Kalex | 169.3 | +0.036 |
| 3 | 16 | 97 | Xavi VIERGE | SPA | Dynavolt Intact GP | Kalex | 169.3 | +0.949 |
| 4 | 13 | 40 | Augusto FERNANDEZ | SPA | Pons HP40 | Kalex | 169.3 | +0.957 |
| 5 | 11 | 10 | Luca MARINI | ITA | SKY Racing Team VR46 | Kalex | 169.2 | +1.767 |
| 6 | 10 | 77 | Dominique AEGERTER | SWI | Kiefer Racing | KTM | 169.2 | +2.482 |
| 7 | 9 | 73 | Alex MARQUEZ | SPA | EG 0,0 Marc VDS | Kalex | 169.1 | +3.759 |
| 8 | 8 | 2 | Jesko RAFFIN | SWI | SAG Team | Kalex | 169.0 | +4.850 |
| 9 | 7 | 23 | Marcel SCHROTTER | GER | Dynavolt Intact GP | Kalex | 168.9 | +6.250 |
| 10 | 6 | 20 | Fabio QUARTARARO | FRA | MB Conveyors – Speed Up | Speed Up | 168.8 | +7.453 |
| 11 | 5 | 44 | Miguel OLIVEIRA | POR | Red Bull KTM Ajo | KTM | 168.7 | +8.675 |
| 12 | 4 | 42 | Francesco BAGNAIA | ITA | SKY Racing Team VR46 | Kalex | 168.6 | +9.725 |
| 13 | 3 | 45 | Tetsuta NAGASHIMA | JPN | IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia | Kalex | 168.6 | +9.787 |
| 14 | 2 | 22 | Sam LOWES | GBR | Swiss Innovative Investors | KTM | 168.5 | +11.209 |
| 15 | 1 | 57 | Edgar PONS | SPA | MB Conveyors – Speed Up | Speed Up | 168.3 | +14.076 |
| 16 | 89 | Khairul Idham PAWI | MAL | IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia | Kalex | 168.2 | +15.350 | |
| 17 | 4 | Steven ODENDAAL | RSA | NTS RW Racing GP | NTS | 168.2 | +15.396 | |
| 18 | 16 | Joe ROBERTS | USA | NTS RW Racing GP | NTS | 167.7 | +23.230 | |
| 19 | 24 | Simone CORSI | ITA | Tasca Racing Scuderia Moto2 | Kalex | 166.9 | +33.736 | |
| 20 | 5 | Andrea LOCATELLI | ITA | Italtrans Racing Team | Kalex | 166.4 | +42.324 | |
| 21 | 67 | Bryan STARING | AUS | Tech 3 Racing | Tech 3 | 165.7 | +52.297 | |
| 22 | 7 | Lorenzo BALDASSARRI | ITA | Pons HP40 | Kalex | 164.9 | +1’03.888 | |
| Not Classified | ||||||||
| 18 | Xavi CARDELUS | AND | Marinelli Snipers Team | Kalex | 164.1 | 11 Laps | ||
| 87 | Remy GARDNER | AUS | Tech 3 Racing | Tech 3 | 164.6 | 12 Laps | ||
| 9 | Jorge NAVARRO | SPA | Federal Oil Gresini Moto2 | Kalex | 167.2 | 17 Laps | ||
| 27 | Iker LECUONA | SPA | Swiss Innovative Investors | KTM | 168.0 | 19 Laps | ||
| 21 | Federico FULIGNI | ITA | Tasca Racing Scuderia Moto2 | Kalex | 163.8 | 19 Laps | ||
| 95 | Jules DANILO | FRA | Nashi Argan SAG Team | Kalex | 163.7 | 21 Laps | ||
| 32 | Isaac VIÑALES | SPA | Forward Racing Team | Suter | 162.2 | 21 Laps | ||
| 54 | Mattia PASINI | ITA | Italtrans Racing Team | Kalex | 158.7 | 24 Laps | ||
Moto3 Race – 23 laps, 102.304 km
Cross the line within a second of the winner and you might usually think you’d be on the podium. In Australia’s breathtaking opening Moto3 race, you were only just in the points.
Angel Nieto KTM rider Albert Arenas took his second win of the year, at the head of a top 14 covered by a second, and by inches. Almost alongside, and up from 17th on the grid, Del Conca Honda rider Fabio Di Giannantonio. And a sensational third to replacement rider Celestino Vietti (SKY VR46 KTM), in only his second GP.
Importantly for the championship, Jorge Martin (Del Conca Honda) was fifth, behind Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Honda); but closest rival Marco Bezzecchi (Redox KTM) was in tears in his pit box. He’d arrived one point adrift of Martin, and had been one of a number of leaders … only to fall victim to a mistake by another erstwhile leader Gabriel Rodrigo (RBA KTM). It was the second time in three races that Bezzecchi has been taken down by other riders while in line for big points.
With the pack running into the fast corners six or eight abreast, there were inevitably some collisions. As well as the early Bezzecchi/Rodrigo tumble, Tony Arbolino and Denis Foggia fell together at Turn Four; Lorenzo Dalla Porta alone out of second. More worryingly, Jaume Massia was taken out at the very fast Turn Three (Stoner Corner) by team-mate Marcos Ramirez.
Frequent leader Darryn Binder (Red Bull KTM) was 12th.
Martin now leads Bezzecchi by 12 points, on 215 to Bezzecchi’s 203; with Di Giannantonio closing, on 195.
MICHELIN® AUSTRALIAN MOTORCYCLE GRAND PRIX
Moto3 Race Classification 2018
Phillip Island, Sunday, October 28, 2018
| 1 | 25 | 75 | Albert ARENAS | SPA | Angel Nieto Team Moto3 | KTM | 162.3 | 37’48.073 |
| 2 | 20 | 21 | Fabio DI GIANNANTONIO | ITA | Del Conca Gresini Moto3 | Honda | 162.3 | +0.052 |
| 3 | 16 | 31 | Celestino VIETTI | ITA | SKY Racing Team VR46 | KTM | 162.3 | +0.059 |
| 4 | 13 | 24 | Tatsuki SUZUKI | JPN | SIC58 Squadra Corse | Honda | 162.3 | +0.081 |
| 5 | 11 | 88 | Jorge MARTIN | SPA | Del Conca Gresini Moto3 | Honda | 162.3 | +0.099 |
| 6 | 10 | 44 | Aron CANET | SPA | Estrella Galicia 0,0 | Honda | 162.3 | +0.154 |
| 7 | 9 | 7 | Adam NORRODIN | MAL | Petronas Sprinta Racing | Honda | 162.3 | +0.188 |
| 8 | 8 | 33 | Enea BASTIANINI | ITA | Leopard Racing | Honda | 162.3 | +0.235 |
| 9 | 7 | 84 | Jakub KORNFEIL | CZE | Redox PruestelGP | KTM | 162.3 | +0.328 |
| 10 | 6 | 71 | Ayumu SASAKI | JPN | Petronas Sprinta Racing | Honda | 162.3 | +0.406 |
| 11 | 5 | 72 | Alonso LOPEZ | SPA | Estrella Galicia 0,0 | Honda | 162.3 | +0.575 |
| 12 | 4 | 40 | Darryn BINDER | RSA | Red Bull KTM Ajo | KTM | 162.3 | +0.889 |
| 13 | 3 | 16 | Andrea MIGNO | ITA | Angel Nieto Team Moto3 | KTM | 162.3 | +0.987 |
| 14 | 2 | 17 | John MCPHEE | GBR | CIP – Green Power | KTM | 162.3 | +0.989 |
| 15 | 1 | 65 | Philipp OETTL | GER | Sudmetal Schedl GP Racing | KTM | 162.2 | +2.148 |
| 16 | 55 | Yari MONTELLA | ITA | SIC58 Squadra Corse | Honda | 159.9 | +34.700 | |
| 17 | 81 | Stefano NEPA | ITA | CIP – Green Power | KTM | 159.9 | +34.969 | |
| 18 | 41 | Nakarin ATIRATPHUVAPAT | THA | Honda Team Asia | Honda | 159.6 | +39.367 | |
| 19 | 27 | Kaito TOBA | JPN | Honda Team Asia | Honda | 159.0 | +48.054 | |
| 20 | 77 | Vicente PEREZ | SPA | Reale Avintia Academy 77 | KTM | 158.9 | +48.970 | |
| Not Classified | ||||||||
| 14 | Tony ARBOLINO | ITA | Marinelli Snipers Team | Honda | 162.5 | 2 Laps | ||
| 10 | Dennis FOGGIA | ITA | SKY Racing Team VR46 | KTM | 162.5 | 2 Laps | ||
| 42 | Marcos RAMIREZ | SPA | Bester Capital Dubai | KTM | 162.5 | 10 Laps | ||
| 5 | Jaume MASIA | SPA | Bester Capital Dubai | KTM | 162.5 | 10 Laps | ||
| 48 | Lorenzo DALLA PORTA | ITA | Leopard Racing | Honda | 162.6 | 11 Laps | ||
| 12 | Marco BEZZECCHI | ITA | Redox PruestelGP | KTM | 162.6 | 13 Laps | ||
| 19 | Gabriel RODRIGO | ARG | RBA BOE Skull Rider | KTM | 162.5 | 13 Laps | ||
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