The 14-lap Moto3 race kicked off Sunday’s grand prix proceedings and was a thriller down to the wire.
Angeluss MTA rider Ivan Ortola took the chequered flag to score his maiden Moto3 victory after the 18-year-old Spaniard survived a massive scare going through Turn 2 on the opening lap.
As Intact GP Husqvarna rider Ayumu Sasaki took the lead from Leopard Honda poleman Jaume Masia, Ortola touched the kerb on the way into the Turn 2 right-hander and was almost thrown from his KTM.
Completing the first lap in 18th, Ortola began a stunning charge that saw him move into the lead at Turn 12 on the final tour when MT Helmets KTM rider Diogo Moreira ran wide.
Ortola held firm through the final few corners to score the first win for both himself in Moto3 and the Angeluss MTA team.
Ivan Ortola, Angeluss MTA Team
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
He beat Masia by 0.457s, who briefly held the lead in the latter stages before being forced off track at Turn 13 when Sasaki crashed out of first on lap 12.
Masia was dropped 1.5s adrift of the race lead, but fought through to snatch second at the final corner from Prustel GP’s Xavi Artigas.
Moreira was denied a podium by 0.009s after being passed by Masia and Artigas at the last corner, with Tech3 KTM’s Dani Holgado and Ajo KTM rider Deniz Oncu rounding out the top six.
The top 10 was completed by CIP KTM’s David Salvador, Aspar GASGAS duo David Alonso and Ryusei Yamanaka and Ajo’s Jose Antonio Rueda.
Sasaki re-joined after his crash but pulled into pitlane shortly after.
Holgado now leads the championship joint on 49 points from Moreira, with Artigas 17 points adrift.
Moto3 results
Ajo KTM’s Pedro Acosta registered his second win of the 2023 Moto2 season after overtaking Marc VDS’ Tony Arbolino on the last lap.
Acosta got the holeshot from second on the grid, but found himself overtaken by Speed Up’s Alonso Lopez with a daring move at Turn 2 on the opening lap.
The Ajo rider quickly deposed Arbolino and led the field for the opening few tours, but the Spaniard would drop to fourth when he hit a false neutral at Turn 12.
Regrouping from this, Acosta would join Arbolino in breaking away from the pack as the pair ran line astern for much of the second half of the grand prix.
Acosta made his decisive move for the lead at Turn 12 on the last lap and fended off the Marc VDS rider to get to the chequered flag first.
Tony Arbolino, Marc VDS Racing Team
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Bo Bendsneyder scored his first Moto2 podium for the SAG Team in thirdm beating Gresini duo Jeremy Alcoba and Filip Salac.
Speed Up duo Fermin Aldeguer and Alonso Lopez followed, with Pons’ Aron Canet, poleman Celestino Vietti (Fantic Racing) and Yamaha VR46 Master Camp’s Manuel Gonzales.
Aspar’s Jake Dixon was due to start from sixth, but crashed on the warm-up lap.
Arbolino continues to lead the championship, with Acosta seven points adrift.
