Fermin Aldeguer came out on top of a superb duel with Aron Canet to win the Moto2 Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island on Sunday.
A fast-paced battle between the pair over the second half of the race reached its crescendo with two changes of lead on the last lap.
Canet (Fantic Racing) took SpeedUp’s Aldeguer at Miller, only for the latter to respond in forceful style with an outbraking move at MG. Neither rider wanted to give an inch as both almost ran off the track on the exit, but Aldeguer made the move stick.
Alonso Lopez (SpeedUp) ran with Canet and Aldeguer before dropping off the pace beyond half-distance. He was being caught for third by Senna Agius (Intact GP) when he fell with two laps remaining.
This allowed Australia’s Agius to claim a podium result at home.
Ai Ogura could only manage fourth place for MT Helmet-MSi, meaning the Japanese rider will have to wait until at least next weekend’s Thai Grand Prix to seal the world championship title that had been a mathematical possibility in Australia.
Diogo Moreira of Italtrans and Gresini Moto2’s Manuel Gonzalez – who had to serve a long lap penalty and thus fell out of the lead group early – were fifth and sixth respectively.
Barry Baltus (RW-Idrofoglia) and Tony Arbolino (VDS) came home seventh and eighth, with Sergio Garcia (MT Helmets-MSI) recovering from 16th on the starting grid to finish ninth.
Marcos Ramirez rounded out the top 10 for American Racing Team.
Moto2 Australian GP — Race results:
Alonso’s impressive run in Moto3 continues
David Alonso, CFMOTO Aspar Team
Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images
Earlier, David Alonso made a trademark late break from a multi-bike battle for the lead to score a comfortable win in the Australian Grand Prix Moto3 race.
The Aspar rider, who sealed the world championship title at the Japanese Grand Prix two weeks ago, was almost three seconds to the good after splitting from the 15-rider pack with three laps remaining.
That left David Munoz (BOE Motorsports), Adrian Fernandez (Leopard Racing) and Daniel Holgado (Tech3) to fight it out over second place, with Stefano Nepa (Levelup-MTA) joining that dice over the course of the final lap.
This squabble was settled in Holgado’s favour on the run to the line, with Fernandez completing the podium ahead of Nepa and Munoz.
With his rivals Collin Veijer (Intact GP) and Ivan Ortola (MT Helmets-MSi) both falling after Veijer lost control on lap 12, second place was an ideal result for Holgado in his bid for second place in the championship.
As Veijer and Ortola failed to score, Holgado emerged in a secure second place on the points table, 23 points ahead of Veijer and 41 clear of Ortola.
Ryusei Yamanaka (Mti Helmets-MSi) led the group disputing sixth place over the line. His Japanese countryman Taiyo Furosata (Honda Team Asia) followed him home.
Also finishing within a second of Furosata were Luca Lunetta (SIC58), Jose Antonio Rueda (Ajo) and Angel Piqueras (Leopard Racing).
Moto3 Australian GP — Race results:
| 1 |
D. Alonso CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team |
80 | CF MOTO | 21 | 165.6 | 25 | ||||
| 2 |  D. Holgado Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 |
96 | GASGAS | 21 | 2.936 | 165.4 | 20 | |||
| 3 |  A. Fernandez Leopard Racing |
31 | Honda | 21 | 0.003 | 165.4 | 16 | |||
| 4 |  S. Nepa LEVELUP — MTA |
82 | KTM | 21 | 0.018 | 165.4 | 13 | |||
| 5 | D. Munoz BOE Motorsports |
64 | KTM | 21 | 0.015 | 165.4 | 11 | |||
| 6 |  R. Yamanaka MT Helmets — MSI |
6 | KTM | 21 | 0.405 | 165.4 | 10 | |||
| 7 | T. Furusato Honda Team Asia |
72 | Honda | 21 | 0.026 | 165.4 | 9 | |||
| 8 |
L. Lunetta SIC58 Squadra Corse |
58 | Honda | 21 | 0.483 | 165.3 | 8 | |||
| 9 |
J. Antonio Red Bull KTM Factory Racing |
99 | KTM | 21 | 0.022 | 165.3 | 7 | |||
| 10 |
Á. Piqueras Leopard Racing |
36 | Honda | 21 | 0.035 | 165.3 | 6 | |||
| 11 |  J. Kelso BOE Motorsports |
66 | KTM | 21 | 0.506 | 165.3 | 5 | |||
| 12 | R. Rossi CIP |
54 | KTM | 21 | 0.025 | 165.3 | 4 | |||
| 13 |
J. Roulstone Red Bull GASGAS Tech3 |
12 | GASGAS | 21 | 0.004 | 165.3 | 3 | |||
| 14 | M. Bertelle Kopron Rivacold Snipers Team |
18 | Honda | 21 | 0.586 | 165.2 | 2 | |||
| 15 | T. Suzuki Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP |
24 | Husqvarna | 21 | 7.382 | 164.6 | 1 | |||
| 16 |
J. Esteban CFMOTO Gaviota Aspar Team |
78 | CF MOTO | 21 | 18.132 | 163.2 | ||||
| 17 |
X. Zurutuza Red Bull KTM Factory Racing |
85 | KTM | 21 | 0.033 | 163.2 | ||||
| 18 |
C. Veijer Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP |
95 | Husqvarna | 21 | 8.699 | 162.5 | ||||
| 19 |
E. O’Shea FleetSafe Honda — MLav Racing |
8 | Honda | 21 | 0.615 | 162.4 | ||||
| 20 |
T. Buasri Honda Team Asia |
5 | Honda | 21 | 10.970 | 161.6 | ||||
| 21 |
N. Dettwiler CIP |
55 | KTM | 21 | 0.012 | 161.6 | ||||
| 22 |  S. Ogden FleetSafe Honda — MLav Racing |
19 | Honda | 20 | 1 Lap | 154.8 | ||||
| dnf |
I. Ortola MT Helmets — MSI |
48 | KTM | 11 | 9 Laps | 165.1 | Retirement | |||
| dnf |
D. Almansa Kopron Rivacold Snipers Team |
22 | Honda | 11 | 2’59.806 | 141.3 | Retirement | |||
| dnf |
N. Fabio LEVELUP — MTA |
10 | KTM | 6 | 5 Laps | 163.5 | Accident | |||
| dnf |
F. Farioli SIC58 Squadra Corse |
7 | Honda | 3 | 3 Laps | 161.6 | Accident |