Misano Moto2: Fernandez resists teammate Gardner to win

Fernandez fractured his right wrist prior to last week’s Aragon GP, but has taken a maximum of 25 points from both events after holding firm at Misano to keep his title hopes alive.

Fernandez converted pole to the holeshot from Sam Lowes and Marco Bezzecchi at the start of the 25-lap race, though would succumb to Lowes’ advances into the Tramonto right-hander later in the lap.

Aspar rider Aron Canet found a way through on Fernandez at the Carro hairpin on lap four to begin the chase on race leader Lowes, whose advantage at the front had grown to six tenths.

Canet chipped away at the Marc VDS rider’s lead over the new few tours and capitalised on an error for Lowes at Carro to take the lead on the eighth lap.

Fernandez then punished Lowes further by demoting him to third at the first corner, while the sister Ajo Kalex of Remy Gardner began to close in on the leaders in fourth.

The leading quartet ran line astern by lap 14, with Canet holding sway over Fernandez, Lowes and Gardner.

But Fernandez launched his Ajo Kalex up the inside of Canet into Turn 1 at the start of the next tour to retake the lead, as Lowes dropped behind Gardner at the same section of track two laps later.

Now in clear air, Fernandez upped his pace and tested the chasing Canet, with the Aspar rider unable to go with the Ajo rider.

With three laps to go Fernandez’s lead grew to over seven tenths, while Gardner scythed through on Canet on the inside of Turn 2 to move into second.

Gardner was able to break Canet’s resolve and slashed into teammate Fernandez’s lead, the gap standing at just four tenths after the first sector of the final lap.

The Australian continued to close in on Fernandez through sectors two and three, but a big moment going through the fast Curvone right put paid to Gardner’s victory hopes, leaving Fernandez to claim his sixth win of the campaign.

Gardner held onto second ahead of Canet, while Lowes dropped off the podium battle in the latter stages in fourth.

Marc Bezzecchi’s championship charge looks all but over now after the VR46 rider ended his home race fifth, his gap in the standings now 82 points.

Augusto Fernandez couldn’t convert a front row start into a podium charge, the Marc VDS rider sixth at the chequered flag ahead of Honda Team Asia’s Ai Ogura, Petronas Sprinta’s Xavi Vierge, Gresini’s Fabio Di Giannantonio and VR46 rider Celestino Vietti.

Raul Fernandez has taken another five points out of teammate Gardner to get his championship disadvantage down to 34 points with four races remaining.

Misano Moto2 - Race results:

Cla	#	Rider	Bike	Gap
1	25	Raúl Fernández	Kalex
2	87	Remy Gardner	Kalex	0.402
3	44	Arón Canet	Boscoscuro B-21	0.569
4	22	Sam Lowes	Kalex	1.578
5	72	Marco Bezzecchi	Kalex	4.920
6	37	Augusto Fernandez	Kalex	5.361
7	79	Ai Ogura	Kalex	6.236
8	97	Xavi Vierge	Kalex	7.468
9	21	Fabio Di Giannantonio	Kalex	7.562
10	13	Celestino Vietti Ramus	Kalex	13.230
11	12	Thomas Luthi	Kalex	15.596
12	23	Marcel Schrotter	Kalex	16.172
13	9	Jorge Navarro	Boscoscuro B-21	20.234
14	42	Marcos Ramirez	Kalex	22.819
15	14	Tony Arbolino	Kalex	23.015
16	62	Stefano Manzi	Kalex	26.152
17	11	Nicolo Bulega	Kalex	26.987
18	55	Hafizh Syahrin	NTS	27.231
19	96	Jake Dixon	Kalex	28.150
20	40	Hector Garzo	Kalex	28.526
21	6	Cameron Beaubier	Kalex	29.864
22	75	Albert Arenas	Boscoscuro B-21	33.140
23	16	Joe Roberts	Kalex	36.098
24	7	Lorenzo Baldassarri	MV Agusta	43.861
25	64	Bo Bendsneyder	Kalex	47.329
	35	Somkiat Chantra	Kalex
	19	Lorenzo Dalla Porta	Kalex
	70	Barry Baltus	NTS
	5	Yari Montella	Boscoscuro B-21
	24	Simone Corsi	MV Agusta
View full results