Jerez Moto3: KTM rookie Acosta scores third straight win

Ajo KTM rider Acosta has become the first grand prix rookie in history to score four podiums from their first four races, after riding a perfect final lap to claim his third-straight win to pull out a commanding 51-point lead in the championship.

Poleman Tatsuki Suzuki grabbed the holeshot off the line from the Snipers Honda of Andrea Migno and Gabriel Rodrigo on the Gresini Honda.

Rodrigo and Suzuki engaged over the lead on lap two, with the former making a move stick at the Peluqui right-hander and was able to put a few bike lengths between himself and the SIC58 Honda.

But the Gresini rider’s charge ended on lap five when he highsided out of the race at the Turn 7 left-hander – the second big crash there after Petronas Sprinta’s John McPhee was flung from his Honda on the opening lap to leave his title hopes in tatters.

Rodrigo’s exit promoted Tech 3 KTM’s Deniz Oncu to the lead, though he would briefly drop behind Migno after running wide on the way into the final corner at the end of the fifth lap.

The Turkish rider returned to the lead a corner later, while behind championship leader Acosta ghosted his way into the podium places having started 13th.

And on lap eight Acosta moved ahead of Oncu at the Pedrosa right-hander, though Oncu would be back at the head of the pack by lap 10.

In typical Moto3 fashion, the battle for victory turned chaotic in the closing stages, with Oncu, Acosta and Max Racing’s Romano Fenati on the Husqvarna all hitting the front.

Oncu led the field at the start of the penultimate lap, leading a Red Bull KTM 1-2-3 ahead of the Ajo pair of Acosta and Jaume Masia.

Masia tried to go around the outside of Oncu into the Pedrosa corner, but the Turkish rider defended the position.

That duo was able to break away slightly as Acosta almost highsided out of third, dropping him behind Fenati who had to check up slightly.

But Acosta got back on terms with Masia and Oncu ahead onto the final lap and pulled of a stunning double overtake on the brakes into the Pedrosa corner to take the lead.

Acosta had his KTM stablemates of Masia and Oncu all over him on the run through the final sector, but the 16-year-old held a tight defensive line into the last turn to maintain his lead through to the chequered flag.

With the door to the lead shut, Oncu came into the last corner too hot and tucked the front, wiping out a furious Masia and compounding Petronas Sprinta’s miserable day by taking down Darryn Binder too.

This allowed Fenati to secure his first podium of the season in second, while Jeremy Alcoba on the remaining Gresini Honda completed the rostrum having had to serve two long lap penalties.

Migno was fourth ahead of Ayumu Sasaki on the other Tech 3 KTM and Avintia’s Carlos Tatay, with Prustel GP’s Jason Dupasquier, Niccolo Antonelli (Avintia), Leopard’s Xavi Artigas and Prustel’s Ryusei Yamanaka completing the top 10.

Early leader Suzuki’s hopes of a podium ended on lap 13 when he crashed at Turn 2. 

Race results:

Cla	#	Rider	Bike	Gap
1	37	Pedro Acosta	KTM
2	55	Romano Fenati	Husqvarna	0.417
3	52	Jeremy Alcoba	Honda	0.527
4	16	Andrea Migno	Honda	0.548
5	71	Ayumu Sasaki	KTM	0.971
6	99	Carlos Tatay	KTM	0.997
7	50	Jason Dupasquier	KTM	1.043
8	23	Niccolo Antonelli	KTM	1.144
9	43	Xavier Artigas	Honda	1.383
10	6	Ryusei Yamanaka	KTM	1.596
11	28	Izan Guevara	GASGAS	3.986
12	12	Filip Salač	Honda	4.389
13	11	Sergio García	GASGAS	5.191
14	92	Yuki Kunii	Honda	7.204
15	82	Stefano Nepa	KTM	8.194
16	27	Kaito Toba	KTM	12.822
17	54	Riccardo Rossi	KTM	12.869
18	19	Andi Gilang	Honda	12.990
19	73	Maximilian Kofler	KTM	17.318
20	53	Deniz Öncü	KTM	18.162
21	5	Jaume Masia	KTM	19.439
22	40	Darryn Binder	Honda	25.337
23	20	Lorenzo Fellon	Honda	32.323
24	31	Adrian Fernandez	Husqvarna	46.228
	7	Dennis Foggia	Honda
	24	Tatsuki Suzuki	Honda
	2	Gabriel Rodrigo	Honda
	17	John McPhee	Honda
View full results