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Edition

Australia

Misano Moto3: Fenati delivers first win for Husqvarna

Romano Fenati snatched his first Moto3 win in a year in the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at the scene of the controversial Moto2 incident which stalled his career in 2018.

Romano Fenati, Max Racing Team

Romano Fenati, Max Racing Team

Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Fenati was banned from grand prix racing and lost his Snipers Moto2 and MV Agusta ride for 2019 in the class when he grabbed Stefano Manzi’s brake lever at Misano two years ago.

Thrown a lifeline by Snipers to return to Moto3 last year, Fenati joined Max Biaggi’s squad for this season – though has largely struggled for form on the Husqvarna-badged KTM.

Tony Arbolino grabbed the holeshot from second the grid on his Snipers Honda, though poleman Raul Fernandez would demote him through Turn 5.

Albert Arenas carved around the outside of Arbolino at the fast Curvone right-hander for second, before grabbing the lead from Ajo KTM’s Fernandez at the same corner three tours later. 

The Aspar rider’s stint in the lead would last until lap seven, when Celestino Vietti muscled his VR46 KTM ahead at Curvone.

Vietti defended his lead through to lap 17, when Jaume Masia on the Leopard Honda came through at the Quercia left-hander at Turn 8 – with the VR46 rider lucky to stay mounted when Gresini’s Gabriel Rodrigo clattered into the rear of his KTM.

He quickly regrouped from this, however, with both Vietti and Arenas scything past Masia at Curvone.

Masia moved back into the lead at Turn 2 on the penultimate lap, though a dive from Arenas into Turn 4 broke up the opening pack and allowed Vietti to sneak back through into first

Arenas made a move on the lead stick at the Tramonto right-hander at Turn 10, but was carved up through Curvone as Masia launched a daring raid to jump from third to first – with Fenati seizing the opportunity to jump into third. 

Vietti immediately tried to retaliate at the Carro hairpin at Turn 14, but got crossed up on the way in and forced Masia wide, with Fenati grabbing the lead as a result.

Fenati kept it clean through the final corner to fend off Vietti by 0.036 seconds to score his first win since last year’s Austrian round and the 12th of his career, making him the most successful Moto3 rider in terms of victories. 

Vietti held second from Honda Team Asia’s Ai Ogura, who came from 12th on the grid, with Arenas shoved back to fourth amid the chaos of the final lap – his championship lead cut to just two points over the Japanese rider.

Masia completed the top five ahead of Fernandez and Tech 3’s Deniz Oncu, with VR46’s Andrea Migno, the second Honda Team Asia bike of Kaito Toba and Petronas Sprinta’s John McPhee rounding out the top 10. 

McPhee was involved the podium battle having started 20th, but was punted wide by Gresini’s Jeremy Alcoba at Turn 4 on the penultimate lap and lost touch. He holds third in the standings, but is now 21 points behind Arenas.

Darryn Binder once again crashed out of the podium battle, when he was flicked from his CIP machine at the first corner on lap 19. 

Race results: 

Cla # Rider Bike Time
1 55 Italy Romano Fenati
Husqvarna 39'30.124
2 13 Italy Celestino Vietti Ramus
KTM 39'30.160
3 79 Japan Ai Ogura
Honda 39'30.245
4 75 Spain Albert Arenas
KTM 39'30.323
5 5 Spain Jaume Masia
Honda 39'30.404
6 25 Spain Raúl Fernández
KTM 39'30.563
7 53 Turkey Deniz Öncü
KTM 39'30.802
8 16 Italy Andrea Migno
KTM 39'30.915
9 27 Japan Kaito Toba
KTM 39'31.063
10 17 United Kingdom John McPhee
Honda 39'31.249
11 14 Italy Tony Arbolino
Honda 39'31.576
12 2 Argentina Gabriel Rodrigo
Honda 39'31.811
13 52 Spain Jeremy Alcoba
Honda 39'34.455
14 71 Japan Ayumu Sasaki
KTM 39'36.049
15 82 Italy Stefano Nepa
KTM 39'36.289
16 12 Czech Republic Filip Salač
Honda 39'36.373
17 11 Spain Sergio García
Honda 39'37.291
18 23 Italy Niccolo Antonelli
Honda 39'42.838
19 99 Spain Carlos Tatay
KTM 39'48.169
20 6 Japan Ryusei Yamanaka
Honda 39'50.308
21 54 Italy Riccardo Rossi
KTM 39'50.622
22 70 Belgium Barry Baltus
KTM 39'50.415
23 50 Switzerland Jason Dupasquier
KTM 39'50.679
24 89 Malaysia Khairul Idham Pawi
Honda 39'55.091
25 92 Japan Yuki Kunii
Honda 39'55.388
26 9 Italy Davide Pizzoli
KTM 39'57.283
27 73 Austria Maximilian Kofler
KTM 39'57.972
40 South Africa Darryn Binder
KTM 30'54.686
7 Italy Dennis Foggia
Honda 17'12.976
21 Spain Alonso López
Husqvarna 13'50.558

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Edition

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