Maverick Vinales (above) claimed victory and Moto 3 World Championship at the Valencia Grand Prix on Sunday ahead of Jonas Folger and Alex Rins.
Nicolas Terol took a great victory at his home race in Moto2, with team-mate Jordi Torres second and Johann Zarco third, after a photo finish with Simone Corsi.
New Moto2 World Champion Pol Espargaro crashed out on lap eight when leading comfortably and he eventually finished in 29th position. Meanwhile Marc VDS Racing Team’s Scott Redding clinched second in the standings, finishing 15th in the race, riding through the pain barrier with his injured wrist.
Moto3
With only a few points separating the front row starters of Vinales (Team Calvo (KTM), Alex Rins (Estrella Galicia 0,0 (KTM) and Luis Salom (Red Bull KTM Ajo), it was always going to be a tense, nail-biting race, while Jonas Folger and Jack Miller held on to make a leading pack of five.
The three riders stayed locked together sharing the lead until lap 10, when Salom who was leading the championship coming into the final race had his hopes dashed, crashing out of third place leaving Vinales and Rins to battle it out. Salom rejoined the race finishing in the points in 14th position.
Jack Miller, who looked a strong podium contender tumbled out of fourth place in the closing stages leaving Rins, Vinales and Folger clear at the front.
On the final corner of the last lap Rins made his move for the lead, touching Vinales on the way past.
Rins was unable to hold his line and Vinales retook the lead and was able to hold it over the line.
Rins last corner mistake allowed Jonas Folger (Mapfre Aspar Team Moto3) to finish second.
Moto3 Results
1. Maverick Vinales SPA Team Calvo (KTM) 40m 12.463s
2. Jonas Folger GER Mapfre Aspar Team Moto3 (Kalex KTM) 40m 12.649s
3. Alex Rins SPA Estrella Galicia 0,0 (KTM) 40m 12.650s
4. Alex Marquez SPA Estrella Galicia 0,0 (KTM) 40m 26.129s
5. Efren Vazquez SPA Mahindra Racing (Mahindra) 40m 26.171s
6. Alexis Masbou FRA Ongetta-Rivacold (FTR Honda) 40m 41.050s
7. Isaac Vinales SPA Ongetta-Centro Seta (FTR Honda) 40m 41.239s
8. Ana Carrasco SPA Team Calvo (KTM) 40m 41.257s
9. Philipp Oettl GER Interwetten Paddock Moto3 (Kalex KTM) 40m 41.416s
10. Miguel Oliveira POR Mahindra Racing (Mahindra) 40m 41.648s
11. Romano Fenati ITA San Carlo Team Italia (FTR Honda) 40m 41.810s
12. Brad Binder RSA Ambrogio Racing (Mahindra) 40m 41.970s
13. Zulfahmi Khairuddin MAL Red Bull KTM Ajo (KTM) 40m 43.129s
14. Luis Salom SPA Red Bull KTM Ajo (KTM) 40m 46.616s
15. Matteo Ferrari ITA Ongetta-Centro Seta (FTR Honda) 40m 49.981s
16. Jakub Kornfeil CZE Redox RW Racing GP (Kalex KTM) 40m 50.519s
17. Eric Granado BRA Mapfre Aspar Team Moto3 (Kalex KTM) 40m 50.950s
18. Arthur Sissis AUS Red Bull KTM Ajo (KTM) 40m 54.826s
19. Hyuga Watanabe JPN La Fonte Tascaracing (FTR Honda) 40m 55.082s
20. Lorenzo Baldassarri ITA GO&FUN Gresini Moto3 (FTR Honda) 40m 56.353s
21. Jasper Iwema NED RW Racing GP (Kalex KTM) 40m 57.083s
22. Jorge Navarro SPA Cuna de Campeones (MIR Honda) 41m 10.612s
23. Juanfran Guevara SPA CIP Moto3 (TSR Honda) 41m 25.048s
24. Toni Finsterbusch GER Kiefer Racing (Kalex KTM) 41m 25.830s
25. Hafiq Azmi MAL La Fonte Tascaracing (FTR Honda) 41m 25.924s
26. Florian Alt GER Kiefer Racing (Kalex KTM) 41m 27.723s
27. Niccolo Antonelli ITA GO&FUN Gresini Moto3 (FTR Honda) 40m 20.356s
Moto 2
Nicolas Terol clinched his third win of the season by a clear four second margin, taking full advantage of Espargaro’s error. The race winner’s colleague Torres made it a great day for the Aspar Team Moto2 team, coming home second after overtaking NGM Mobile Racing’s Corsi with five laps to go.
There was more disappointment for Corsi as he was beaten to the line by French Came IodaRacing Project man Zarco by just 0.001s.
Esteve Rabat (Tuenti HP 40), Alex de Angelis (NGM Mobile Forward Racing), Thomas Luthi (Interwetten Paddock Moto2 Racing), Anthony West (QMMF Racing Team), Mattia Pasini (NGM Mobile Racing) and Dominique Aegerter (Technomag carXpert) all finished in the top ten.
Hafizh Syahrin, a wild card rider for Petronas Raceline Malaysia, crashed out early in the race, as did Rafid Topan Sucipto (QMMF Racing Team). Japanese rider Kohta Nozane, a JIR Moto2 substitute, also suffered a DNF, but all riders were uninjured in the final race of the Moto2 season.
Moto2 Results
1. Nicolas Terol SPA Aspar Team Moto2 (Suter) 43m 24.972s
2. Jordi Torres SPA Aspar Team Moto2 (Suter) 43m 29.019s
3. Johann Zarco FRA Came Iodaracing Project (Suter) 43m 30.965s
4. Simone Corsi ITA NGM Mobile Racing (Speed Up) 43m 30.966s
5. Esteve Rabat SPA Tuenti HP 40 (Kalex) 43m 33.288s
6. Alex De Angelis RSM NGM Mobile Forward Racing (Speed Up) 43m 35.568s
7. Thomas Luthi SWI Interwetten Paddock Moto2 (Suter) 43m 36.191s
8. Anthony West AUS QMMF Racing Team (Speed Up) 43m 37.306s
9. Mattia Pasini ITA NGM Mobile Racing (Speed Up) 43m 38.355s
10. Dominique Aegerter SWI Technomag carXpert (Suter) 43m 39.581s
11. Julian Simon SPA Italtrans Racing Team (Kalex) 43m 39.777s
12. Xavier Simeon BEL Maptaq SAG Zelos Team (Kalex) 43m 43.140s
13. Takaaki Nakagami JPN Italtrans Racing Team (Kalex) 43m 43.764s
14. Mika Kallio FIN Marc VDS Racing Team (Kalex) 43m 48.527s
15. Scott Redding GBR Marc VDS Racing Team (Kalex) 43m 52.451s
16. Sandro Cortese GER Dynavolt Intact GP (Kalex) 43m 59.993s
17. Franco Morbidelli ITA Thai Honda PTT Gresini Moto2 (Suter) 44m 0.286s
18. Marcel Schrotter GER Maptaq SAG Zelos Team (Kalex) 44m 0.295s
19. Gino Rea GBR Gino Rea Montaze Broz Racing (FTR) 44m 0.377s
20. Axel Pons SPA Tuenti HP 40 (Kalex) 44m 0.392s
21. Randy Krummenache SWI Technomag carXpert (Suter) 44m 1.344s
22. Ricard Cardus SPA NGM Mobile Forward Racing (Speed Up) 44m 6.512s
23. Louis Rossi FRA Tech 3 (Tech 3) 44m 8.427s
24. Lucas Mahias FRA Tech 3 (Tech 3) 44m 15.482s
25. Azlan Shah MAL IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia (Moriwaki) 44m 29.563s
26. Steven Odendaal RSA Argiñano & Gines Racing (Speed Up) 44m 29.639s
27. Doni Tata Pradita INA Federal Oil Gresini Moto2 (Suter) 44m 30.042s
28. Alberto Moncayo SPA Argiñano & Gines Racing (Speed Up) 44m 49.340s
29. Pol Espargaro SPA Tuenti HP 40 (Kalex) 44m 58.237s
30. Ezequiel Iturrioz ARG Blusens Avintia (Kalex) 1 lap
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