Moto2 Aragon: Success for Lowes, Morbidelli on the podium

GP Motorland Aragon Moto2 Race – Sam Lowes dominated the Moto2 class Aragon Grand Prix, winning the race ahead of the Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 Marc VDS duo of Alex Marquez (first podium in Moto2) and our own Franco Morbidelli.

After obtaining pole position, the Team Gresini driver drove with great determination and achieved his second victory of the season after that in Jerez, also in Spain.

From a world championship perspective, Alex Rins finished ahead of Johann Zarco, but the Frenchman still maintains a one-point advantage, 202 points against Rins' 201, when there are still 100 points up for grabs, four races.

For the Italians also scoring points were Lorenzo Baldassarri seventh, Simone Corsi ninth and Mattia Pasini twelfth.

Race report

The riders of the Moto2 class are ready to compete in the Aragon Grand Prix, the fourteenth stage of the 2016 world championship. Sam Lowes will start from pole position and will be joined on the front row by Alex Marquez and Takaaki Nakagami. Second row for Jonas Folger, Johann Zarco (leader of the standings) and for our Lorenzo Baldassarri. Third row for Thomas Luthi, Franco Morbidelli and Axel Pons. Mattia Pasini and Simone Corsi will start from the fourth row, while Alex Rins, who trails Zarco in the championship by three points, is thirteenth (fifth row). Ninth row for Luca Marini. All ready, 21 laps to go for 106.638 km. The traffic lights go out, the fastest at the start is Lowes, who however is passed by Marquez. The Briton isn't up for it and attacks the Spaniard to regain the lead of the race.

The first lap ends with Lowes ahead of Marquez, Baldassarri, Nakagami, Folger, Zarco, Luthi, Morbidelli, Corsi, Rins, Cortese and Pasini. Double overtaking by Luthi, who moves into fifth position. The second lap sees Lowes ahead of Marquez, Baldassarri, Nakagami, Luthi, Folger, Rins, Zarco, Morbidelli, Corsi and Pasini. Fast lap by Lowes, 1:53.746. Zarco loses positions again, having been passed by Morbidelli and Corsi.

The third lap still sees Lowes in the lead, with Marquez ahead of Luthi, with the latter again author of a double overtaking. Rins is going strong, wanting to take advantage of Zarco's unexpected difficulties. The Team Pons driver with a series of overtaking moves close to the leaders, while Morbidelli sets the fastest lap with 1:53.672. Rins passes Baldassarri, with the Misano winner now seventh.

In front Lowes tries to escape, but Alex Marquez doesn't give up, while Luthi, third, is further behind. Nakagami and Morbidelli are in fourth and fifth positions, while Rins is threatened by Baldassarri, with Corsi slightly further behind. The Team Forward rider attacks, who passes the Spaniard, with the latter now threatened by Corsi; the Roman from Speed ​​Up managed to "mend" the gap, while Zarco is tenth, almost nine seconds from the top.

We have now reached the halfway point of the race, Lowes has increased his lead over Alex Marquez to over two seconds, followed by Luthi, Nakagami, Morbidelli, Baldassarri, Rins, Corsi, Folger, Zarco and Pasini. The battle for sixth position involves Rins, Baldassarri, Corsi, Folger and now also Zarco, who has returned to the group. Meanwhile, Morbidelli passed Nakagami up front, moving into fourth position. Team Estrella Galicia 0,0 rider Marc VDS "sees" Luthi, the podium is not that far away.

Morbidelli attacks, moving into third place with seven laps to go. The #21 is lapping faster than his team-mate Alex Marquez by around half a second. At this rate, in a few laps he will be tied to #73. Behind Rins he has to watch out for Baldassarri's attacks, who is in turn threatened by Zarco. If the race ended now, Zarco would still have a one-point advantage over Rins, who was 3 points behind before the start.

Three laps to go, it's an open fight between Rins and Baldassarri, with the Italian passing the Spaniard after two attempts. Rins responds, while Lowes is approaching his second victory after the one in Jerez.

The final lap begins, Lowes wins ahead of Alex Marquez and Morbidelli. Rins is sixth ahead of Baldassarri, Zarco and Corsi.