Moto2 Barcelona: Zarco wins and extends his lead in the standings, Rins and Rabat on the podium

Moto2 2015 GP Catalunya – Masterpiece race for Johann Zarco, who first let his rivals let off steam and then attacked on the last lap to win the Moto2 class Catalan Grand Prix. The Team Ajo Motorsport driver, taking his second victory of the season after the one in Rio Hondo, preceded the Spaniards Alex Rins and Esteve Rabat. Once he climbed onto the protective tires, he celebrated once again with a backward somersault. He now leads the world rankings with 134 points against Esteve Rabat's 94. Lowes is third with 80 points. The best of the Italians in the race was Franco Morbidelli, eighth and seventh in the world rankings with 62.

Race report

Appointment with the Moto2 class on the Montmelò circuit just outside Barcelona. After the success in the Moto3 class went to Danny Kent, the riders of the middle class are ready to contest the seventh stage of the 2015 world championship. In pole position we find the world championship leader Johann Zarco, who in qualifying had stopped the clock at a time of 1 '45.895. The Team Ajo Motorsport driver will share the front row with the German Jonas Folger and the reigning champion Esteve “Tito”Rabat.

Second row for the Swiss Dominique Aegerter, for the British Speed ​​Up Sam Lowes and for Luis Salom, rider of Team Pons. The latter's team-mate Alex Rins will open the third row, preceding the Roman Simone Corsi and the German Sandro Cortese. Alex Marquez, 2014 Moto3 champion and brother of Marc, reigning MotoGP champion, will instead start from the fourth row, twelfth fastest. The other Italians on the grid are Lorenzo Baldassarri (fifth row) and Franco Morbidelli (eighth row). All ready, twenty-three laps to go for 108.721 km. The traffic lights go out, the fastest at the start is Esteve Rabat, who started ahead of the Speed ​​Up of Sam Lowes, Jonas Folger, Dominique Aegerter, Luis Salom, Johann Zarco and Alex Rins. Forehand from Folger, who loses many positions at the first variation.

Triple fall! Out Xavier Simeon, Axel Pons and Sandro Cortese. The first lap ends with Rabat in the lead ahead of Lowes, while world championship leader Johann Zarco is fifth. Eighth, ninth and tenth position for our Simone Corsi, Lorenzo Baldassarri and Franco Morbidelli. It's an immediate fight between the reigning champion and Lowes, who takes the lead at the first corner of the second lap.

Luca Boscoscuro's Factory rider tries to get ahead, but Rabat, Aegerter, Rins and Zarco don't give up. On the fourth lap Rabat attacks the Briton and takes the lead again. The three Italians are always fighting for eighth position.

Alex Rins is doing very well, moving into second place behind his compatriot Rabat. The two Iberians seem to be able to escape and only Lowes is trying to resist, while Zarco is almost two seconds behind. Crash for Rattapark Wilairot, the race of the Team JP Moto Malaysia rider ends here. He attacks Rins, who takes the lead. The Team Pons rider seeks his first victory in the Moto2 class.

We have reached the halfway point of the race, the top ten in the standings are Alex Rins, Esteve Rabat, Sam Lowes, Johann Zarco, Luis Salom, Thomas Luthi, Franco Morbidelli, Dominique Aegerter, Lorenzo Baldassarri and Jonas Folger. Simone Corsi is eleventh.

The first group formed by the first four riders is regrouping. Rabat attacks, taking the lead again, while Zarco, after passing Lowes, is on the virtual podium. Now it is Lowes who is unable to keep up with the pace of the first three, who for some laps has been a few tenths faster than the British driver. The fight for victory seems reserved for Rabat, Rins and Zarco, while Morbidelli is still in seventh position.

The last lap begins, Zarco passes Rins, then also attacks Rabat taking the lead. Rabat makes a mistake, going wide, Zarco wins the Catalunya GP, ahead of Alex Rins and Esteve Rabat. The best of the Italians was Franco Morbidelli, eighth.