Moto2 Jerez: First victory for Esteve “Tito” Rabat, Redding and Espargarò on the podium

After the first pole position obtained yesterday, Esteve "Tito" Rabat achieved his first victory in the world championship today in Jerez (home race). The Team Pons rider who rides a Kalex and who on paper was less of a "favourite" than team-mate Pol Espargarò (talking about the start of the season and not this race) in fact dominated the Moto2 class, winning by distance ahead of Scott Redding and team-mate “Polyccio” Espargarò, who beat the Japanese Takaaki Nakagami by a hair's breadth. The best of the Italians is Simone Corsi, 14th and who finishes behind Zarco and ahead of his teammates Alex de Angelis and Mattia Pasini. Rabat now takes the lead in the world championship with a one-point lead over Scott Redding and 11 points over teammate Pol Espargarò.

Race report

The riders of the Moto2 class are ready to compete in the "Gran Premio bwin de Espana", the third stage of the 2013 world championship, which takes place on the Jerez de la Frontera circuit. Pole position for the home rider Esteve Rabat, rider of Team Pons (Kalex). The Spanish rider at his first pole in Moto2 will be joined on the front row by the British Scott Redding, rider of the Marc VDS Racing Team and the Japanese of the Italtrans team Takaaki Nakagami, also on a Kalex.

Second row for Pol Espargarò (Kalex Pons), Jordi Torres (Suter) and the Belgian Xavier Simeon (Kalex). Further back are our Simone Corsi, Mattia Pasini and Alex de Angelis, who start in 11th, 20th and 22nd position respectively. All ready, 26 laps to go. The traffic lights go out, the fastest at the start is Esteve "Tito" Rabat, author of the pole who is followed by Scott Redding, Takaaki Nakagami, Pol Espargarò, Nico Terol, Jordi Torres, Xavier Simeon, Simone Corsi, Dominique Aegerter and Marcel Schrotter .

Double fall, Axel Pons and Rattapark Wilairot on the ground, fortunately without physical consequences despite the Thai remaining on the ground for a while. Meanwhile, the first lap ends, Rabat still in the lead ahead of Scott Redding, Takaaki Nakagami, Pol Espargarò, Nico Terol, Jordi Torres, Xavier Simeon, Dominique Aegerter and Simone Corsi. Alex de Angelis and Mattia Pasini are in eighteenth and twentieth position.

Simone Corsi loses a few positions, while Rabat tries a mini-breakaway in front. Behind the first four there is a small group of five riders, within less than two seconds. Nico Terol, Jordi Torres, Xavier Simeon, Dominique Aegerter and Mika Kallio are part of this group. “Tito” Rabat continues to extend his lead, now almost two seconds ahead of Scott Redding, who is in turn more than a second ahead of the Japanese rider from Team Italtrans, Takaaki Nakagami. Meanwhile, Danny Kent, rider of Team Tech 3, falls without physical consequences and the same fate befalls Dani Rivas.

At halfway through the race, Esteve Rabat's lead is almost three seconds over Scott Redding, who in turn has around two seconds ahead of the Japanese Takaaki Nakagami, rider of Team Italtrans. Behind Nakagami is “Polyccio” Espargarò, who is trying to catch up with the Japanese to take the third step of the podium. Meanwhile, a good comeback for the Frenchman Johann Zarco, who started thirtieth (due to an electrical problem he had in qualifying) and who is setting excellent times and is in fifteenth position, ahead of Alex de Angelis, Julian Simon and Mattia Pasini and behind Simone Corsi and Thomas Luthi.

Mika Kallio also crashes, the Finn was in ninth position, so the Top Ten changes with Rabat in the lead ahead of Redding, Nakagami, Espargarò, Terol, Torres, Simeon, Aegerter, Schrotter and Elias. In the dubbing of Sucipto, the Japanese Nakagami took an advantage over Espargarò, who however did not give up, but who lost about half a second.

Five laps to go, Espargarò doesn't seem to be able to mend the "rip" with Nagakami, even if Aleix's brother (Team Aspar driver who drives an ART CRT and who was very fast in the Warm Up this morning) doesn't give up.

Last km of the race, attack by “Polyccio” Espargarò! The Team Pons driver passes, but Nakagami responds, a beautiful duel between the two Kalex drivers. Espargarò passes again, now he is on the virtual podium. The last lap begins, Rabat goes on to win ahead of Scott Redding and team-mate Pol Espargarò.