Moto2 Phillip Island: Pol Espargarò wins the sprint race ahead of Luthi and Torres

The victory obtained at Phillip Island by Pol Espargarò was very important and very probably decisive in terms of the world championship. The Team Pons driver dominated the race over just 13 laps, due to the excessive degradation of the Dunlop tyres.

On the podium with him were the Swiss Thomas Luthi and his compatriot Jordi Torres, while his team-mate Esteve Rabat did not go beyond the eighth place finish after an error that cost him precious time. Our Simone Corsi and Alex de Angelis had a good race, finishing in fourth and fifth position.

Now in the world rankings thanks to the absence of Scott Redding (who fractured his left wrist yesterday) we find Pol Espargarò in the lead with 16 points on the Briton and 36 on Rabat.

Race report

The riders of the Moto2 class are ready to compete in the Australian Grand Prix, sixteenth stage of the 2013 world championship (fifteenth for Moto2, which like Moto3 did not race as usual at Laguna Seca), which takes place at Phillip Island. In pole position we find the Spaniard Pol Espargarò, who stopped the clock at a time of 1'32.530. “Polyccio” preceded team-mate Esteve Rabat and Team Aspar driver Jordi Torres, who closes the front row.

Fourth place and first place on the second row for Alex de Angelis from San Marino, riding the Speed ​​Up of Team NGM Mobile. With him the Swiss Thomas Luthi and the Finn Mika Kallio. Seventh time and third row for the Moto3 champion Sandero Cortese, who preceded the Spaniard Nico Terol and our Mattia Pasini with the second Speed ​​Up of Team NGM Mobile.

Simone Corsi is fourteenth and will therefore start from the fifth row together with Dominique Aegerter and the Japanese Team Italtrans rider Takaaki Nakagami. However, world leader Scott Redding will be missing from the tenth spot, having fractured his left wrist in qualifying yesterday. He will therefore not be able to defend his leadership and is also at risk for Motegi.

Let us also remember that the race was halved due to the problems highlighted by the Dunlop tyres. In fact, the new asphalt at Phillip Island puts the tires under strain and therefore the race will be just thirteen laps for 57.824 km. The traffic lights go out, the fastest at the start is Pol Espargarò, who started ahead of the San Marino Alex de Angelis, Thomas Luthi, Esteve Rabat, Jordi Torres and Julian Simon.

The first lap ends with Espargarò in the lead ahead of De Angelis, Rabat, Torres, Luthi, Simon, Kallio, Aegerter, Corsi and Terol. Axel Pons falls, yet another crash for him who, together with Nakagami and Schrotter, also anticipated the start.

Simon, Pasini and shortly after the Frenchman of the Came Iodaracing Team Johann Zarco also crashed. Rabat's mistake, the winner of Sepang goes straight ahead trying to resist an attack from Luthi, thus losing precious time and perhaps even his last chances in the world championship.

At the front we always find his team-mate Espargarò, who leads the race ahead of De Angelis, Luthi, Torres, Kallio, Corsi and Aegerter, all very close. Meanwhile, Louis Rossi falls, without suffering any physical consequences.

Aleix's brother (Rider of the Aspar MotoGP Team), who is now alone at the top of the race, leads the way. Rabat tries to recover behind, but seems cut out of the fight for victory. However, Thomas Luthi did not give up, bringing his Team Interwetten Paddock Suter back close to Espargarò, while de Angelis was fourth after being passed at the hairpin by Torres and Simone Corsi was fifth.

Last 3 laps of the race, Rabat, despite setting very fast laps, fails to catch up with the group of leaders. Up front Espargarò tries to put a small gap between himself and Luthi and seems to succeed. The last lap begins, “Polyccio” Espargaro wins this mini-race (which however awards full points) ahead of Thomas Luthi and Jordi Torres. Fourth and fifth positions for Simone Corsi and Alex de Angelis, while Esteve Rabat finished the race in eighth position.