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Race report

Italian Moto2: Gardner edges team-mate Fernandez for Mugello victory

Remy Gardner beat Ajo KTM team-mate Raul Fernandez by 0.014 seconds in a thrilling late battle for victory in the Moto2 Italian Grand Prix as Sam Lowes crashed.

Remy Gardner, Red Bull KTM Ajo chequered flag

Remy Gardner, Red Bull KTM Ajo chequered flag

Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

The sixth round of the 2021 Moto2 world championship was marred by the announcement ahead of the race that 19-year-old Moto3 rider Jason Dupasquier had passed away from injuries sustained in a horror qualifying crash on Saturday.

At the start of the 21-lap race, poleman Fernandez grabbed the holeshot from Ajo KTM team-mate Gardner.

Marc VDS rider Sam Lowes quickly worked his way back into third on lap three and began to eat into the half-a-second advantage the top two had on him.

Fernandez soon opened up a gap to Gardner of seven tenths, with Lowes continuing to trim the Australian’s gap.

Lowes had closed the gap sufficiently enough by the start of lap 10 to launch an attack on second into the San Donato right-hander at Turn 1, but ran wide and allowed Gardner back through.

The Marc VDS rider used the transition from the outside line at Turn 1 to the inside of the Luco left-hander at Turn 2 to make a move stick – defending retaliation from Gardner through the Materassi/Borgo San Lorenzo chicane at Turns 4/5.

This tussle allowed Fernandez to open up his lead to two seconds, but his pace began to stall by just over mid-distance and Lowes started to reel him in.

Lowes was able to get his disadvantage to Fernandez down to eight tenths by lap 15, but his hopes of victory were dashed when he fell out of the race at the Arrabbiata 1 right-hander.

The Marc VDS rider’s crash didn’t relent the pressure on Fernandez in the latter stages, with Gardner closing the gap between the Ajo pair to under sixth tenths.

With three laps to go Gardner cut the gap further to under half a second, the Australian seemingly with an edge grip advantage over Fernandez.

Raul Fernandez, Red Bull KTM Ajo

Raul Fernandez, Red Bull KTM Ajo

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Gardner was close enough to his team-mate by the end of the lap to get into his slipstream on the run to San Donato at the start of the penultimate tour, but couldn’t quite get near enough to make a move.

Defensive riding from Fernandez across lap 20 ensured Gardner couldn’t use his grip advantage to find a way through.

Fernandez held the lead to start the final lap, but Gardner nailed his run through the Arrabbiata section to launch a successful move for the lead at the Scarperia right.

Fernandez tried to fight back in the slipstream on the run to the chequered flag, but Gardner held him off for his first win of the season by 0.014s.

Italtrans rider Joe Roberts took third from VR46’s Marco Bezzecchi after a late battle, but the American was demoted to fourth for narrowly exceeding track limits on the final lap.

Intact GP’s Marcel Schrotter completed the top five ahead of Team Asia rookie Ai Ogura and the sister Intact GP Kalex of fellow rookie Tony Arbolino – who ran third in the opening laps.

American Racing rookie Cameron Beaubier won a tight battle to claim a season-best eighth ahead of RW Racing’s Hafizh Syahrin and Pons rider Stefano Manzi.

Gardner’s victory puts him six points clear of Fernandez at the top of the championship, with Bezzecchi a further 23 points adrift in third, as Lowes’ crash puts him 48 adrift of the lead.

Italian Moto2 Grand Prix results

Cla Rider Bike Laps Gap
1 Australia Remy Gardner Kalex 21  
2 Spain Raúl Fernández Kalex 21 0.014
3 Italy Marco Bezzecchi Kalex 21 8.021
4 United States Joe Roberts Kalex 21 8.004
5 Germany Marcel Schrotter Kalex 21 12.343
6 Japan Ai Ogura Kalex 21 23.170
7 Italy Tony Arbolino Kalex 21 23.764
8 United States Cameron Beaubier Kalex 21 34.825
9 Malaysia Hafizh Syahrin NTS 21 34.849
10 Italy Stefano Manzi Kalex 21 34.965
11 Spain Arón Canet Boscoscuro B-21 21 35.250
12 Fermín Aldeguer Boscoscuro B-21 21 35.300
13 Spain Hector Garzo Kalex 21 35.450
14 United Kingdom Jake Dixon Kalex 21 36.161
15 Netherlands Bo Bendsneyder Kalex 21 40.700
16 Italy Celestino Vietti Ramus Kalex 21 46.263
17 Belgium Barry Baltus NTS 21 46.403
18 Thailand Somkiat Chantra Kalex 21 48.566
19 Italy Tommaso Marcon MV Agusta 21 1'16.213
  Spain Marcos Ramirez Kalex 18  
  United Kingdom Sam Lowes Kalex 15  
  Italy Fabio Di Giannantonio Kalex 11  
  Italy Simone Corsi MV Agusta 11  
  Spain Albert Arenas Boscoscuro B-21 11  
  Spain Xavi Vierge Kalex 5  
  Spain Jorge Navarro Boscoscuro B-21 4  
  Italy Lorenzo Baldassarri MV Agusta 2  
  Italy Lorenzo Dalla Porta Kalex 0  
  Spain Augusto Fernandez Kalex 0  

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