Moto2: Bautista takes controversial win
Alvaro Bautista took his first 250cc victory by beating teammate Alex de Angelis in a photo-finish at Mugello - but only after tangling with Jorge Lorenzo on the final lap of the race
Reigning champion Lorenzo had charged from 20th on the grid to lead in the closing stages, but de Angelis slipped ahead into San Donato as they began the last lap.
Three corners later Bautista dived inside Lorenzo and made contact, sending the points leader into the gravel, where he fell from the bike before rejoining to take eighth.
Bautista escaped the incident without delay and closed in on his Master-MVA Aspar teammate de Angelis before pulling out of the draft as they accelerated out of Bucine for the last time and taking the flag 0.087 seconds ahead.
Thomas Luthi had led off the line, but Bautista took the lead halfway around the lap and stayed ahead for most of the first half of the race.
Meanwhile Lorenzo moved from 20th to ninth on the first lap, then broke into the top five a lap later - despite hitting Mika Kallio when the KTM faltered exiting the final corner.
Lorenzo then hung back in fifth for several laps as Hector Barbera passed de Angelis and began battling Bautista for the lead - the duo swapping places several times before Lorenzo joined in on lap 12.
Barbera was able to retake the lead from the champion, but then ran wide as Materassi and fell to fifth, ending his challenge for victory.
That left Lorenzo and the Aspar pair to fight for the win, with Lorenzo passing both in a single move on the pits straight on lap 18 and then leading until lap 20, when de Angelis slipped back ahead.
Bautista's attempt to follow him through left Lorenzo livid, but the 125cc champion was undaunted as he celebrated his first win.
"I passed Jorge, we touched, but I think it's a normal pass on the last lap," said Bautista.
Barbera overcame Andrea Dovizioso - who had challenged Bautista for the lead early on - to take third, with Luthi falling back to fifth and holding off Shuhei Aoyama and Julian Simon.
Further back, Roberto Locatelli drew applause from the pit lane as he came home 18th in the first race back since his horrendous Jerez accident. The Italian had been on course for a point in 15th place in the middle of the race before slipping back.
Despite Lorenzo's incident with Bautista, he still leads the championship having won four of the six races held so far this season.
Pos Rider Bike Time 1. Alvaro Bautista Aprilia 40:26.356 2. Alex de Angelis Aprilia + 0.087 3. Hector Barbera Aprilia + 7.665 4. Andrea Dovizioso Honda + 7.751 5. Thomas Luthi Aprilia + 27.267 6. Shuhei Aoyama Honda + 27.522 7. Julian Simon Honda + 27.774 8. Jorge Lorenzo Aprilia + 32.238 9. Marco Simoncelli Gilera + 51.455 10. Anthony West Aprilia +1:04.308 11. Yuki Takahashi Honda +1:04.318 12. Aleix Espargaro Aprilia +1:04.462 13. Fabrizio Lai Aprilia +1:04.556 14. Alex Baldolini Aprilia +1:04.570 15. Taro Sekiguchi Aprilia +1:05.162 16. Karel Abraham Aprilia +1:10.583 17. Dirk Heidolf Aprilia +1:10.587 18. R.Locatelli Gilera +1:20.650 19. Jules Cluzel Aprilia +1:20.921 20. Eugene Laverty Honda +1:21.282 21. Hiroshi Aoyama KTM +1:46.776 22. Imre Toth Aprilia +1:54.965 23. Arturo Tizon Aprilia + 1 lap 24. Thomas Tallevi Yamaha + 1 lap Not classified/retirements: Omar Menghi Aprilia 19 Mika Kallio KTM 2 R.Wilairot Honda 0
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