Sandro Cortese takes maiden 125cc grand prix win at Brno

Having lost the lead at the start of the final lap to Zarco, Cortese retook the advantage into Turn 4 and held it as far as the penultimate corner of the race.

Zarco stuck his Ajo Derbi inside the Racing Team Germany Aprilia, edging slightly ahead as the pair came within inches of colliding. But the Frenchman then clipped the inside kerb at the final corner, flinging his bike sideways and leaving Cortese clear.

Cortese, who was making his 108th grand prix start, became the first German to win a 125cc World Championship race since Stefan Bradl in Japan three years ago.

The pair had initially fought for the lead with polesitter Nico Terol. The championship leader would not make it to the end though, his Aspar Aprilia slowing out of the first corner on lap nine and then grinding to a halt halfway round the lap.

His retirement meant that his championship lead was slashed from 32 points to 12 over Zarco, who missed out on victory by 0.397s.

Behind the leading duo, there was a six-way battle for third that was reduced to four when Efren Vazquez crashed his Ajo Derbi on lap 13, delaying Miguel Oliveira in the process.

That meant that with the exception of Zarco, the remainder of the top 10 were all on Aprilia machinery and meant the fight for the final rostrum spot was between Blusens team-mates Sergio Gadea and Maverick Vinales, Aspar rider Hector Faubel and the Andalucia Banca Civica machine of Alberto Moncayo.

The quartet barely managed to maintain station between two corners, ensuring that the fight went down to the final lap - by which time Moncayo's team-mate Oliveira had hauled himself back into contention.

It was Moncayo who claimed his maiden podium finish, the Spaniard just 0.019s ahead of Faubel with Gadea and Vinales completing the top six as Oliviera crashed out at the final corner.

Jakub Kornfeil equalled his season's best result with seventh spot for the Ongetta team while Simone Grotzki and Zulfahmi Khairrudin career-best eighth and ninth spots for the Phonica Aprilia and Ajo Derbi squads respectivelt.

Retirements for Danny Kent, Alexis Masbou and Niklas Ajo all helped promote the Ongetta bikes of Jasper Iwema and Harry Stafford to 10th and 13th. Between them Luigi Morciano took his first championship points in 11th and Britain's Danny Webb finished 12th on his Mahindra.

Results - 19 laps:

Pos  Rider                  Team/Bike                Time/Gap
 1.  Sandro Cortese         Germany Aprilia       40m59.229s   
 2.  Johann Zarco           Ajo Derbi             + 0.397s
 3.  Alberto Moncayo        Andalucia Aprilia     + 10.773s     
 4.  Hector Faubel          Aspar Aprilia         + 10.794s 
 5.  Sergio Gadea           Blusens Aprilia       + 11.144s 
 6.  Maverick Vinales       Blusens Aprilia       + 11.473s
 7.  Jakub Kornfeil         Ongetta Aprilia       + 24.720s 
 8.  Simone Giorgi          Phonica Aprilia       + 39.982s
 9.  Zulfahmi Khairuddin    Ajo Derbi             + 42.887s 
10.  Jasper Iwema           Ongetta Aprilia       + 43.023s
11.  Luigi Morciano         Italia FMI Aprilia    + 43.183s  
12.  Danny Webb             Mahindra              + 43.675s 
13.  Harry Stafford         Ongetta Aprilia       + 43.764s
14.  Marcel Schrotter       Mahindra              + 44.076s
15.  Louis Rossi            Matteoni Aprilia      + 50.240s
16.  Sturla Fagerhaug       WTR-Ten10 Aprilia     + 50.297s
17.  Mirolsav Popov         Ellegi Aprilia        + 1m06.807s
18.  Luca Gruenwald         Freudenberg KTM       + 1m06.870s
19.  Alessandro Tonucci     Italia FMI Aprilia    + 1m07.004s
20.  Francesco Mauriello    WTR-Ten10 Aprilia     + 1m07.132s
21.  Taylor Mackenzie       Phonica Aprilia       + 1m15.543s
22.  Joan Perello           Matteoni Aprilia      + 1m19.523s
23.  Miguel Oliveira        Andalucia Aprilia     + 1m19.885s
24.  Giulian Pedone         Phonica Aprilia       + 1m33.814s  
25.  Ladislav Chmelik       RJR Aprilia           + 1m45.564s
26.  Peter Sebestyen        Caretta KTM           + 2m03.770s

Retirements:

     Manuel Tatasciore      Phonica Aprilia           16 laps
     Efren Vazquez          Ajo Derbi                 13 laps 
     Nicolas Terol          Aspar Aprilia              8 laps
     Alexis Masbou          Caretta KTM                2 laps
     Danny Kent             Ajo Aprilia                1 lap
     Adrian Martin          Aspar Aprilia              1 lap             
     Niklas Ajo             TT Motion Aprilia          0 laps 
     Luis Salom             RW Aprilia                 0 laps