The Spaniard clinches the World Championship with a hard-fought win in Australia
Izan Guevara is the Moto3™ World Champion! The Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team rider came out on top in four-way fight for victory at the Animoca Brands Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix, giving him an unassailable 65-point lead over teammate Sergio Garcia with two races to go this season. Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech3) finished second on the day at Phillip Island, from Garcia and Ayumu Sasaki (Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max). Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing), who started the day as Guevara’s nearest rival for the title, took the chequered flag in ninth and is now third in the riders’ standings, two points behind Garcia.
Guevara makes an early statement of intent
Despite wet patches around the circuit on the sighting lap, all 30 riders started on slicks. Garcia took the initial lead from the middle of the front row, ahead of Diogo Moreira (MT Helmets – MSI) and pole-sitter Sasaki. Guevara slotted into fifth position in the opening corners and while he ran wide in an attempt to pass Sasaki at Miller Corner (Turn 4), he was sixth at the end of the standing lap, well ahead of Foggia in 14th.
Sasaki was in the thick of the battle for the lead in the early stages, and slipstreamed into first position at the start of Lap 3, ahead of Ivan Ortola (Angeluss MTA Team), Garcia, Öncü, Moreira, Guevara, and Joel Kelso (CIP Green Power), with Foggia back in 15th at that point. Guevara was not shying away from the fight, going around the outside of both Moreira and Garcia at Southern Loop (Turn 2) on Lap 4 to jump to second position, but when Garcia dived into the lead at Miller Corner a few moments later, he would enjoy a relatively sustained spell at the front.
The lead group is narrowed down
A lead group of six emerged, namely Garcia, Moreira, Sasaki, Guevara, Öncü, and Kelso, before they were joined by Stefano Nepa (Angeluss MTA Team) and John McPhee (Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max). When Guevara passed Sasaki for second place at the Stoner Corner (Turn 3) on Lap 8, putting him one place behind Garcia, he was into the live championship lead by a single point. He passed Garcia on the race track at Doohan Corner on Lap 9, but #11 hit back a lap later at Miller Corner – which would prove to be his preferred overtaking location – as…