Motorcycle Racing

Garcia victorious in a thriller after Guevara penalty

Garcia victorious in a thriller after Guevara penalty

Just 0.021 seconds separated the GASGAS team-mates at the finish line before there was another twist

Moto3™ World Championship leader Sergio Garcia has been declared the race winner at the Gran Premio d’Italia Oakley after fellow Valresa GASGAS Aspar Team Izan Guevara was penalised just after the finish. Guevara had beaten Garcia to the chequered flag by 0.021 seconds, and Tatsuki Suzuki (Leopard Racing) by just another 0.012 seconds, but was issued a position drop for exceeding track limits in an exhilarating final lap at the Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello.

That was hardly the only drama in yet another Mugello classic in the lightweight class. Dennis Foggia looked strong on the other Leopard Racing Honda until he crashed out of the lead on Lap 11, the same lap that pole-sitter Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech3) fell into the gravel as a result of contact with Suzuki. Title contender Jaume Masia failed to make the points after a poor start to the race and then contact with Stefano Nepa (Angeluss MTA Team) later on.

The early breakaway doesn’t last for long

When the lights went out, Öncü led the field to San Donato (Turn 1), while Diogo Moreira (MT Helmets – MSI) and Guevara emerged in second and third for the initial run down the hill. They quickly broke away to a one-second lead on just the first of 20 laps but as that trio began to chop and change positions, it was not long before the chasing pack caught up.

That enabled Foggia, who had been the form man in practice and third-fastest in qualifying without a tow, to slipstream his way from fourth position into the lead at the start of Lap 5. However, Honda power meant he was less vulnerable to those chasing him up the main straight, and ‘The Rocket’ enjoyed a relatively long period at the very front of the field.

High drama at the halfway mark

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