#AragonGP Moto3 Race: Victory and historic record for Joan Mir

For the first time in the history of the Moto3 World Championship, a rider has won a total of eight Grands Prix in a single season. Joan Mir achieved this superb feat by winning in Aragon ahead of Fabio di Giannantonio, Enea Bastianini, Jorge Martin, Aron Canet and John McPhee.

#AragonGP Moto3	2016	2017
FP1	1'59.676 Jorge Navarro	1'59.114 Aron Canet
FP2	1'58.998 Brad Binder	1'59.586 Joan Mir
FP3	1'58.770 Fabio Quartararo	1'57.833 Jorge Martin
Qualification	1'58.293 Enea Bastianini	1'58.067 Jorge Martin
Warm Up	1'59.668 Fabio Di Giannantonio	1'59.173 Jorge Martin
Course	Navarro, Binder, Bastianini (see here)	Mir, di Giannantonio, Bastianini
All time lap record	1'57.755 Bastianini 2015

The first row of the starting grid was made up of the three Hondas of Jorge Martin (pole position), Enea Bastianini and Aron Canet. The two KTMs of Nicolo Bulega and Dennis Foggia were in second alongside World Championship leader Joan Mir. John McPhee on the third row was next to Philipp Oettl and Tatsuki Suzuki. They preceded in fourth Marcos Ramirez, Romano Fenati (second in the World Championship) and Gabriel Rodrigo. Jules Danilo started from the fifth row in fifteenth position.

Sun's out, bikes out. # Moto3 are on the grid and ready to RACE!

13 laps remember… #AragonGP pic.twitter.com/ZY7qEe6Ypb

- MotoGP @ 🏁 (@MotoGP) September 24, 2017

One of the challenges of this race was Joan Mir's possible eighth victory this season, something no rider has ever managed to do since the creation of the Moto3 category in 2012. The weather was favorable with sunshine, a temperature of 22° for the air and 28° for the track. After the morning warm-up was delayed by an hour and a half due to fog, the Moto3 race was scheduled for 11:40 a.m., lasting 13 laps. Four drivers decided to try their luck on a soft rear tire (McPhee, Masia, Arenas and Binder), but most chose the medium Dunlop.

Jorge Martin was the fastest at the start ahead of Enea Bastianini, Dennis Foggia, Aron Canet and Joan Mir. Nicolo Bulega missed his start a little and was in eighth position. Jules Danilo was seventeenth. Jorge Martin and Enea Bastianini opened up a small gap of 0.7 on the chasing pack led by Aron Canet, ahead of Mir, Oettl and Foggia.

Enea Bastianini stole the header from Jorge Martin, who immediately passed it back. But this skirmish wasted time for the two men who were joined by Canet and Mir. Romano Fenati meanwhile was lingering in fifteenth position, four places ahead of his teammate Jules Danilo.

Slipstreeeeaaaammmm

It's Martin vs Bastianini vs Canet with Mir closely behind!

11 laps to go! #AragonGP pic.twitter.com/hKdga9Cmyd

- MotoGP @ 🏁 (@MotoGP) September 24, 2017

Aron Canet took command with 10 laps remaining, returning to second place in the World Championship standings with 72 points from Joan Mir, tied with Romano Fenati (then fourteenth). The two Estrella Galicia teammates Enea Bastianini and Aron Canet took their place at the head of the group of 18 drivers who led the GP, with Martin, Oettl and Mir in their wake.

Tandem # Moto3 bike 😅

Hard & fast racing as always.. especially as theres already only 8 laps left! #AragonGP pic.twitter.com/KIyCLLKNHX

- MotoGP @ 🏁 (@MotoGP) September 24, 2017

With 7 laps to go from the checkered flag, or halfway through the race, Canet, Martin and Bastianini were fighting for first place ahead of Mir and Oettl, followed by Foggia, di Giannantonio, Rodrigo, Ramirez and Bulega. Fenati was fourteenth and Danilo twenty-second. Then Joan Mir took the advantage and tried to distance his opponents, but Aron Canet and Fabio di Giannantonio closed in on him. Lorenzo Dalla Porta fell without seriousness with his Mahindra in turn 12. Gabriel Rodrigo imitated him in turn 7.

With 4 laps remaining, di Giannantonio took the lead ahead of Bastianini, Canet, Martin, Mir, Foggia and Oettl. Fenati moved up to tenth position. Canet then won against Bastianini, Martin, di Giannantonio, Foggia and Mir. With only two laps remaining, di Giannantonio was ahead of Bastianini, Martin, Mir, Canet and McPhee. Fenati was then ninth, and Danilo twentieth.

Joan Mir took the advantage entering the last lap, closely held by Bastianini, di Giannantonio, Martin, Canet and McPhee. Everything came down to aspiration in the straight, and Mir, zigzagging, managed to precede his adversaries. He won his eighth GP in a season ahead of Fabio di Giannantonio, Enea Bastianini, Jorge Martin, Aron Canet and John McPhee. Fenati was tenth and Danilo twentieth.

# Moto3 gold ⛷️?

Slalom slipstreaming on the final lap! Fantastic race!#AragonGP pic.twitter.com/75w6DqgEOz

- MotoGP @ 🏁 (@MotoGP) September 24, 2017

When you're on top of the world💨

An 80 point lead, victory number 8️⃣ of the season.

👏 @Joanmir36 pic.twitter.com/1O9wDA3b7F

- MotoGP @ 🏁 (@MotoGP) September 24, 2017

Grand Prix results (thanks to our friends at crash.net):

1. Joan mir SPA Leopard Racing (Honda) 25m 57.607s
2. Fabio DiGiannantonio ITA Del Conca Gresini Moto3 (Honda) 25m 57.650s
3. Enea Bastianini ITA Estrella Galicia 0,0 (Honda) 25m 57.658s
4. George Martin SPA Del Conca Gresini Moto3 (Honda) 25m 57.777s
5. Aron canet SPA Estrella Galicia 0,0 (Honda) 25m 57.999s
6. John mcphee GBR British Talent Team (Honda) 25m 58.197s
7. Marcos Ramirez SPA Platinum Bay Real Estate (KTM) 25m 58.314s
8. Dennis Foggia ITA Sky Junior Team VR46 Academy (KTM) 25m 58.350s
9. Philipp Oettl GER Südmetall Schedl GP Racing (KTM) 25m 58.775s
10. Roman Fenati ITA Marinelli Rivacold Snipers (Honda) 25m 58.905s
11. Andrea Migno ITA SKY Racing Team VR46 (KTM) 25m 58.937s
12. Juanfran Guevara SPA RBA BOE Racing Team (KTM) 25m 59.112s
13. Tatsuki suzuki JPN SIC58 Squadra Corse (Honda) 25m 59.568s
14. Nicholas Bulega ITA SKY Racing Team VR46 (KTM) 25m 59.657s
15. Adam Norrodin MAL SIC Racing Team (Honda) 26m 0.111s
16. Ayumu Sasaki JPN SIC Racing Team (Honda) 26m 0.146s
17. Will Bendsneyder NED Red Bull KTM Ajo (KTM) 26m 0.266s
18. Niccolo Antonelli ITA Red Bull KTM Ajo (KTM) 26m 0.272s
19. Marco Bezzecchi ITA CIP (Mahindra) 26m 2.006s
20. Jules Danilo FRA Marinelli Rivacold Snipers (Honda) 26m 9.011s
21. James Masia SPA Cuna de Campeones (KTM) 26m 12.147s
22. Darryn binder RSA Platinum Bay Real Estate (KTM) 26m 12.206s
23. Manuel Pagliani ITA CIP (Mahindra) 26m 12.310s
24. Aaron Polanco SPA Leopard Racing (Honda) 26m 12.466s
25. Jakub Kornfeil CZE Peugeot MC Saxoprint (Peugeot) 26m 15.202s
26. Tony Arbolino ITA SIC58 Squadra Corse (Honda) 26m 15.329s
27. Albert Arenas SPA Aspar Mahindra Moto3 (Mahindra) 26m 19.074s
28. Kaito Toba JPN Honda Team Asia (Honda) 26m 32.253s
29. Patrick Pulkkinen END Peugeot MC Saxoprint (Peugeot) 26m 32.285s
gabriel rodrigo ARG RBA BOE Racing Team (KTM) DNF
Lorenzo Dalla Porta ITA Aspar Mahindra Moto3 (Mahindra) DNF
Nakarin Atiratphuvapat THA Honda Team Asia (Honda) DNF