Thailand Grand Prix Buriram Moto2 Race: Bagnaia marches towards the title, Marini secures the double and the KTMs lose big

Lorenzo Baldassarri has only two pole positions in a career made up of 99 Grands Prix, but this one will count in history since it is the first of an unprecedented Thai Grand Prix! Alex Marquez accompanies him for what is his eighth start on the front row of a season where he has not yet won. His latest achievement dates back to Japan last year. But the surprise guest of the leading trio is called Marini who actually achieved his best performance at the end of a qualifying session after 50 Grands Prix contested.

To remember the facts in terms of the stopwatch, here is the table which serves as a justice of the peace.

Buriram Moto2™
FP1	1'37.757 Mattia Pasini
FP2	1'36.839 Mattia Pasini
FP3	1'36.670 Fabio Quartararo
Qualifications	1'36.374 Lorenzo Baldassarri
Warm Up	1'36.649 Miguel Oliveira
Course

Pasini starts fourth, which is his best qualification since his third place in Misano. This is his seventh top 4 of the year. In terms of the battle for the title, we note a Olive tree fifth with his KTM, which is his best place since Austria this season where he started from the second block of the starting grid.

His rival is leader of the championship bagnaia is right behind him. This is the fourteenth time that the Sky VR46 driver has started from one of the first two rows this year. It was the official Portuguese of the Mattighofen brand who achieved the best time in the morning warm-up.

33° in the air and 56° on the track, this promises great hours of hard work under leather and a helmet for 24 laps. Once the green light is given, the first row passes the first turn in the order established by the Saturday time clock. Fernandez Mir et Schrotter fall. But the sequel gives a bagnaia conqueror who takes orders. Olive tree is third behind Baldassarri.

Alex Marquez et Brad Binder got in trouble and the Spaniard slipped to eighth. NAVARRO fall at turn 5. Manzi falls a little further, it's his 28th fall of the season. After two laps, the two KTMs are chasing bagnaia on your mind. Olive tree passes the Italian. The fight for the title is getting tougher as the VR46 driver regains his possession a few meters further on. Quarterly is eighth.

After four rounds, bagnaia is slightly blurred but enough to allow Olive tree to take orders. Brad Binder does not give any favors to his teammate's rival and Baldassarri shoot straight. He leaves sixth. Marquez et Marini are fighting for fourth position. But the Spaniard falls at turn 5.

After six rounds it becomes clear that bagnaia will fight against the two official KTMs which don’t really help each other…

But now Marini goes back to join his teammate. It will be played between the two teams! Quarterly is fifth and sets the best time. Baldassarri fall at turn 1. Marini gets a fright, but stays on his wheels.

After nine rounds, Olive tree leads but sees bagnaia titillate him very closely. Binder also but this one makes a drop of water in a bend. Everyone already seems to be at the limit... Except Quarterly who passed Marini for fourth place and launches an attack on the leading trio! Halfway through the race, Olive tree leads ahead bagnaia for two tenths while Brad Binder clings with a Quarterly in pursuit who lets go Marini. Gardner is tenth with the Mistral 610. He started 19th.

bagnaia made the effort by maintaining his times in a big 1'36 against a small 1'37 for his rivals. In the lead, he tries to leave company behind Olive tree. Quarterly fell back into the clutches of Marini. Brad Binder is third and comes back on his teammate.

Nine laps from the goal, bagnaia continues its undermining work. Olive tree cannot give the lie. He must decide to let his teammate pass who could go after the leading Italian or fight until the finish to preserve his second place which would put him on 24 points in the championship.

It is this scenario that prevails with a Binder who no longer appears threatening while remaining in contact… bagnaia is untouchable although only 1s5 away. Behind, Marini seems to secure fourth place, holding in respect Quarterly.

Five laps from the goal, the mass seems to be said. Except that Marini rings the charge and passes Binder. Here he is in pursuit ofOlive tree. Who cracks in the last lap. Here he is third in this race and 28 points behind a bagnaia winner in front of his teammate Marini. Quarterly is fifth.

Thailand Grand Prix Buriram Moto2 Race: classification

1	Francesco BAGNAIA	39'00.09		42	ITA	SKY Racing Team VR46	Kalex	25
2	Luca MARINI	39'01.521	+1.512 / 1.512	10	ITA	Sky Racing Team VR46	Kalex	20
3	Miguel OLIVEIRA	39'01.66	+1.651 / 0.139	44	POR	Red Bull KTM Garlic	KTM	16
4	Brad BINDER	39'01.817	+1.808 / 0.157	41	RSA	Red Bull KTM Garlic	KTM	13
5	Fabio QUARTARARO	39'06.269	+6.260 / 4.452	20	FRA	MB Conveyors – Speed ​​Up	Speed ​​Up	11
6	Matthias PASINI	39'11.793	+11.784 / 5.524	54	ITA	Italtrans Racing Team	Kalex	10
7	Iker LECUONA	39'15.299	+15.290 / 3.506	27	SPA	Swiss Innovative Investors	KTM	9
8	Tetsuit NAGASHIMA	39'16.912	+16.903 / 1.613	45	JPN	IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia	Kalex	8
9	Andrea LOCATELLI	39'18.617	+18.608 / 1.705	5	ITA	Italtrans Racing Team	Kalex	7
10	Simone COURSES	39'21.19	+21.181 / 2.573	24	ITA	Tasca Racing Scuderia Moto2	Kalex	6
11	Xavi VIRGIN	39'22.3	+22.021 / 0.840	97	SPA	Dynavolt Intact GP	Kalex	5
12	Remy GARDNER	39'23.966	+23.957 / 1.936	87	AUS	Tech 3 Racing	Tech 3	4
13	Joe ROBERTS	39'24.677	+24.668 / 0.711	16	USA	NTS RW Racing GP	NTS	3
14	Bo BENDSNEYDER	39'26.311	+26.302 / 1.634	64	NED	Tech 3 Racing	Tech 3	2
15	Niki TUULI	39'26.826	+26.817 / 0.515	66	END	Petronas Sprinta Racing	Kalex	1
16	Dominique AEGERTER	39'30.767	+30.758 / 3.941	77	SWI	Kiefer Racing	KTM	0
17	Jorge NAVARRO	39'34.791	+34.782 / 4.024	9	SPA	Federal Oil Gresini Moto2	Kalex	0
18	Thitipong WAROKORN	39'38.324	+38.315 / 3.533	99	THA	SAG Team	Kalex	0
19	Edgar PONS	39'40.303	+40.294 / 1.979	57	SPA	MB Conveyors – Speed ​​Up	Speed ​​Up	0
20	Jules DANILO	39'40.854	+40.845 / 0.551	95	FRA	Nashi Argan SAG Team	Kalex	0
21	Khairul Idham PAWI	39'41.358	+41.349 / 0.504	89	MAL	IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia	Kalex	0
22	Xavi CARDELUS	39'43.917	+43.908 / 2.559	18	AND	Marinelli Snipers Team	Kalex	0
23	Steven ODENDAAL	39'57.266	+57.257 / 13.349	4	RSA	NTS RW Racing GP	NTS	0
24	Isaac VIÑALES	39'59.216	+59.207 / 1.950	32	SPA	Forward Racing Team	Suter	0
25	Federico FULIGNI	39'59.392	+59.383 / 0.176	21	ITA	Tasca Racing Scuderia Moto2	Kalex	0
-1	Sam LOWES	37'48.862		22	GBR	Swiss Innovative Investors	KTM	0
-1	Lorenzo BALDASSARRI	18'04.757		7	ITA	Pons HP40	Kalex	0
-1	Alex MARQUEZ	11'05.683		73	SPA	EG 0,0 Marc VDS	Kalex	0
-1	Stefano MANZI	01'44.33		62	ITA	Forward Racing Team	Suter	0
-1	Augusto FERNANDEZ	00'00.		40	SPA	Pons HP40	Kalex	0
-1	Marcel SCHROTTER	00'00.		23	GER	Dynavolt Intact GP	Kalex	0
-1	Joan Mir	00'00.		36	SPA	EG 0,0 Marc VDS	Kalex	0