Blue sky, 22° in the air, already 32°; everything seems perfect for the 20 laps of this Moto3 race of the Japanese Grand Prix!
In addition to the fight for second place in the world championship between Jorge Navarro and Enea Bastianini, we will closely monitor the home performance of Hiroki Ono, pole sitter (demoted three places for “irresponsible driving” in FP1) and author of the best time this morning. As a reminder, the Japanese driver is currently still on foot for next year…
Here are references available:
|
Motegi Moto3 |
2015 |
2016 |
| FP1 | 1'57.500 Niccolo Antonelli | 1'57.523 Nicolo Bulega |
| FP22 | 1'57.609 Niccolo Antonelli | 1'56.982 Enea Bastianini |
| FP3 | 1'56.572 Niccolo Antonelli | 1'56.651 Brad Binder |
| QP | 1'56.484 Romano Fenati | 1'56.443 Hiroki Ono |
| WU | 2'11.540 Jorge Martin (wet) | 1'57.455 Hiroki Ono |
| All time lap record | 1'56.484 Romano Fenati | |
| Course | Antonelli, Oliveira, Navarro (wet) | |
When the red lights go out, a first line made up of Migno, Binder and Bastianini, it is the poleman who starts the best and takes the holeshot while Navarro, Rodrigo and Mc Phee fall in the first turn, an incident which can have serious consequences for the title of vice-champion, especially since NAVARRO seems to be affected by his already injured leg...
We're racing at the #JapaneseGP!@M16NO with the holeshot from @ BradBinder_41! pic.twitter.com/kFoHOL63ol
- MotoGP @ 🏁 (@MotoGP) October 16, 2016
One lap later, the compact peloton is led by Brad Binder and Francesco Bagnaia but no one manages to escape.
Second lap & @ BradBinder_41 has taken over at the front!
Bagnaia, Migno, Bastianini & Ono chasing#JapaneseGP pic.twitter.com/Ka69nrZTLr
- MotoGP @ 🏁 (@MotoGP) October 16, 2016
Binder however, pushed hard and managed to gradually take a few steps ahead before Enea Bastianini is gradually catching up with the reigning world champion.
A group of 6 pilots gradually breaks away; Binder, Bastianini, Migno, Bagnaia, Ono and Bulega, who is a good second ahead of a trio made up of Di Giannantonio, Quartararo and Dalla Porta.
Chasing hard to catch up with the leading group… @FabioDiggia21 found the limit here 🙈#JapaneseGP https://t.co/Et4IWBF8tj
- MotoGP @ 🏁 (@MotoGP) October 16, 2016
The situation remains generally stable as we pass the halfway mark but the second group is now led by Phillip Oettl, more than 2 seconds behind the first six who are still riding under the authority of Brad Binder. We note, surprisingly for the category, relatively few attacks and overtakes.
🏍🏍🏍🏍🏍🏍
Binder & Bastianini lead the way… but only just!
🔟 laps to go #JapaneseGP pic.twitter.com/UA3uQFZmSe
- MotoGP @ 🏁 (@MotoGP) October 16, 2016
8 laps from the checkered flag, Brad Binder takes a few steps ahead and no one seems able to follow him. Lap after lap, tenth after tenth, the gap grew to almost a second 5 laps from the finish line...
Alone bastianini tries to resist this South African pressure and manages to get back into the wheels of the official Ktm with 3 laps to go.
.@eneabastianini is reeling him back in! 🎣
3️⃣ laps left for him to catch & pass @ BradBinder_41! #JapaneseGP pic.twitter.com/y6FB7NH9Z5
- MotoGP @ 🏁 (@MotoGP) October 16, 2016
The junction is made before the last lap and the Italian driver manages to take his revenge on Misano by carrying out a very good attack before the tunnel. This first victory of the season for the Gresini driver was acquired by 17 thousandths of a second!
PHOTO FINISH!📷🏁
@eneabastianini WINS by a hair's width from @ BradBinder_41!!@hirokiono76 3rd!🇯🇵#JapaneseGP pic.twitter.com/2gA9OtQuq9
- MotoGP @ 🏁 (@MotoGP) October 16, 2016
Hiroki Ono manages to get on the podium at home, which has not happened since 2001 in the small category and which could save his 2017 season...
fabio quartararo finished 9th, Jules Danilo 17e.
Ranking compiled by our friends at crash.net:
1. Enea Bastianini ITA Gresini Racing Moto3 (Honda) 39m 24.273s
2. Brad Binder RSA Red Bull KTM Ajo (KTM) 39m 24.290s
3. Hiroki Ono JPN Honda Team Asia (Honda) 39m 26.927s
4. Nicholas Bulega ITA SKY Racing Team VR46 (KTM)
39m 28.275s
5. Philipp Oettl GER Schedl GP Racing (KTM) 39m 29.392s
6. Fabio DiGiannantonio ITA Gresini Racing Moto3 (Honda) 39m 30.561s
7. Francis Bagnaia ITA Pull & Bear Aspar Mahindra Team (Mahindra) 39m 32.012s
8. Livio Law BEL RW Racing GP BV (Honda) 39m 32.022s
9. fabio quartararo FRA Leopard Racing (KTM) 39m 32.617s
10. Joan mir SPA Leopard Racing (KTM) 39m 33.153s
11. Niccolo Antonelli ITA Ongetta-Rivacold (Honda)
39m 33.310s
12. Lorenzo Dalla Porta ITA SKY Racing Team VR46 (KTM) 39m 36.605s
13. Adam Norrodin MAL Drive M7 SIC Racing Team (Honda) 39m 37.798s
14. Jakub Kornfeil CZE Drive M7 SIC Racing Team (Honda) 39m 43.091s
15. Albert Arenas SPA Peugeot MC Saxoprint (Peugeot)
39m 45.536s
16. Tatsuki suzuki JPN CIP-Unicom Starker (Mahindra)
39m 45.564s
17. Jules Danilo FRA Ongetta-Rivacold (Honda) 39m 46.000s
18. Marcos Ramirez SPA Platinum Bay Real Estate (Mahindra) 39m 58.748s
19. Will Bendsneyder NED Red Bull KTM Ajo (KTM) 40m 4.223s
20. Khairul Idham Pawi MAL Honda Team Asia (Honda)
40m 4.450s
21. Fabio Spiranelli ITA CIP-Unicom Starker (Mahindra) 40m 11.077s
22. Lorenzo Petrarca ITA 3570 Team Italia (Mahindra)
40m 13.358s
23. Darryn binder RSA Platinum Bay Real Estate (Mahindra) 40m 16.843s
24. Maria Herrera SPA MH6 Team (KTM) 40m 16.955s
25. Andrea Migno ITA SKY Racing Team VR46 (KTM)
40m 41.047s
26. Juanfran Guevara SPA RBA Racing Team (KTM) 40m 46.375s
27. Shizuka Okazaki JPN UQ & TELURU KOHARA RT (Honda)
41m 15.896s
George Martin SPA Pull & Bear Aspar Mahindra Team (Mahindra)
DNF
Aron canet SPA Estrella Galicia 0,0 (Honda) DNF
Andrea Locatelli ITA Leopard Racing (KTM) DNF
Stefano Valtulini ITA 3570 Team Italia (Mahindra)
DNF
Jorge Navarro SPA Estrella Galicia 0,0 (Honda)
DNF
John Mcphee GBR Peugeot MC Saxoprint (Peugeot)
DNF
gabriel rodrigo ARG RBA Racing Team (KTM) DNF
