Moto2 Spain Race: Ai Ogura is doing everything to move into MotoGP!

Arriving at the Jerez – Ángel Nieto circuit for the Spanish Grand Prix, the sixth round of the Moto2 world championship, the latter is led by Celestino Vietti (Kalex, Mooney VR46 Racing Team, #13) with 34 points. ahead of Ai Ogura (Kalex, Idemitsu Honda Team Asia, #79) since the smoky episode of Portugal, 36 on Tony Arbolino (Kalex, ELF Marc VDS Racing Team, #14) and a handful of others on Joe Roberts (Kalex, Italtrans Racing Team, #16) and Arón Canet (Kalex, Flexbox HP40, #40 ) tied in front of a compact group led by Somkiat Chantra (Kalex, Idemitsu Honda Team Asia, #35).

 

 

In Andalusia, it is Jake dixon (GasGas, GasGas Aspar Team, #96) who dominated the three free practice sessions but the latter fell in qualifying, which meant he started in 11th position.

Conversely, it is a Ai Ogura (Kalex, Idemitsu Honda Team Asia, #79), very motivated by the rumors that see him in MotoGP next year instead of Takaaki Nakagami, who will start in the lead in front Tony Arbolino and his teammate Sam Lowes (Kalex, ELF Marc VDS Racing Team, #22).

 

 

The second line is composed of Aron Canet despite his very recent wrist operation, in front Fermin Aldeguer (Boscoscuro, Speed ​​Up Racing, #54), including the future of his teammate Roman Fenati seems in danger in the Italian structure, and the leader of the world championship Celestine Vietti (Mooney VR46 Racing).

Seventh position on the grid for Somkiat Chantra in front of Bo Bendsneyder (Kalex, Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team, #64) and Augusto Fernández (Kalex, Red Bull KTM Ajo, #37) while Peter Acosta (Kalex, Red Bull KTM Ajo, #51) completes the top ten after showing progress during the various test sessions.

What will be the situation at the end of the 23 laps of the race which will take place under immaculate skies and temperatures of 26° in the air and 39° on the asphalt?

 

 

Before answering this question, here is the table which summarizes the facts known so far.

Jerez Moto2™	2021	2022
FP1	1'41.675 Remy Gardner	1'41.938 Jake Dixon
FP2	1'41.515 Sam Lowes	1'41.646 Jake Dixon
FP3	1'40.841 Remy Gardner	1'41.556 Jake Dixon
Q1	1'41.308 Cameron Beaubier	1'41.397 Somkiat Chantra
Q2	1'40.667 Remy Gardner	1'41.289 Ai Ogura
Warm Up	1'41.430 Fabio Di Giannantonio	1'41.587 Sam Lowes
Course	Di Giannantonio, Bezzecchi, Lowes	Ogura, Canet, Arbolino
All time lap record	1'40.667 Remy Gardner 2021

When the red lights go out... Ai Ogura makes the holeshot in front Aron Canet et Fermin Aldeguer.

In the first round, Tony Arbolino passes the Speed ​​Up driver, just like Somkiat Chantra while Peter Acosta minor fall in turn #6.

 

 

In the next passage, Tony Arbolino takes the best of Aron Canet while Sam Lowes, in fifth position, is the last driver less than a second behind the leader, ahead of the peloton led by Celestine Vietti.

In the fifth round, Roman Fenati fall while he was already in the hot seat in his team…

The five leading men are now well detached in front of the peloton, even if the fight between Tony Arbolino et Aron Canet allows to Ai Ogura to get a half-second lead.

 

With 17 laps to go, Sam Lowes fell lightly in turn #8 and the leading group was reduced to four drivers: Ai Ogura, Arón Canet, Tony Arbolino et Somkiat Chantra.

 

 

A lap later, the latter however made a mistake, which left the three leading men fighting for an almost assured place on the podium.

 

 

In the peloton, Jake dixon et Fermin Aldeguer hold on at turn #13 on an attack from the Briton.

 

The stage location, Marcos Ramirez (MV Agusta, MV Agusta Forward Team, #42), also fell without seriousness at turn #1.

A little before halfway, the leading trio now has more than three seconds ahead of the peloton led by Augusto Fernandez (Kalex, Red Bull KTM Ajo, #37) who took the advantage over the leader of the world championship.

Despite his injury, Aron Canet keeps the rhythm ofAi Ogura, and even gradually returns to the leader. Are we still going to have a denouement at the last turn?

Apparently not, because the last third of the race crossed the gap between the two men suddenly to more than a second, following jointly an error ofArón Canet and an acceleration of one Ai Ogura who probably doesn't want to get trapped in the famous last corner of Jerez...

 

The Japanese rider, who already scored his first pole position in Moto2 yesterday, seems on the verge of being able to win his first victory and do the hat trick with four laps remaining.

Indeed, the pilot of Hiroshi Aoyama crosses the finish line as winner with 2,5 seconds ahead of the very courageous  Arón Canet in tears, while Tony Arbolino complete the podium.

 

 

In the championship, Celestine Vietti still leads with 100 points ahead Ai Ogura (81) Tony Arbolino (70) and Arón Canet (69)

 

 

Results of the Moto2 Spanish Grand Prix in Jerez:

Credit classification motogp.com