Qualifying:
Quali had Sam Lowes on pole, Raul Fernandez P2 and Ai Ogura P3.
The Race:
Sam Lowes had a great start from the grid and led in to turn one, not so for Stefano Manzi and Jorge Navarro who crashed out, Manzi recovering, Navarro not. So on lap one, it was Sam Lowes in the lead with Raul Fernandez chasing him down and Ai Ogura close by. Remy Gardner, who has been blazing in recent races, got caught up in the fracas that was turn one, and was P8.
Twenty three laps to go and Raul Fernandez slipped past Sam Lowes for the lead with Ai Ogura a solid P3 and looking good, and in P4 Augusto Fernandez was part of this leading group of four who were already gapping the rest of the field. Cameron Beaubier was given a double long lap penalty for irresponsible riding, the stewards pinning the turn one incident at his door.
Twenty laps to go and with Raul Fernandez firmly in the lead and Ai Ogura planted in P2, Augusto Fernandez overtook his Elf Marc VDS teammate Sam Lowes to take P3.
And that’s all folks, well almost. Raul Fernandez had been leading for twenty laps, with Ai Ogura close, and with three laps to go, he was getting closer. Augusto Fernandez and Sam Lowes were trailing a bit in P3 and P4. So if anyone was going to take it to Raul it was Ai and he did in the last three laps, however, Raul then put the hammer down and answered the Ogura call.
Results:
the win to Raul Fernandez, Red Bull KTM Ajo/Kalex. P2 Ai Ogura Idemitsu Honda Team Asia/Kalex. P3 Augusto Fernandez, Elf Marc VDS Racing Team/Kalex. P4 Sam Lowes, Elf Marc VDS Racing Team/Kalex. Remy Gardner was P7. Congratulations to Ai Ogura on his first premier class podium!
In a post-race interview, Raul thanked the team and his family and then said this win was for the “haters”, for those who said, he never get to a podium again after the last race. Apparently, he has had been getting very negative social media comments. Raul provided the best statement on track, he’s a winner, not a loser like the haters on social media.
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Author: Martin Northern
Founder of Bike Directory
