Red Bull KTM Ajos Danny Kent who took his maiden victory in an extremely dramatic Moto3 today at Motegi ahead of Maverick Viales and Alessandro Tonucci.
Whilst Kent got away from the line best, it was RW Racing GPs Luis Salom who got past to lead the first few corners. Two laps in and it was Mapfre Aspar Team Moto2s Jonas Folger who led a front group of four riders, with Red Bulls Sandro Cortese heading a big group for fifth. Technomag-CIPs Alan Techer was given a ride through penalty because of a jump start, as the leading group with Folger, Salom, Kent and AirAsia-SIC-Ajos Zulfahmi Khairuddin started to pull out a gap. Meanwhile, Mahindra Racings Alessandro Moretti was forced to retire with a mechanical issue, while Racing Team Germanys Toni Finsterbusch also had a problem with his bike on the home straight.
With 13 laps remaining the top four were being closed down by a pursuing group of three led by Team Italia FMIs Alessandro Tonucci, with Cortese and Blusens Avintias Maverick Viales in tow. Five laps on and it was Folger and Kent that were taking turns leading the race, as Tonucci was stalking them in third, making his move into second behind Folger as the group headed into the final seven laps.
Cortese, who had looked to be cruising, moved past his teammate Kent into third with six laps remaining, as Viales also started to gather momentum. Three laps before the end Saloms teammate Brad Binder was forced to retire, as the battle at the front truly commenced with the top six going fairing to fairing.
The last lap could not have been any more dramatic, as Salom pushed for the lead into turn one and took out leader Folger. With Cortese in the lead and Viales in fourth, the title was set to be the Germans, however Kent and Tonucci pushed their way past Cortese, with the German touching Tonuccis wheels and dropping his bike, lucky to escape injury as the Italian hit him. Cortese was able to remount, yet could only cross the line in sixth.
In the end it was Kent who came out best to take the chequered flag to record his first ever win, ahead of Maverick Viales and Alessandro Tonucci, who recorded his first ever podium. This now moves Viales into second in the championship, 56 points behind Cortese. Behind the trio in fourth was Estrella Galicia 0,0s Alex Rins, followed by Khairuddin, Cortese, Rins teammate Miguel Oliveira, Racing Team Germanys Louis Rossi, JHK t-shirt Laglisses Efrn Vzquez and Tonuccis teammate Romano Fenati.
Salom was subsequently penalised for the incident with Folger, with the Spainard deemed as riding in an irresponsible manner during the Moto3 race, causing danger to rider Jonas Folger, which is an infringement to the article 1.21.2 of the 2012 FIM Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix regulations, meaning he has a five place grid penalty in Sepang next weekend. No appeal was lodged by his team.
