Here are the highlights of the Moto 2 race from Autodromo Estoril.
Twenty six laps are scheduled for this race. The bikes are off on their formation lap.
At the start, all bikes get away well with Marc Marques, Tom Luthi and Scott Redding leading. Actually, Max Neukirchner and Pol Espargaro both had good starts. Marques is being chased by Luthi. Toni Elias and Bradley Smith battle as well coming up to the end of the first lap. Neukirchner battles with Johann Zarco of France. Marques and Luthi are beginning a definite battle. Andrea Ianonni and others are coming up quickly. Luthi tries holding off Marques. Scott Redding passes Neukirchner. Pol Espargaro wants by Marc Marques and can't quite get there.
There's a four bike breakaway at the front. It's Luthi, Marques, Espargaro and Ianonni. Brad Smith drops to twelfth and Mika Kallio moves up. Ianonni ran fastest lap at a 1:41.8. Marc Marques is just riding around. He wants to save what he has for the end of the race. Six or seven bikes are glued together. Andrea Ianonni twitches into the chicane and Scott Redding tried to pass, but thought better of it. Johan Zarco passes Pol Espargaro for third place. Zarco set new fast lap but Mika Kallio is even quicker. He's carved his way through the field. Kallio used to ride in MotoGP. He's also ridden 125cc and 250cc bikes.
Tom Luthi runs a 1:41.49 and Marques and Zarco both run laps at 1:41.8. Marc Marques is cruising right now. He's got nineteen wins in Moto 2. Can he make it 20 today? Tito Rebaque is 11th now. Gino Rea has electrical problems on his bike and he'll need to make a second pit stop. Pol Espargaro sets a new fast lap that would have given him pole. But, Zarco (the Frenchman) is quick, too. Scott Redding seems to be fading. Thomas Luthi continues to lead. Pol Espargaro is going after Tom Luthi. Meanwhile, the top five hasn't really changed as a whole. Sixteen laps are left.
Marques passes Zarco down the front straight. Andrea Ianonni has run wide and given a spot to Scott Redding. Redding is fifth. Toni Elias is running sixth ahead of Ianonni. Elias was champion in Moto 2 two years ago. Elias is catching Redding. Luthi continues to lead, halfway through the race. Axel Pons slid off his bike and thankfully recovered. Everyone thought Marques would run away with this race. That hasn't happened. Pol Espargaro tries passing Marques and Marques defends his spot. Will Marques go after Luthi? Espargaro may have tire degradation issues.
Zarco hangs on in fourth place as the bikes complete another lap. Marques is quicker by 3/10ths of a second over the other riders. Simone Corsi slides wide off the track as Alex de Angelis and others make successful passes into the top ten. Scott Redding's race seems to be getting worse. Ten laps to go. It will be a battle between Luthi and Marques. Catching is one thing while passing is another. Bradley Smith passes Scott Redding. Two British riders having a scrap. This lead battle is intense. Pol Espargaro is still lurking in third place.
Marques (I think), just set a lap in the 1:40 bracket. Marques passes Luthi for the lead and Espargaro also gets by. Luthi is now third. The bikes nearly went three wide! Luthi is flying right now. The bikes move into Interior Parabolica. Marques is the points leader right now. Pol Espargaro tries to set up a pass. Esteve Rebat goes down. Corsi also fell down. Just six more laps to run. Zarco is still running fourth, but, he'll end up in the top half dozen.
Alex de Angelis passes Toni Elias. They were former team mates in MotoGP. Mike di Meglio dumps his bike. It's getting down to the end of the race. Just four laps to run. Marques wants to dispense with Espargaro. There's lapped traffic in the way.; Blue flags should be waving to signal the backmarkers. It's Marques and Espargaro! This will be a hammer and tongs battle. These two riders are the winners of the previous races in Jerez and Qatar. Simone Corsi (as mentioned) is out. He crashed. Espargaro is right on Marques' rear wheel. Johan Zarco holds fourth. Mika Kallio has passed Toni Elias for eighth place.
Julian Simon is also back there someplace. But, it's the battle between Espargaro and Marques. Espargaro tried passing and couldn't quite do it. He's done it tiwce and now a third time! Marques is pushed out wide and then goes back by Espargaro! These two are hammering each other. Espargaro is right on Marques' rear tire. Espargaro runs wide and Marques has been handed the win! Marques wins his second GP of the year.
#93 Marc Marques ESP Suter
Next race: France (Le Mans Bugatti Circuit)
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