At the start, Jonas Folger takes the lead as Sandro Cortese loses places. Zulhfammi Khairuddin comes out of the blocks well. Romano Fenati is also moving up. Danny Kent gets a good start. Luis Salom is ninth. Coming into turn nine, Efren Vazquez is pressing Khairuddin. Louis Rossi is now fifth. Sandro Cortese moves past Khairuddin onto the back straight. Miguel Oliviera is coming up, too. Folger is gapping the field already with two laps completed. Dark clouds loom over the raceway. Jonas Folger is streaking away from everyone else.
Sandro Cortese doesn’t want Efren Vazquez behind him as he
knows he’ll be pressured as Ricardo Moretti has crashed. Zulhfammi Khairuddin wants a win, but he’s
also got a chance for the podium. The
physical difficulty of this race as well as focus is becoming evident. 18 laps are scheduled. Louis Rossi is now fourth. Khairuddin runs a fast lap in the 2:15
range. He wants by Folger and has more
power down the back straightaway. Efren
Vazquez is shuffled down to seventh.
Louis Rossi passes Sandro Cortese, but Cortese will come back by.
Jonas Folger is favored for this race because he was quicker
than anyone else in practice and qualifying.
Khairuddin tries Folger, but can’t get there. Cortese and Rossi follow. If you are too careful as a motorcycle rider,
you will have issues. Jonas Folger got
taken out last weekend in Japan. But
he’s ahead now. Sandro Cortese is in the
right spot and has continued his streak of running well all year. Louis Salom is still in this battle. He has to win. Maverick Vinales is not in this race as he’s
chosen not to race in the final three races.
He’s got issues with his team.
Louis Rossi ditches his bike right in front of Luis
Salom. Fortunately, Rossi was the only
one involved, and he did pick up his bike.
He couldn’t quite hang on to the bike.
Three laps to halfway. Sandro
Cortese is still running behind Jonas Folger and Zulfahmmi Khairuddin. Khairuddin runs better than Cortese through
the slower parts of the track. Luis
Salom has nothing to lose, even if he uses up his tires to catch the rest of
the front pack. Romano Fenati and
Nicolas Ajo battle. Danny Kent passes
Miguel Oliviera.
The front group is pulling ahead. All this is doing is helping Sandro
Cortese. Luis Salom patiently reels in
Cortese even though Cortese is really in this battle. It’s a four way scrap at the front. Cortese blocks Salom. But he still gets by. Danny Kent is 1.6 seconds behind this group
at the front. Rain could approach. It probably won’t be there for this
race. Ten laps remain now. Both Mahindra bikes are out. Those are Danny Webb and Ricardo
Moretti. Luis Salom has to win if he
wants to beat Cortese. But Cortese wants
the race and the championship in one fell swoop.
Three more laps will be run should the rain comke for the
race to be official. John McPhee is
nowhere near the leading group but is still running well. Cortese has caught the leaders. It’s Salom that is a concern after he’s been
locking the front brake. There are spots
of rain on track. It seems to be at the
back of the track as it’s dry on the front straight and in pit lane. Rain signals have gone out and the riders
will need to step up the pace. Two more
laps before it’s a full race, otherwise the distance will be reduced as
Zulhfammi Khairuddin tries to make a move.
If this race is stopped, you want to be in front.
Rain is still not there yet.
Can Zulhfammi Khairuddin battle Folger?
Yes! He passes Jonas Folger. If he can lead this lap and then lead the
next lap, the race is very well over.
One more lap to go to have it declared an official race. He’s the first Malaysian to start from pole
in Moto 3. Could he win his home
race? Everyone would have to complete
this lap to be scored. It’s
possible. Jonas Folger is really going
after Khairuddin as Danny Kent passes Luis Salom for fourth.
Sandro Cortese will be champion. But, Cortese tries passing Andrea
Tonucci. Arthur Sissis and Jack Miller
are also there. Khairuddin runs
wide. It’s Folger vs. Khairuddin for the
lead. They’re side by side and
Khairuddin takes the lead. Folger wants
this. The rain is starting to come
down. Cortese will win the
championship. But, who wins the
race? Folger takes the lead back. No.
Khairuddin hangs on. He wants his
home race win! Folger is back in the
lead. The race should be red flagged
very soon. Who is going to win this?
The scoring will go back a lap. Folger slides but keeps the lead. Who is going to win? Folger leads the way. Khairuddin has to take the lead and he does
it! Can he hook up into the last corner? Yes.
The fans go bonkers! Five laps
remain. No red flags. Luis Salom passes both Miguel Oliviera and
Danny Kent. Sandro Cortese’s parents are
watching. They’re understandably
nervous. Can Khairuddin be the first
Malaysian to win a motorcycle Grand Prix at his home race? Five laps remain now. If the red flag comes out, Khairuddin is the
winner.
Khairuddin and Cortese are team mates. Cortese passes Jonas Folger for second. He
wants to seal the title in style. He’ll
be the very first Moto 3 champ. Four
laps remain. Who does it? The Germans are tussling. Zulhfammi Khairuddin still leads. He’s at his home race, turning 21 last
Saturday. The track is just ten
kilometers from where Khairuddin lives.
Three laps remain. The rain is
here, but it’s a very light drizzle.
This race might go to the end.
Will Cortese get the victory and the title? He wants to get both at the same time.
Khairuddin holds off Cortese again. Cortese is in a decent spot. The sky is totally black at one point on the
track. Cortese is trying to pass
Khairuddin. Folger is third. But he’s a ways behind. Don’t take your team mate out. Jack Miller is up to thirteenth. Arthur Sissis is in ninth. John McPhee is 21st. Danny Kent is now sixth behind Luis Salom and
Miguel Oliviera. Khairuddin and Cortese
have 2/10ths of a second between them.
There’s still rain imminent. But
it will hold off for the Moto 3 race.
The crowd is going berserk.
Just one lap to go in the Moto 3 Malaysian Grand Prix. Zulhfammi Khairuddin is being cheered
home.
Cortese is trying to protect
Khairuddin. Will he make a move? Cortese might be trying to take the lead, or
will he let Khairuddin win? Everything’s
crossed. Take a deep breath. Cortese is powering down back in the lead,
down the straight. Khauiruddin comes
by. But Cortese gets the win and is Moto
3 World Champion!
#3 Sandro Cortese
GER KTM
Champion:
#3 Sandro Cortese
GER KTM
The next race for Moto 3 will be the penultimate round at
Philip Island in Australia, for the Australian Grand Prix, this weekend.
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