Moto 2 comes to the Mugello Circuit and as they do, it is dry. This is round five of the championship. The track at Mugello is 3.259 miles. Sandro Cortese is getting better in Moto 2, after winning the Moto 3 championship last year. Scott Redding has the pole for this 21 lap race. The bikes are off on their sighting lap, getting ready for a start.
At the start, Taaki Nakagami and Pol Espargaro both get good starts. Nakagami has an edge as Nico Terol comes to second. Johann Zarco and Tito Rabat are going for it as Pol Espargaro gets trapped in 13th behind Simone Corsi. Mika Kallio gets a good start, too. Scott Redding wants this, badly. But, both the Indonesian riders go down in San Donato. It's Rafid Topan Sucipto and Doni Tata Pradita. Through Casanova and Arrabiata, the bikes have settled down and are running single file as Taaki Nakagami leads. Pol Espargaro runs behind Tom Luthi.
Alex de Angelis also passes. Louis Rossi and Matteo Passini both get penalties. Nico Terol is quickest on track at a 1:51.6. Scott Redding is pushing Takaaki Nakagami. Both these riders still want their first wins in Moto 2 and in Grand Prix racing. Johann Zarco is fourth. Tito Rabat, Mika Kallio, and Xavier Simeon are all doing well in this race. The field comes back into San Donato another time. Redding takes the lead in Poggio Secco. Johann Zarco and Nico Terol are running quickly, both in the 1:53 bracket. Pol Espargaro battles with Marcel Schrotter.
Nico Terol slides through Bucine. Alex de Angelis is also having to hang onto his bike. Mika Kallio might make his way forward. On lap five, Terol runs quick lap as Taaki Nakagami slides. Tito Rabat slides off in turn one. Where is he? Rabat rejoins, but he's sunk down the running order. He wiggles the bike in the gravel, staying on it. Terol runs fast lap at 1:53.7. Redding leads this race. Johann Zarco sets new fast lap at 1:53 flat. Mugello can beat up the tires if riders aren't careful.
Simone Corsi and Mika Kallio are both moving up. Johann Zarco passes Nico Terol. This race is now seven laps old. Nico Terol got loose in Biondetti, allowing Zarco to pass. Alex de Angelis passes his team mate. Simone Corsi is losing spots. Jordi Torrres is also there. Redding is taking off as Xavier Simeon passes someone. Not sure who. Mika Kallio has run the gamut of bikes. 125cc, 250cc, MotoGP, and Moto 2. Tito Rabat falls down the order.
Someone has crashed. It's Takaaki Nakagami. Game over. Nico Terol is catching Scott Redding for the race lead with twelve laps remaining in the race. Steven Odendaal from South Africa, crashes his bike and walks away. Nico Terol leads over Redding and Zarco. Mika Kallio is being pushed by Xavier Simeon. Pol Espargaro runs behind Jordi Torres. Redding seems to be strong in the back part of the track, while Terol has an advantage on the other side.
Tito Rabat has fallen to 21st. Danny Kent is having a fraught race and so is his team mate Louis Rossi. Nico Terol is now able to challenge for wins in Moto 2. Tito Rabat is going well as Pol Espargaro is struggling. Johann Zarco is trying to keep up with the top two. Toni Elias sets his personal best lap. Can Redding pour on the steam, trying to pass Terol? Well, he can't take risks, even though he's got a large points lead. Terol squares the corners. Redding takes the lead away from Terol, through his different riding technique.
Alex de Angelis is moving up as Xavier Simeon holds off Mika Kallio, coming back into San Donato. Ratthpark Wilairot is also in a scrap, down the order. Axel Pons is also doing well. Jordi Torres is coming on strong, too. Six laps left. Redding has to keep a gap. Taaki Nakagaami is out of this race and is unsure as to how his crash happened. Nakagaami is OK. Redding opens his gap up over Terol. Redding wants his second straight win in Moto 2. Five laps to go. The pit boards are telling the riders to breathe, and focus.
Axel Pons is out of the race. Xavier Simeon gets hit by Alex de Angelis, and Simeon falls. Oof. He'll be OK. Simeon is OK. But he was punted at San Donato. Through Buccini, there's just four laps left, and Scott Redding could do it. Rodney Gould was the last rider to win two straight races in the intermediate bike class in Grand Prix racing, way back in 1971. Just two laps remain in this race. But, it looks like Redding is going to do it.
Mika Kallio, on the second Marc VDS bike, is still being hounded by Jordi Torres. Pol Espargaro passes for fourth spot as he's in damage control mode coming to the end. One more lap to go. He tucks under the fairing, to get more aerodynamic. Can Mika Kallio get a good result? He is Redding's team mate. Pol Espargaro wants to hold fourth spot. Kallio fends off a challenge from Simone Corsi. It's the last lap now. Redding will win his second straight Moto 2 race for the very first time. Scott Redding is the winner!
#45 Scott Redding GBR Kalex Quedgley
The next Moto 2 race is going to be another event in Spain, with the rest of the MotoGP bunch, at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona, coming up in two weeks.
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