Now it is time, for the junior riders, to tackle the Autodromo del Mugello. The fans are here in their thousands. It's warm, with no clouds in the sky. 1/3rd of the season has gone by. We are ready for a corker of a race as Brad Binder wants to go for three in a row. Romano Fenati is on his third career pole, with a special paint scheme on the bike, of the Italian flag. The hillsides are jammed. We've seen MotoGP and Moto2 produce fabulous races. Moto3 started the proceedings. Andrea Migno is second on the grid, a career best placing. Khairul Idham Pawi has qualified third. It would have been an Italian lockout of the front row. However, Francesco "Pecco" Bagnaia, had his qualifying time taken away.
Brad Binder wants to become the first South African rider, since Cork Ballington in the 250cc division in 1979, to win three straight races. Binder has favorite status at this point. Jorge Navarro has had seven podiums in ten races, but wants a win. Enea Bastianini starts in sixth place. Bastianini's wrist is still bothering him, and he missed the French race because of that, after a motocross accident. He has set a fast time for this race. The pressure is off him, though, because he's way behind Brad Binder in the points standings. Bastianini says he's ready to race. Niccolo Bulega is also one to watch. Pecco Bagnaia rolls off eighth, and right behind him, Spaniard Aron Canet. Another rookie, Joan Mir, completes the top ten.
Starting eleventh is Hiroki Ono of Japan. Andrea Migno has never been at the front of a Grand Prix motorcycle race. Bo Bendsneyder qualified thirteenth. Niccolo Antonelli has had qualifying issues, crashing at the Bucine corner, and having to start his Honda in 21st. Gabriel Rodrigo of Argentina, he has been handed a grid penalty. On the front row, it's both Sky VR46 machines, with Fenati, in P1. 33 riders will start. 20 laps scheduled for Moto3. Maria Hererra looks to have stalled her motorcycle on the grid as the rest of the riders set off on the warmup lap. The track and weather conditions are perfect for racing 23 degrees Celsius (73 degrees Fahrenheit), air temp. 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit), track temp.
Most riders are on medium rear tires and medium fronts. But Livio Loi has the softer option rear tire mounted on his bike. The slipstream is crucial here at Mugello as the straight is 1.1 kilometers long. Round six of the Moto3 championship in 2016, is, go! Romano Fenati and Khairul Idham Pawi start well. Brad Binder also has a very solid start from row two. Jorge Navarro tries to charge and so does Aron Canet! Khairul Idham Pawi tries passing Pecco Bagnaia into Casanova, and Bagnaia slams the door in his face. Hiroki Ono also makes a pass on Pawi. Niccolo Antonelli moves up to 19th spot. Plunging into Correntaio, the bikes remain single file as we approach the completion of lap one.
Enea Bastianini is tenth and has to try to pass his competition, as the slipstream begins, in earnest. Pecco Bagnaia has a look inside Brad Binder. Brad Binder sweeps past three riders! He tries to pass Andrea Migno under braking. But, Migno holds station. Migno leads. Romano Fenati, though, has been pushed down to fifth place. Migno leads as Fenati has passed Bagnaia. Binder runs wide. Navarro goes to the lead at Poggio Secco. Jakub Kornfeil is making a charge through this field. Andrea Migno has not been up at the sharp end of the grid. Migno takes the lead from Jorge Navarro.
Ono and Pawi also have the drive to go for the lead! Who will it be? It's Hiroki Ono! But now, Pawi sweeps through, past Ono! Pawi charges from seventh, to first! He passed an entire group of riders! There's more good news for Pawi! He's turned the fastest lap of the race so far at 1:58.332. Romano Fenati strikes back, and he's up to second. However, fellow Italian Enea Bastianini, is going backwards in a hurry. Fenati, Navarro, and Pawi, the top three. This is a rip snorting Moto3 race at Mugello, ladies and gentlemen! Fabio Quartararo also languishes and is 16th.
Niccolo Antonelli is now 18th. Hiroki Ono, meanwhile, squeezes his way underneath Jorge Navarro. Pawi loses a spot to Pecco Bagnaia. Ono leads, and Navarro is charging. Juanfran Guevara sets new fast lap at 1:58 flat. 1:58.009 precisely. Lorenzo Dalla Porta and Fabio Di Giantonio are also running really well at this stage. Lorenzo Dalla Porta, is a local rider, standing in for the injured Phillip Oettl in this race. Fenati and Bagnaia pass for position. Bo Bendsneyer of Holland, he's 22nd, but is a mere 2.8 seconds off the lead! This is very close, action packed racing, from the Moto3 squad here at Mugello!
The riders jockey for position and go six or seven abreast into turn one at San Donato! Holy mackerel! Hang onto your hollyhocks here boys and girls! Migno and Binder now run 1-2. Lorenzo Dalla Porta as a stand in rider, is doing a fabulous job. These riders are starting to get aggressive and this race is going down at a tremendous clip. Aron Canet has also forced his way past Lorenzo Dalla Porta. Brad Binder has moved his way into second place. Jorge Martin runs inside the top ten. The way these blokes are running, you'd think it was the start of the race all over again. A frantic pace is being set.
Fabio De Giantonio is really running well. Aron Canet has been demoted a few spots. Folks. Check this out! Fabio Di Giantonio, the Moto3 rookie, now leads at Mugello! Juanfran Guevara gets loose, and how he stayed atop that KTM motorcycle, goodness only knows! Fifteen laps remain. Romano Fenati continues to lead. It is impossible to escape from other riders. Try to pull out a gap, and make sure you cross the line first. Dalla Porta and Ono nearly wreck going through Scarperia and Pollagio. Fabio Quartararo has moved up to tenth as Andrea Migno has unfortunately sunk from the lead to 12th. Jorge Navarro passes and moves from third to first.
Fenati does retake the lead, though. Brad Binder has now taken the lead through San Donato as Khairul Idham Pawi comes to second. Brad Binder is pushing, running in the lead, and also, continuing to lead the Moto3 world championship, as Darryn Binder almost challenges. However, while his brother leads, Darryn Binder takes a tank slapper at Arrabiata 1. Game over. Enea Bastianini is way down to 18th and of course, Andrea Migno has also fallen down the order as Hiroki Ono has now taken the race lead. Fabio Quartararo has almost taken the race lead! Will he squeeze Navarro out?
Fabio Quartararo, takes the race lead! He's back on form, here, at Mugello. Navarro and Di Giantonio almost touch! Maintain your position in the top group. 23 riders are in this train, with Bo Bendsneyder as the caboose. Fabio Di Giantonio goes for the lead and takes it. Meanwhile, Romano Fenati, he is also fighting on the outside. Binder and Pawi make contact. Di Giantonio leads over Fenati at this stage, working lap ten, and we are halfway home in this Moto3 contest. Oh dear! This is the turning point of this race! Romano Fenati, the pole man, it's game over! He's stopped on course!
Brad Binder, is now leading. He was seventh, and has moved into the lead. We also see Niccolo Bulega is trying to move to third. Amazingly, Brad Binder, is the only rider of the top dozen, who has won a Moto3 race. We have reached the halfway mark in this race. Will anyone draft past Binder? Ono is going to try. It's close. But, Binder gets sandwiched between motorcycles! Binder plummets to sixth. RBA Racing is now in contention with both Juanfran Guevara, and Gabriel Rodrigo, (either one, actually), has moved into contention. Bulega was moving to his left, didn't see Binder, and... slam! They nearly crashed, as Binder was trying to avoid Bulega coming across!
Fabio Quartararo leads Hiroki Ono right now. Maria Herrera is 24th. Oh dear! Jorge Navarro has crashed out! Navarro is down at Bucine. Eight laps to go. Brad Binder is now going for the jugular in terms of the championship. Binder will be able to extend his lead to 50 points, with his two championship rivals out of the race (namely Fenati and Navarro). Quartararo continues to lead as Lorenzo Dalla Porta tries for the lead, but Niccolo Bulega flies to the lead from seventh! Andrea Migno started second but is way down now. Andrea Locatelli has crashed out. Game over through Lucco and Poggio Secco.
Whoa! More argy bargy, as Pawi clips the rear of Quartararo! Lorenzo Dalla Porta leads here at Mugello. It's impossible to call who will win. Dalla Porta leads. He also won the CEV Junior World Championship race at Le Mans. Now Fabio Quartararo has taken the lead as Jorge Martin runs wide through San Donato. Lorenzo Dalla Porta makes an aggressive move up the inside of Fabio Di Giantonio. Romano Fenati had the chain break on his bike. Any one in this group of 10-15 riders could win the Mugello Moto3 race. Quartararo leads and Pecco Bagnaia pushes his way past Brad Binder. Bagnaia closes on Quartararo through Casanova and Sevelli.
Enea Bastianini is coming, fast. Sadly, Andrea Migno is way down in 16th. Aron Canet sweeps past Fabio di Giantonio and also Khairul Idham Pawi. Canet could eat up Brad Binder. Quartararo still leads, with Binder passing Bagnaia. Just three laps to go. Di Giantonio assumes the lead from fourth as Bagnaia slides into the corner way, way, way too hot! This is through San Donato. The rookies are really performing like veteran riders in this race as Hiroki Ono passes Pawi. Di Giantonio makes a mistake through Arrabiata 1. Quartararo loses fourth to Hiroki Ono through Scarperia. Brad Binder has the advantage right now.
Two laps to go and Quartararo gets a brilliant drive into San Donato. Niccolo Antonelli and Joan Mir have also entered the picture. Quartararo still leads as Binder passes through Casanova. Aron Canet is being passed left and right. Pecco Bagnaia goes under Brad Binder. We begin the final lap at Mugello. Hiroki Ono is coming on like a steam locomotive, and so is Brad Binder! Aron Canet and Niccolo Antonelli are up there, too. But, Binder, who was sixth, now moves to P1! Binder runs wide and Francesco Bagnaia tries taking advantage. But, Binder, throws the block. Bagnaia under pressure from Quartararo!
If Binder has the lead through Casanova, he could win this race. Bagnaia goes inside Quartararo. He wants to chase down Binder. Binder opens a gap, taking a defensive line. Binder has played these tactics, perfectly. Oh dear! Rider down! It's Khairul Idham Pawi! If Francesco Bagnaia wants to win, he'll have to dive bomb binder through the last turn at Bucine. Out of the last corner, Aron Canet has a massive high side! He's down and out! Brad Binder, barely holds on, for a hat trick! Fabrizio Di Giantonio, almost pulls it off. But, Binder, is the winner, in Italy!
#41 Brad Binder RSA KTM
Wham, bam, thank you mam! This is Binder's championship to lose. Poor old Aron Canet wrecks. Pecco Bagnaia is on the podium. Seven hundredths of a second, covers the top five, across the start/finish line! Still catching up with these races. So, the next one, for Moto3, will be the Catalunya Grand Prix in Barcelona, Spain. Stay tuned, for a race report.
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