The runner up last season blasted out the blocks and straight to the top step in Lombok, with Guevara second and Tatay taking a first podium in third.
That’s about as good as it gets if your name is Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing). The Italian dominated the Moto3™ race at the Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia to claim his first victory of the season – and the World Championship lead with it. Izan Guevara (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) picked up a hard-fought P2, with polesitter Carlos Tatay (CFMoto Racing PrüstelGP) brilliantly recovering from a Long Lap Penalty to earn a maiden Grand Prix podium in third.
There was drama before the race started for second on the grid Diogo Moreira (MT Helmets – MSI), with the Brazilian rookie suffering an issue with his machine and forced to start from the back of the grid. Back at the front, Sergio Garcia (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) grabbed an impressive holeshot from seventh on the grid, with Andrea Migno (Rivacold Snipers Team) and Foggia making their own great starts from the second row.
Foggia made it to the front and was joined by Migno, Garcia and Guevara, with the quartet able to pull a gap in the opening five laps. Foggia then decided to put the hammer down and the Italian was 1.5s clear on Lap 7 of 23, as Championship leader Migno had a front-end scare at the final corner. By Lap 9, Foggia’s lead was up to 3.2s, with Guevera opening up a 0.5s gap in second place.
Garcia had slipped back into the clutches of Migno, Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo), Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech3), Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Ayumu Sasaki (Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max), but the Spaniard suddenly turned up the wick to reel in Guevara with 10 laps to go. By this stage at the front though, Foggia had checked out – his lead up to 5.1s.
With Foggia producing a flawless race, it was all eyes on the battle for second. Guevara, Migno, Öncü, Garcia, Masia, Holgado and Sasaki were now joined by Xavier Artigas (CFMoto Racing PrüstelGP), Elia Bartolini (QJMotor Avintia Racing Team), Tatay and Tatsuki Suzuki (Leopard Racing).
Heading onto the final lap, Guevera was 0.9s ahead of the charging Tatay and Garcia. Foggia was four seconds up the road and cruising to victory, and Tatay was then wide at Turn 10 to allow Garcia into the final podium position. But at the penultimate corner the number 99 struck back, keeping it over the line and coming home behind Guevara.
At the front though, no one had an answer for Foggia as he popped a wheelie over the line to confirm his dominant victory, still more than two seconds clear at the flag. Guevara’s second is his first podium of the season, and for Tatay the incredible charge to the podium marks his first visit to the rostrum, as well as the first for CFMoto.
Garcia took fourth but some solid points, just two behind Foggia and in second, with Öncü completing the top five. Artigas took P6 ahead of Masia after the number 5 escaped a tangle with Öncü late on, with Bartolini, Holgado and Suzuki completing the top ten.
Sasaki and Migno crashed on the final lap – the Japanese rider tagging the back of Migno at Turn 10. The number 71 has been given a Long Lap penalty for the Moto3™ race in Argentina.
Ryusei Yamanaka (MT Helmets – MSI) beat Kaito Toba (CIP – Green Power) to 11th, with a trio of rookies completing the points. The first was Scott Ogden (VisionTrack Racing Team) as the Brit finished close to the Japanese veterans just ahead, impressing with his first Grand Prix points.
Then came the home hero: Mario Aji (Honda Team Asia). The Indonesian took an incredible front row on Saturday and backed it up with his first points on Sunday despite a Long Lap, taking a big step forward on home turf. Matteo Bertelle (QJMotor Avintia Racing Team) took the final point in P15, the Italian rookie crossing the line a couple of tenths behind Aji but after having taking two Long Lap penalties – the first for a shortcut, and the second for failing to take the first.
That’s a wrap on another classic weekend of Moto3™ action, with Argentina up next. Foggia is in the driving seat now but Garcia only trails by a single point… so what will Termas de Rio Hondo bring? Find out in just under two weeks!
Moto3™ PODIUM
1 Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing) – Honda – 38’51.668
2 Izan Guevara (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) – GASGAS – +2.612
3 Carlos Tatay (CFMoto Racing PrüstelGP) – CFMoto – +3.639
Dennis Foggia: “I don’t have words. It was so hot. It was incredible, the race. Yesterday, I was unlucky in the qualifying because I crashed when I was being fast, but finally I finished in 6th position. Now, I know that we had a good pace for the race. In the last lap, it was impossible to breathe, it was so hard. This my best hard race in my life. Incredible. I’m very happy for me and for my team. I would like to thanks to all my team, my family, all my friends and my girlfriend. See you in Argentina!”
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