Fermin Aldeguer got a far from perfect start but worked his way back into the race, then powered away for a third win in a row in the Moto2 Qatar Grand Prix at Lusail.
The championship may have already been decided by round nineteen but Aldeguer still had plenty to show off as he again gave a strong performance for his third win on the bounce.
The Beta Tools Speed Up rider started fourth and ran wide on the first lap, synchronised with his fellow Boscoscuro rider Alonso Lopez who did the same behind.
That saw the Spaniard rejoin in ninth. His other wins being dominant performances from pole, this time Aldeguer got to show something different.
Powering forward, pulling off overtakes at different points all over the track the #54 was fif th by lap six, and kept moving on, his decisive, clinical passing seeing him first by lap nine.
From there Aldeguer was unstoppable. Instantly pulling away he was only helped by some fierce racing behind to lead over the line by a huge 2.643s.
Aron Canet held second for much of the race, but his position of bridesmaid again was under pressure.
First podium finish for Gonzalez
Many times this season Manuel Gonzalez had run in the lead group only to finish fifth of worse. This time the Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46 Team rider was not going to give up a podium. Once clear of rivals looking for third, the Spaniard realised he still had a shot at second able to keep up and take part in the ever changing new race lap records out front.
Canet was amongst the slowest of the front riders, allowing Gonzalez a sniff of second. Canet took the position back and the two swapped places several times on the final lap again before the #18 bike came out in front.
His last lap heroics saw Gonzalez take second – his first ever grand prix podium finish. The Kalez rider was hoarse in parc ferme from shouting at himself in his helmet over the final corners.
Canet completed an all Spanish rostrum, his sixth podium of the season was his first time in third.
An equally fierce battle for fourth raged on behind.
That saw Jake Dixon at war with Ai Ogura, the Japanese rider was one of several to set a new record lap in the closing stages. That saw him close on Dixon, who was top three throughout the opening laps.
They took turns to slide underneath each other and block by it was the Idemitsu Honda Team Asai rider who timed it right, slipping ahead to take fourth, with Aspar’s Dixon fifth.
Celestino Vietti staged a comeback after slipping back to tenth , rallying for sixth for Fantic Racing.
Somkiat Chantra never troubled the lead group, passed by Vietti late on he had to settle for seventh on the second Idemitsu entry.
Champion Acosta eighth
It was q quiet weekend for Pedro Acosta, the newly crowned Moto2 world champion. His first year in Moto2 was peppered with strong results but the Qatar opener wasn’t one of them – he went from tenth on the grid to twelfth in the race.
This round under the floodlights went pretty much the same way. Unlike Aldeguer, who had dominated before qualifying, then bounced back in the race, Acosta was off the pace on Saturday in seventh and soon found himself outside the top ten at Lusail.
Pushing as hard as he could, the Red Bull KTM rider worked his way forward to eighth, but it was again Aldeguer taking the plaudits and the limelight in his title winning year.
Equally happy to have secured second overall, Tony Arbolino qualified in eleventh but got off to a bright start, the elf Marc VDS rider was nudged wide by Joe Roberts on his way backwards, dropping him to tenth on lap eight, where he remained come the chequered flag.
After his own excursion wide Lopez finished just ahead in ninth.
Roberts had started on pole and lead the first lap before slipping backwards on his way to eleventh for Italtrans, never really regaining his early rhythm.
Sam Lowes had the pace to run at the front but got a poor lauch off the line,sending him backwards from fifth on the grid rapidly. Fastest on the very last lap, Lowes leaves with the new race lap record on his last visit to Qatar with Marc VDS.
The remaining points on offer went to Marcos Ramirez in 13th for American Racing, Darryn Binder who was the top Moto2 rookie in the race in 14th for Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP and Jeremy Alcoba in 15th for QJMotor Gresini.
Sergio Garcia, the rookie of the year held 15th for most of the race but late fighting or the final slots saw him finish 16th for Pons Wegow Los40.
Crashes, injuries and replacements
There are no regular riders out of action and replaced, but several didn’t make it to the end of the race.Filip Salac didn’t even get started after an issue with his bike on the warm-up lap.
Sean Dylan Kelly was the first to exit the race, on lap four. He was joined in the gravel by Lukas Tulovic and Kohta Nozane.
Where does that leave the championship?
With the title decided in Malaysia, only the final points totals and third place are left to be decided.
Acosta picked up an additional eight in eighth,moving his winning tally to 328.5. Arbolino is also assued of second. He grabbed another five points in eleventh for 248.5.
Jake Dixon still sits third but is under pressure from Aldeguer after his three wins. Dixon moves onto 196, with Aldeguer picking up another 25 taking him to 187 – just nine points behind the Brit with one race remaining.
Keyword: Qatar Moto2: Aldeguer claims third consecutive win in dominant style