Britain’s Sam Lowes has won at the Circuit de Jerez claiming his first win of the Moto2 season and extending his lead at the top of the Championship, in a race full of incidents.
What looked like a clean start for the field allowed Folger to take the lead with Lowes tucking in behind him. Corsi forced Baldassarri to sit up and Luthi made a fantastic save to avoid a high side sending him backwards through the field before settling in eleventh.
Halfway around the first lap, Honda Team Asia rider Ratthapark Wilairot and Tech 3’s Xavi Vierge had a big crash att turn five. When they settled in the gravel trap, Vierge was stuck under his bike only able to move his head but Wilairot appeared lifeless. Luckily, though, both appeared OK as the marshals escorted them to the safety area.
Folger led going into Lap two, but he made a mistake which forced him to run wide at turn six, this allowed Lowes who was in second to overtake and claim the lead where he remained for the remainder of the race.
Speed Up Racing team rider Simone Corsi crashed at turn two of the second lap as the bike slid away from under him; it was race over but he was unhurt. Pons rider Alex Rins was able to overtake Marc VDS rider Franco Morbidelli at turn three to claim third position from the Italian.
Lap three saw Spaniard Alex Marquez slide out of turn two ending his race; Marquez was able to walk away from the crash. During lap four Rins was able to clock the fastest lap of the race with time of 1:42.979; this time did not beat the circuit lap record of 1:42.876 set by Jonas Folger in 2014, or the new best lap time set by Lowes to gain pole ahead of the race with a time of 1:42.408.
Another crash occurred on lap four as Luca Marini and Sandro Cortese crashed out of turn two. This ended the race for Cortese, however, Marini was able to remount and continue.
On the next lap, it was 2015 Moto3 Champion Danny Kent who was the latest victim at Jerez as the British rider crashed at turn six after the front end folded (the same place he crashed at during the warm-up in the morning). Axel Pons crashed turn thirteen, unfortunately, ending his race.
Just ten laps remained and Marcel Schrotter crashed out at turn thirteen after losing the front end. He managed to get going again but he crashed again at turn nine forcing him to give up with thirteen laps to go; he luckily remained unhurt.
Miguel Oliveira had a disappointing early end to the Moto2 race in Jerez as he unfortunately crashed out turn four despite his fantastic efforts to make his way through the pack and battle for sixth position. His leg got caught up in the bike as it slid out but he was able to walk away from the crash.
Not much overtaking took place during the crash filled Moto2 race, one more occurred when Lorenzo Baldassarri lost it at turn six after losing the front end. He was able to pick it up and cross the line but was outside of the points in seventeenth.
Lowes won comfortably almost 2.5 seconds ahead of Folger who had a six second lead on third place Alex Rins. Morbidelli crossed the line in fourth ahead of the 2015 Moto2 Championship winner Johann Zarco who finished fifth despite a difficult weekend at Jerez. Luthi finished in second ahead of lap record holder Takaaki Nakagami aboard his Idemitsu Honda Team Asia Kalex. CarXpert Interwetten rider Dominique Aegerter finished in eighth ahead of SAG team rider Luis Salom and the fastest Speed Up bike ridden by QMMF Racing team rider Xavier Simeon.
Hafitzh Syahrin finished in twelfth on his Italtrans Racing Team Kalex ahead of the fastest Tech 3 rider Isaac Vinales (Tech 3 Racing) in thirteenth. Sports-Millions-EMWE-SAG Kalex rider Jesko Raffin finished in fourteenth ahead of CarXpert Interwetten rider Robin Mulhauser who claimed the final point towards the championship race.
Lowes now leads the championship with forty-seven points ahead of Rins (46) who needed a tow back to the pits from Zarco who sits third in the championship with forty-five points. There is then a eight point difference between him and Luthi in fourth who leads Aegerter, Folger and Corsi.
