Izan Guevara took his first win of the season in almost unbelievable style at the Spanish Grand Prix, the number 28 pulling off a stunner round the outside of the final corner to just pip teammate and Championship leader Sergio Garcia to the line.
Garcia took the traditional route and dived down the inside to secure second, with Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo) doing the same on Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM TEch3) to make it three podiums in a row for the COTA winner – and his first visit to the rostrum at Jerez.
Garcia got the launch from the front row, taking the holeshot ahead of Guevara as Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing) moved up into third. The two GASGAS riders were off like a shot making a gap though, with Foggia then getting swallowed up in the early stages and Masia and Diogo Moreira (MT Helmets – MSI) on the chase behind the leading duo.
It soon became a leading quartet, and with nearly 1.8 seconds over the chasing Öncü and Xavier Artigas (CFMoto Racing PrüstelGP).
But bit by bit they reeled the lead in, and they brought company in the form of Riccardo Rossi (SIC58 Squadra Corse), having taken his Long Lap for causing a crash in Warm Up, as well as Daniel Holgado (Red Bull KTM Ajo) and Ayumu Sasaki (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) – the latter despite having started from the back and having served a Long Lap, given for riding slow on the line in FP3.
Rossi faded from the group and then crashed out, rider ok, and Holgado also found himself left behind, but a leading group of six pushed on: Öncü, Masia, Guevara, Garcia, Sasaki and Artigas. Moreira, after exceeding track limits, was dropped out the group by a Long Lap Penalty.
Into the final couple of laps, Öncü led Masia led Garcia, with Guevara in fourth and Sasaki and Artigas holding station. The first move came from Guevara, but by Pedrosa corner it was all change: Masia attacked Öncü, Garcia hit back against Guevara and Artigas passed Sasaki. Öncü took back the lead a couple of apexes later, and everything was going down to that final, classic Jorge Lorenzo corner.
Garcia headed down the inside and dispatched Masia and Öncü, and on any other Sunday that would have been another impressive victory from the Championship leader.
But not today, with Guevara swooping round the outside of the entire shuffle to make a little last corner poetry. Right round the outside and first to the flag, it’s a first win of the year in what is fast becoming a GASGAS Aspar calling card in 2022: style.
Masia just nabbed third from Öncü, with Artigas completing the top five another tenth back. Sasaki took sixth, but from the back and after a Long Lap, it was another impressive Sunday from the number 71.
Kaito Toba (CIP Green Power) won an all-Japanese duel against Ryusei Yamanaka (MT Helmets – MSI) for P7, with Holgado beating Moreira to ninth. There was a small gap back to Matteo Bertelle (QJMotor Avintia Racing Team) vs Scott Ogden (VisionTrack Racing Team) in P11 and P12, with Ivan Ortola (Angeluss MTA Team), Andrea Migno (Rivacold Snipers Team) and Stefano Nepa (Angeluss MTA Team) completing the points.
Tatsuki Suzuki (Leopard Racing) crashed out, and Joel Kelso (CIP Green Power) retired after getting caught up in the Warm Up incident instigated by Rossi, the Australian fit to try but pulling in.
After another poetic final corner from the GASGAS team, it’s time for Garcia to lead the pack to Le Mans… and Guevara now third and a little closer.
After a tougher weekend for Foggia it’s now a 21-point deficit at the top, so it’s could be time for the gloves to come off. Tune in for the Grand Prix de France in two weeks!
Moto3 Podium:
1 Izan Guevara (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) – GASGAS – 39’19.873
2 Sergio Garcia (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) – GASGAS – +0.061
3 Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo) – KTM – +0.208
