MotoGP returned to South America with some style with three outstanding races at the Autódromo Termas de Rio Hondo, a venue that will already be counted among the favourites of many. All three classes produced performances to remember throughout the field and the TCF Power Five picks out the best of all.
5. Romano Fenati (Moto3)
After exploding onto the Grand Prix scene with victory in just his second ever race at this level, Romano Fenati’s career had fallen slightly quiet with his second year at Team Italia falling short of his first but 2014 is seeing the return of the phenomenal talent we all thought we’d seen in the wet at Jerez.
Riding for Valentino Rossi’s Sky Racing Team by VR46 squad, Fenati not only had the perfect mentor but he has class-leading machinery underneath him in the form of a factory-spec KTM. That said, so does Jack Miller and the Australian had won each of the opening two races, pipping Fenati to take the honours in America.
Photo Credit: MotoGP.com
Romano was not going to let the Australian complete a hat trick and after lap after lap of slipstreams and place swapping, the final 4.8km would decide who stood on the top step of the podium. Miller was proving mighty on the brakes and forced his way through at turn nine but brute force would see Fenati regain the lead at the penultimate bend, the Italian barging his way past Miller within sight of the flag.
Jack was understandably nonplussed by the manoeuvre and race direction also took a dim view, handing Romano a penalty point on his license but his victory was allowed to stand and for those of us that enjoy close, competitive racing, the call was probably the right one. Fenati was the deserving victor.
(Photo Credit: MotoGP.com)
