3. Romano Fenati (Moto3)
Moto3 races are frenetic and difficult to win at the best of times but with a long pit straight providing slipstreaming galore, Mugello was as tough as you’ll get. Romano Fenati was already heading into the weekend with the weight of a nation on his shoulders, arriving as Italy’s likeliest champion across all three classes and positioned as the man to carry the country’s hopes in the future, riding for Valentino Rossi’s own Moto3 team.
The leading group consisted of a dozen riders at one stage but Fenati knew that positioning himself for an assault on the final lap was crucial and never let himself get too far away from the front of the pack. The lowest he fell to was seventh and entering the last lap, Romano led the way and despite being overhauled into San Donato, he forced his way to the front again by Arrabbiata 2.
It was on the approach to the final bend that Fenati’s tactics came into play. Braking slightly earlier than normal, the Italian was overtaken by Alex Rins and Isaac Vinales but with a two-bike slipstream down the start/finish straight, Romano had the perfect slingshot to clinch victory by 0.010s. The margins may have been tight, but Fenati had judged it expertly.
(Photo Credit: MotoGP.com)
