Thomas Luthi launched himself right back into championship contention with an unlikely victory at a rain-hit Brno. The Swiss rider, who has struggled for competitiveness in the dry all weekend, took full advantage of a red flag and subsequent six lap sprint in wet conditions to take his first win of 2017, cutting Franco Morbidelli’s championship lead to seventeen points.
Race direction declared the Grand Prix ‘dry’ prior to the start despite damp patches lingering from the earlier Moto3 race. As a result, when rain began to fall around half-distance, there was no alternative but to throw a red flag, news which didn’t favour polesitter Mattia Pasini who was leading from Morbidelli and Miguel Oliveira.
Luthi was detached from the leading group in seventh prior to the stoppage but the Interwetten rider was inspired in the wet conditions once the six lap dash began. Thomas powered around the outside of Pasini at turn one to take an immediate lead and once the Italtrans rider had crashed out at turn eleven, he was clear to take an unchallenged victory in incredible circumstances.
Alex Marquez was the only Marc VDS rider to enjoy the wet conditions, coming home second with Oliveira claiming a second consecutive podium for KTM. Luca Marini and Xavi Vierge finished a career-best fourth and fifth respectively while Simone Corsi overcame a three-place grid penalty to pip Francesco Bagnaia to sixth. Morbidelli’s cautious approach saw him slip to eighth with the Italian narrowly holding off Remy Gardner and the impressive debutant Joe Roberts.
Moto2 Monster Energy Grand Prix Ceske Republiky: Result
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