Albert Arenas took a remarkable last lap victory as Phillip Island produced one of the greatest Moto3 races of all time on Sunday. Arenas pipped Fabio Di Giannantonio by 0.052s as the Italian revived his title challenge after a race which saw Jorge Martin finish fifth while Marco Bezzecchi was skittled out by another rider for the second time in three races.
Bezzecchi had made terrific progress from fifteenth on the grid, even taking the lead on lap eight, but with over 20 riders in the leading group, positions were changing corner by corner. Unfortunately for the Italian, he found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time on lap 11 as Gabriel Rodrigo outbraked himself into the MG hairpin, sending him straight into the no.12 KTM and eliminating both on the spot.
The chaos didn’t end there with Bester Capital Dubai riders Marcos Ramirez and Jaume Masia tangling at Stoner corner with the former high-siding into the path of his team-mate while Tony Arbolino and Dennis Foggia wiped each other out on the penultimate lap as the disputed second place. Martin had fought his way to the front by this stage but the final lap would transform everything.
Martin’s tactics created an extraordinary image as the championship leader backed off entering the home straight, backing up the riders behind. Arenas, who started the last lap in eleventh spot, slipstreamed his way through to the lead by turn one and a collision between Martin and Phillip Oettl provided him with just enough breathing space to hold it to the finish.
Di Giannantonio ghosted through to second in the end with Sky VR46 teenager Celestino Vietti emerged from nowhere to claim a sensational third in just his second ever GP. Tatsuki Suzuki took fourth on the line ahead of Martin and Aron Canet while Adam Norrodin, Enea Bastianini, Jakub Kornfeil and Ayumu Sasaki completed a top ten covered by just four tenths of a second.
Moto3 Michelin Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix (Result)
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