Francesco Bagnaia struck a huge blow in the battle for the Moto2 world championship by winning the Thailand Grand Prix at Buriram. The Italian proved too strong for title rival Miguel Oliveira in sweltering conditions while Luca Marini secured a Sky Racing Team VR46 1-2 by overtaking the Portuguese rider on the last lap, leaving him 28 points behind Bagnaia.
Bagnaia had to hold his nerve in the early laps with both Red Bull KTM riders putting him under intense pressure. Despite being surrounded by the two orange machines, Bagnaia coolly worked his way to the front with Brad Binder skating wide on lap ten before Oliveira was eased aside two laps later. Once the championship leader had outbraked Oliveira into turn four, he slowly eased away.
To make matters worse for KTM, the fast-finishing Marini would deprive them of crucial championship points in the closing laps. The no.10 muscled past Binder into third with three laps remaining before jumping straight onto the tail of Oliveira, pressuring the Portuguese rider into a mistake at turn three which handed second place away.
Binder followed his team-mate home in fourth with Fabio Quartararo a lonely fifth for Speed Up. As crash for polesitter Lorenzo Baldassarri promoted Mattia Pasini to sixth while Iker Lecuona finished seventh ahead of Tetsuta Nagashima in a career-best eighth. Andrea Locatelli also impressed in ninth while Simone Corsi rounded out the top ten.
Moto2 PTT Thailand Grand Prix (Result)
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