Arbolino Takes First Moto2 Win At COTA As Masià Takes First Moto3 Win Of 2022
Grid Talk Reporter 21:38 11/04/2022
Tony Arbolino scored his maiden Moto2 victory in a hectic Americas Grand Prix, as Jaume Masià snatched his first win of the 2022 Moto3 campaign.
The format for the Americas GP weekend was altered, with Moto2 going first and Moto3 the final race of the day.
Moto2
American Cameron Beaubier scored his first Moto2 Grand Prix pole in front of his home fans at the Circuit of the Americas, but would get jumped off the line at the start by several riders. Valentino Rossi protege Celestino Vietti took the lead at Turn 1, but would soon succumb to the advances of Pons rider Arón Canet. As he chased Canet, VR46 rider and championship leader Vietti would crash out. Race leader Canet would also end his race early with a tumble, with 12 riders ultimately failing to finish - including Red Bull KTM Ajo rookie and reigning Moto3 world champion Pedro Acosta and Sam Lowes - who was caught up in a tangle with Somkiat Chantra and Fermín Aldeguer.
Canet’s crash released Marc VDS’ Tony Arbolino into a lead he would stretch out to over three seconds to claim his first Moto2 win. He was followed home by Honda Teams Asia’s Ai Ogura, while Britain’s Jake Dixon scored his first Moto2 podium in third. Home hero Beaubier crashed out on the last lap while running in fourth spot, which promoted Liqui Moly Intact GP’s Marcel Schrötter. Jorge Navarro was the sole Pons rider at the chequered flag in fifth ahead of Gresini rookie Jeremy Alcoba, SAG Racing’s Bo Bendsneyder, American Joe Roberts on the Italtrans Kalex, Ajo’s Augusto Fernández and RW Racing’s Barry Baltus. Vietti continues to lead the championship by 14 points despite his crash, with Ogura and Arbolino second and third.
Moto3
In the Moto3 battle, Ajo KTM’s Jaume Masià scored victory with a last-lap move to beat Leopard’s Dennis Foggia and Valentino Rossi protégé Andrea Migno (Snipers Honda). Foggia leads the standings after four races from Aspar’s Sergio García, who retired from the COTA race, while Migno hold third - albeit 33 points adrift of Foggia.
