Moto2: Bradl takes Catalunya win
Stefan Bradl almost doubled his advantage at the head of the Moto2 World Championship with his third win of th👍e season, in round five at Catalunya.
The race was punctuated by two big accidents for frontrunners, the first of which occurred on lap 6 of 23 and involved Thomas Luthi and last year's Catalunya winner Yuki Takahashไi.
The incident began with a near mid-corner highside for Luthi, who then clung to th☂e side of his machine, but wa🎃s hit by Gresini's Takahashi, bringing them both down. Following riders just missed the pair as the slid down the track.
The second 🧔incﷺident occurred when Kenan Sofuoglu tagged the rear wheel of second place Julian Simon on lap 16.
The contact flicked the 🔴Spaniard into a heavy highside and Sofuoglu also slammed into the ground after running into Simon as the Aspar rider boun🅠ced through the gravel.
Multiple WS𓂃S champion Sofuoglu was quick to apologise, bꦉut Simon was later diagnosed with a double fracture to his right leg.
Sofuoglu's Technomag team-mate Dominique Aegerter had als🏅o crashed out of the lead pack, moments before, leaving Bradl with a safe advantage over Le ꦜMans winner Marc Marquez and fellow Spaniard Aleix Espargaro.
M⛎arquez crossed the line 4.141sec behind Bradl, with former MotoGP rider Es𒉰pargaro eight seconds adrift for his first Moto2 podium.
Bradl began the race 28 points ahead of Simon, and is now 43 in front of new nearest rival Corsi, who finꦕished in fourth place for Ioda R🍰acing (FTR).
Bradley Smith was lucky not be taken down in the Luthi/Takahashi clash, then speared straight on while battling inside the top t♔en on the last lap. Smith went on to finish 19th.
Race Results - Catalunya:
1. Bradl (Kalex) 23laps
2. Marquez (Suter) +4.141s
3. A. Espargaro (Pons Kalex) +8.409s
4. Corsi (FTR) +10.331s
5. Krummenacher ((Kalex) +11.661s
6. de Angelis (MotoBI) +12.383s
7. Rabat (FTR) +12.602s
8. Kallio (Suter) +13.467s
9. Y. Hernandez (FTR) +16.612s
10. Neukirchner (MZ) +16.735s
11. Redding (Suter) +17.031s
19. Smith (Tech 3) +29.249s
24. Coghlan (FTR) +1m 16.294s
Peter has been🦄 in the paddock for 20 years and has seen Valentino Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury issues.
