Moto3: Foggia Picks Up First Grand Prix Win in Brno

The Moto3 World Championship returned to action in Brno, and as usual at the Czech track the group battle was fierce in the lightweight class. 

Albert Arenas, the injured championship leader, took the early lead in the race, and actually managed to break away for a few laps before the slipstream brought the pack back towards him. 

At around that point, it became clear that Dennis Foggia had found a step with his Honda for this weekend. Already in qualifying the Italian had showed better than he had throughout the season before this weekend, and he backed that up in the race, leading 13 of the 18 laps. 

Crucially, Foggia also led lap 18, the final lap, and took his first career Grand Prix win. Having left the VR46 Academy at the end of last year and not having that reflected in an improvement of his results, the doubts were starting to creep around the Italian, but he was about as dominant as it is possible to be in Moto3 in this race. The #7 Leopard Honda was fast in a straight line, as usual with that team, but perhaps just as importantly Foggia was able to be both strong and late on the initial grab of the brake, and faster than his rivals on corner entry. Foggia proved almost impossible to pass, except for one move by Ai Ogura on the final lap in turn four, but even then the Italian was able to respond immediately. With such strengths, Austria will be an exciting prospect for Foggia.

In second place was Albert Arenas, who was quite heroic in his performance. The injury he sustained in Jerez was evidently painful for the Spaniard, and his ability to manage that pain through the race in Brno was akin to Jorge Martin’s management of his injuries in Austria 2018. It was a champion’s ride from Arenas, an extremely big points day. 

The podium was rounded out by Ai Ogura, who looked comfortable all race. The second-year rider is turning into quite an exciting prospect for Honda, Japan and the Honda Team Asia. After missing points in Jerez, a return to the podium was critical for the Japanese rider, and it keeps him in the frame for the title. 

Fourth place went to Niccolo Antonelli, despite his team’s doubts about his pace. But Antonelli generally goes well in Brno, it’s where he took his first win back in 2015, and where he charged from the pit lane to the podium fight one year ago. Inconsistency is plaguing the Italian again in 2020 but he showed again today that when things are right, the speed is there. 

John McPhee completed the top five after what was a fairly anonymous race for the Briton. Crucially, though, he picked up solid points and kept himself in the championship frame. Behind McPhee was pole sitter Raul Fernandez, who took another sixth place, his third in succession. Then came Jeremy Alcoba, the rookie impressing with his second consecutive seventh place (although unlike in Andalusia this was not due to a penalty); the Spaniard had 0.8 seconds back to Tony Arbolino who could only manage eighth.

Missing out on eighth by 0.001 seconds was Romano Fenati, who took his best result of the season in ninth, and the top 10 was rounded out by Stefano Nepa.

Kaito Toba led the chasing pack over the line in 11th, just ahead of Darryn Binder and the injured Celestino Vietti. Andrea Migno was 14th and Deniz Oncu took the final point in 15th. 

Sergio Garcia was disappointing in 16th ahead of his teammate Ryusei Yamanaka, Carlos Tatay, front row started Gabriel Rodrigo and Ayumu Sasaki who completed the top 20. 

Barry Baltus came out on top in a last lap battle for 21st with Khairul Idham Pawi, who thankfully was able to ride after his crash in qualifying yesterday. Jason Dupasquier was 23rd, ahead of Davide Pizzoli and Filip Salac who was the final classified finisher in 25th. 

The retirements included: Riccardo Rossi, Maximilian Kofler, Alonso Lopez, Tatsuki Suzuki (giving another example of why he will likely not fight for the world title), Yuki Kunii and Jaume Masia who saw his title hopes go up in smoke with three laps to go.