Moto2: Gardner takes first race win as Bastianini secures the title

After 14 races, the 2020 Moto2 World Championship would be decided in the final round of the season in Portimao, the first Portuguese Grand Prix in eight years. Remy Gardner started from pole position, as Enea Bastianini, Sam Lowes, Luca Marini and MArco Bezzecchi set their sights on the world title.

It was Luca Marini who made the holeshot although the major drama in turn one was further back. Fabio Di Giannantonio blew the start, and in his desperation to make up the places he lost in turn one, he got in too hot, cut the kerb and lost the front. The Italian was then collected by Nicolo Bulega, which saw the #11’s race end and the #21 bound for the medical centre. 

Two corners later and Marini’s time at the front was over, as Remy Gardner took advantage of a false neutral for the Italian. A similar problem later on for Lorenzo Baldassarri indicates how slow turn five is, and how long first gear is on the Moto2 machines, as the teams try to take advantage of the low-end torque of the Triumph 765cc motor.

The championship contenders were soon all assembled in the top seven, with Marini and Lowes fighting with Gardneror the lead, and Bezzecchi and Bastianini further back, fighting with Augusto Fernandez and Jorge Martin. But they were all in the front group, and that meant the championship was wide open.

When Marini passed Gardner for the lead on lap eight at the first turn, he was immediately followed through by Lowes. It was at this point that the race started to string out more, as Gardner started to drop back and Marini imposed his mid-race pace, which was matched by Lowes, for the most part.

Lowes’ physical problems with his right hand after his free practice crash in Valencia one week ago have been well documented, and the fact that he was able to run the leading pace was impressive enough from the Briton. On lap 12 it seemed that the lack of strength was becoming an overriding factor in the #22’s race, but he rallied after Gardner re-passed him for second at the first turn on lap 13. 

As it turned out, Gardner’s pace was irresistible also for Marini. The Australian brought Lowes with him up to the back of the Italian, but a mistake from the Marc VDS rider left it a two-way fight at the front, and Gardner clearly had the superior speed. 

The corner speed Gardner was able to carry through turn 15 was almost a curse for him, as it meant he had to take a different line on the exit, and that in turn meant that he did not have as much lean angle over the crest just before the finish line, causing him more wheelie problems than Marini. Adding to that, Gardner’s usual straight line speed issues and it became impossible for the #87 to attack into turn one. Therefore, he had to invent something, which he did in turn three on the penultimate lap. 

Marini tried to go with Gardner, but was wide in turn seven and then had a moment on the rear on the exit of turn eight. By the end of the next lap, Gardner was well over one second clear, and he had won his first Moto2 race in fine style, with consistency and strength in the battle. 

Marini’s second place was always unlikely to give him the World Championship, given his 18-point deficit to Bastianini coming into Portimao. Indeed, it was only enough for second place in the championship, which he took from Lowes due to having more second places than the #22. Lowes, in turn, finished this final race of 2020 in third after a heroic ride considering his physical condition.

Marco Bezzecchi put in a strong performance to finish fourth after qualifying 12th, and knowing his hopes of the championship were gone with the victory out of reach, did everything in his power to force a mistake from Bastianini, or force him into the group of riders that had gathered behind the #33 in the closing stages of the race, in the hopes of doing his teammate, Marini, a favour in the title. 

In the end, though, it was not enough for Marini, who missed out on the championship by nine points to Enea Bastianini, whose fifth place finish was enough to clinch his first World Championship, and the first for Italtrans. It has been a fantastic season from Bastianini, who was well-matched by his rivals. However, where Bezzecchi started the season with the broken talus bone, Martin tested positive for COVID-19, Marini suffered the mental effects of his high side in Le Mans and Lowes injured his hand in Valencia – Bastianini remained healthy and consistent throughout the year. That is not meant to diminish his achievement. When the pressure of a World Championship is increasing as it does and has in 2020, and when there are so many races in such a short space of time, remaining healthy and consistent is difficult, as proven by Bastianini’s rivals as well as many others in 2020.

Behind Bastianini in the race were Jorge Martin, Joe Roberts, Augusto Fernandez, Lorenzo Baldassarri and Xavi Vierge who completed the top 10. 

Marcos Ramirez was 11th, ahead of Marcel Schrotter, Bo Bendsneyder, Tetsuta Nagashima and Aron Canet, who took the final point in 15th after being awarded two long lap penalties for jumping the start.

Tom Luthi was 16th, ahead of Lorenzo Dalla Porta, Somkiat Chantra, Stefano Manzi and Dominique Aegerter who completed the top 20 as he replaced Piotr Biesiekirski. Hafizh Syahrin was 21st, and the final classified rider in his last race for Aspar. 

After Di Giannantonio and Bulega were out on the first corner, the retirements included Hector Garzo, Jorge Navarro, Kasma Daniel, Edgar Pons, Andi Izdihar and Simone Corsi.