Moto2: Dominant Lowes wins in Teruel to take championship lead

Round 12 of the 2020 Moto2 World Championship took place in MotorLand Aragon for the Grand Prix of Teruel. Sam Lowes qualified on pole position for the second consecutive race as he looked for his third successive race win.

Sam Lowes is not famed for his ability to get a Kalex Moto2 bike off the line, but he managed to do it in Teruel with a perfect execution as he took the holeshot ahead of Remy Gardner.

Lowes was able to edge away on the first lap, and had around a half-second lead already by the end of lap one.

The #22 lapped 0.8 seconds faster than Fabio Di Giannantonio, who had come up to second place, on lap two, and that set the tone for the rest of the race, as Lowes stormed away to a third straight win, this time by 8.4 seconds. 

The battle behind Lowes was mostly for third place, as Di Giannantonio made second place his own, leaving Remy Gardner to fight with Enea Bastianini for the final podium position. That battle did not last long, though, as Bastianini was able to stretch away from Gardner in the second half of the race. 

The Italian was unable to catch his compatriot, Di Giannantonio, for second, but the two both held on to second and third, respectively, although no one had anything for Lowes out front.

The results of the top three mean that Lowes will now lead the championship heading to Valencia, while Bastianini will arrive in the Ricardo Tormo circuit with seven points to find on the winner of the last three Moto2 races. 

Behind Bastianini, Gardner held on for fourth despite pressure at the end from Jorge Navarro, who came back to fifth after a disastrous first two laps that left him outside of the top 10. Jorge Martin was unable to repeat his podium form of last weekend, but rounded out the top six despite starting from row four, finishing ahead of Jake Dixon, Augusto Fernandez, Marcos Ramirez and Joe Roberts who completed the top 10. 

Luca Marini was as low as 16th at one point in the race, but recovered to 11th, meaning he now faces a 23-point deficit in the championship with three races to go. Having led by 15 points eight days ago, it has been a disappointing turnaround for the #10, who will have to force the pendulum back in his favour in Valencia. 

Behind Marini was the injured Xavi Vierge, ahead of Hafizh Syahrin, Tetsuta Nagashima and Simone Corsi who took the final point in 15th. 

The new Dunlop rear tyre for this weekend had been a benefit for Bo Bendsneyder, but the Dutchman struggled to make it last the distance and dropped outside the points to 16th in the end. Behind him was Nicolo Bulega, ahead of Lorenzo Dalla Porta, Somkiat Chantra and Marcel Schrotter who completed the top 20. 

Almost 20 seconds behind Schrotter was 21st-placed Andi Izdihar, the Indonesian finishing ahead of Xavi Cardelus and Piotr Biesiekirski who was the final classified finisher in 23rd.

Seven riders failed to finish, as Tom Luthi and Kasma Daniel went out on the first corner in unison. They were followed into the gravel traps a few laps later when Marco Bezzecchi dumped the #72 machine and his championship hopes with it; before the two Flexbox HP 40 riders, Hector Garzo and Lorenzo Baldassarri both fell from top 10 positions.

Edgar Pons confirmed a terrible day for Sito Pons, having watched both of his team’s riders crash out within the space of five laps, his son, Edgar, crashed on the penultimate lap, before Stefano Manzi crashed out on the final lap.