Moto2: Pedro Acosta becomes the 2023 World Champion as Aldeguer wins

Pedro Acosta is your 2023 Moto2 World Championship with Fermin Aldeguer on the top step.

Fermin Aldeguer (Beta Tools SpeedUp) was once again on pole position in Moto2 after a great lap in qualifying. Celestino Vietti (Fantic Racing) and Manuel Gonzalez (Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46 Team) rounded off the front row. However, all eyes were on Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo), who was looking to wrap up the title.

Fermin Aldeguer and Manuel Gonzalez were side by side on the entry to turn one, with nobody wanting to give an inch. Contact was made, and Gonzalez was down on the entry to turn two.

Pedro Acosta had a magical start from sixth position and was second by the end of the first lap. His Championship rival, Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team),  was down in seventh at the end of lap one. Arbolino made contact with the back of Ai Ogura’s (IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia) bike.

This contact dropped Arbolino outside of the point-scoring positions, meaning that Acosta had to finish. Celestino Vietti was another rider to crash in the opening stage with his left glove coming off. Izan Guevara (Inde GASGAS Aspar Team) crashed seconds later under the yellow flag conditions.

A couple of laps later, a near identical crash with Sergio Garcia (Pons Wegow Los40) losing the front at turn nine. Kohta Nozane (Correos Prepago Yamaha VR46 Team) was the rider to crash seconds later under the yellow flag conditions. Aron Canet (Pons Wegow Los40) had a crash a lap later at turn one.

Marcos Ramirez (OnlyFans American Racing) managed to fight his way into a podium position. Ramirez continued what was a great weekend, ahead of his teammate Rory Skinner (OnlyFans American Racing), who is 21^st as he continues to learn the Moto2 class.

Jake Dixon (Inde GASGAS Aspar Team) was in sixth position in a trio of riders battling for sixth place. Fellow Brit Sam Lowes (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) was inside the top 10, battling with Somkiat Chantra (IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia).

Too little too late for Arbolino

Tony Arbolino tried his best and made his way inside the points with five laps remaining in the race. However, it would not be enough with Pedro Acosta effectively having one hand on the trophy.

The battle for the final podium position was on between Marcos Ramirez and Ai Ogura, with four laps to go. Ramirez was closing in on the American Racing rider by three-tenths each lap.

Pedro Acosta came across the line in second position to become the second youngest Moto2 World Champion. Acosta has won seven races this season, achieving an incredible tally of 14 podiums in 2023. The 19-year-old celebrated with his family on the exit of turn one and with his mascot (the shark).

It has been an incredible year for Pedro Acosta, who won his second World Championship after three seasons in the paddock. After joining the paddock in 2021, coming off the back of a Red Bull Rookie Cup title, he came into the paddock in style. Acosta won the Moto3 Championship in his rookie season and now the Moto2 title in his second year in the class.

Marcos Ramirez came home in third position to take his first podium of the season, rounding off a delighted podium. Ai Ogura could not find a way through, finishing in fourth position on the Honda Team Asia machine. Jake Dixon did find a way into fifth place in the end, rounding off a consistent weekend.

Somkiat Chantra was in sixth place, finishing ahead of Sam Lowes, who came home in seventh position. Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team) rounded out the top eight in the intermediate class.

Albert Arenas (Red Bull KTM Ajo) will join in on his teammate’s celebrations this weekend after a top-nine finish. Tony Arbolino rounded out the top 10 after missing out on the Championship this season.

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Image credit: Red Bull Content Pool