MotoGP Buriram: Arbolino claims red-flagged Moto2 washout

Elf Marc VDS’ Tony Arbolino claimed victory in the Thai Grand Prix after Moto2 action was cut short due to torrential rain.

Delayed, shortened then red flagged, the dramatic race was ultimately cut short after eighth treacherous laps around the sodden Buriram circuit with Arbolino claiming the spoils from Gresini Racing’s Filip Salac and Flexbox HP40’s Aron Canet. Inde GasGas Aspar’s Jake Dixon securing fourth in the deteriorating conditions.

The rain arrived as the intermediate gird prepared with the race reduced to 16 laps. Local rider Somkiat Chantra lined up from pole position for the first time in his world championship career, much to the delight of the home fans, with Arbolino and Idemitsu Honda teammate Ai Ogura completing the front row. Brits Dixon and Sam Lowes sat seventh and 19th respectively with championship leader Augusto Fernandez defending his position from eighth.

Early drama saw Aspar’s Albert Arenas, VR46 Master Camp’s Manuel Gonzales and Italtrans Lorenzo Dalla Porta wheeled off the grid into pitlane as the teams failed to change tyres in the allocated time, with the trio facing a back of the pack start - the latter, bizarrely, on slicks.

Lights out after a solitary lap in the wet conditions found Chantra maintaining his control from a fast-charging Alonso Lopez on the Beta Tools Speed Up, American Racing’s Cameron Beaubier up to fourth before crashing out on the kerbs of turn four. The rain torrential as the pack continued to aquaplane with Canet and Dixon capitalising in third and fourth.

Chantra’s home run came to an early end with a turn four slide from a two-second lead on lap three. Lopez inheriting the lead from Canet and Dixon as Gresini’s Filip Salac headed Ogura, Arbolino and Italtrans’ Joe